This is the Callerlab definition for COUNTER ROTATE:
From any formation with no dancers facing directly toward or away from the flagpole center: Each dancer moves forward the designated number of quarters (¼ unless otherwise specified) around the flagpole center of the formation, staying the same distance from that center as though he were on a wheel turning about that center. With each quarter he Counter Rotates, the dancer faces a new wall (i.e., he turns 90°). |
This definition is not accurate for several dancing situations. This paper will demonstrate this through the use of many diagrams.
| Part 1 | shows the definition with examples of where the definition does apply. |
| Part 2 | shows examples of where the definition is not accurate and where the callers often tell the dancers what do to in terms which do not reflect the rules stated in the definition. |
| Part 3 | shows a revised definition which does work in all situations. |
The last item is a difficult call which clearly demonstrates the problem with the Callerlab definition.
Part 1 - Calls where the definition works
Counter Rotate from Parallel Waves
This works well with the Callerlab definition because each dancer is facing along the arc and can easily move 90 degrees on the arc.
Counter Rotate from Tidal Wave
This works well with the Callerlab definition because each dancer is facing along the arc and can easily move 90 degrees on the arc.
Counter Rotate from Diamonds and Hourglass
Diamonds
Hourglass
This works well with the Callerlab definition because each dancer is facing along the arc and can easily move 90 degrees on the arc.
Part 2 - Calls where the definition is unsuitable
The calls shown here don't work well with the Callerlab definition because dancer movement required by the definition violates the restriction that the dancers move forward keeping the same distance from the flagpole center.
We'll look at the column ends first then follow with an examination of what goes on with the center dancers.
Column ends in mini-wave
It is common for callers to tell the dancers to do a drag Counter Rotate to perform this call. In any event, the diagrams clearly show that the movements performed by dancers doing this call are not those required by the definition.
Column ends facing out
It is common for callers to tell the dancers to do a Partner Tag to perform this call.
Column ends facing in
Now let's look at the centers. The centers are thought of as always staying on their arc so that their movement is along the arc.
Centers facing in
| The diagram clearly shows that the movement of the dancers is a Pass In even though the centers are thought of as moving along their arc. |
Centers facing out
The diagram clearly shows that the movement of the dancers is a Quarter In and Pass Thru even though the centers are thought of as moving along their arc. It is quite common for callers to tell the dancers to do a Concentric Pass In if they are facing and a Concentric Partner Tag if they are facing out. |
Part 3 - This is the suggested revised definition:
| Dancers facing along their arc move along the arc 90°. Centers are always assumed to be facing along their arc. | |
| Column Ends facing in - Concentric Pass In As One Movement | |
| Column Ends facing out - Concentric Partner Tag As One Movement |
Of course, one would think that this would cause a problem when &Roll is used after the Counter Rotate where the last part is a step ahead. That is why the As One Movement is emphasized. In each case the facing direction is 90° from the original facing direction so the dancers can roll.
This is an example of a call where dancers probably would never think about arcs and where the revised rules would be a more suitable way to do the call.
In Your Staggered Columns, Counter Rotate
At this point the dancers have to restablish the original offset since this was a Staggered Column call.
Managing arcs in this formation might just be a little overwhelming. And using Roll at the end of this call would probably not work because the dancers would be more interested in restoring the diagonal. This would probably be done by sliding sideways which would obviate any Rolling. Notice also that the dancers are not on their original arcs when the call is done. Counter Rotate from Big Block ocean waves from the same setup provides the same results. This call is interesting because the Counter Rotate is done within the Staggered Column and Big Block concepts. These concepts require that the diagonal at the start of the concept call remain the same at the end of the call as it was at the beginning of the call. Simply calling Counter Rotate from this setup without using the concepts would change the diagonal but that is OK because the concepts were not used. |
Counter Rotate from Parallelogram Lines
| This case is interesting because it is NOT a Parallelogram concept call. The Counter Rotate is called when the dancers are standing in a parallelogram. This is actually a very easy, straight-forward Counter Rotate situation. It only becomes difficult because many dancers think it is a Parallelogram concept call. |
Counter Rotates from 1/4 Tag and 3/4 Tag Formations
| These two formations are an interesting case because they are a combination of line and column ends situations. The line in the center does the arc-type movement and the outsides do the column ends-type movement. In both cases callers will generally direct the column end dancers to do either a Concentric Pass In or a Concentric Partner Tag movement with no apparent concern whether the column ends dancers can roll. This is a fairly common setup. |
1/4 Tag
3/4 Tag
Conclusion
| This paper shows some problems with the definition of Counter Rotate. It is a very popular and often-used call whose definition probably hasn't been reviewed or changed since it was written in 1973. Concepts have come into more general use since then and provide more rigorous and flexible ways to do calls without some of the excess and confusing verbage that sometimes appears. |