Mention of the call Extend always seems to invite discussions about what Extend is, where it came from and how it should be used. I looked and found that it is used in many different situations and is discussed and used in several ways in Callerlab and other definitions.
Extend was originally called Extend the Tag and was shortened to Extend in the late 1980s. It is necessary to look at fractional Tags when discussing Extend.
From a single column, the four fractional Tags look like this:
These are the only valid positions for Extends.
From parallel columns, Extend looks like this:
The dancers who end up on the outside positions in a 1/4 Tag or 3/4 Tag slide together to remove the space between them. This breathing is a normal part of dancing these calls. Extend is not a space-invading (phantom-creating call) so there should be no spaces when the call is over.
Callerlab defines Extend in 3 different places - part in the Basic program, part in the Mainstream program and part in the Advanced program.
Let's take a look at these Callerlab definitions.
From Callerlab Basic List
36. Extend: Starting formation - ¼ tag formation only.
Dancers in the wave release hands and step forward to the couple they are facing and join hands in a right hand wave. If the wave is left handed, dancers Extend to a left hand wave. Note: Centers in the wave remain centers in the new waves and ends in the wave end as ends in the new waves. STYLING: All dancers move forward smoothly during the Extending action and use appropriate handholds and styling for the formation achieved. TIMING: - 2 steps. |
| |||
| My Note: | Notice that 2 of the outer dancers have to move diagonally ahead to accomodate the centers who are moving to the outside. The movement of the remaining dancers is straight ahead. This is not the kind of movement done when Extending the Tag.
This is equivalent to moving from a 1/4 tag formation to a 1/2 tag formation in the parallel column diagram above. |
The diagram is mine. Callerlab provides no diagram.
From Callerlab Plus List
Extend - Starting formation - Double Pass Thru, Parallel Ocean Waves, (½ Tag), any Tag (¼ or ¾) formation. TIMING - 2 All dancers release handholds (if necessary), step forward and form an ocean wave with the couple they are facing. If the Extend leaves dancers facing no one, they remain facing out. If the starting formation is right-handed, dancers Extend to a right-handed formation; if the starting formation is left-handed, dancers Extend to a left-handed formation. From a Double Pass Thru formation, dancers Extend to a right-hand Quarter Tag formation. From a Quarter Tag formation, dancers Extend to parallel waves. From parallel waves, dancers Extend to a ¼ Tag formation, from a ¼ Tag formation, dancers Extend to a completed Double Pass Thru formation. STYLING: All dancers move forward smoothly during Extending action. Dancers utilize previously described styling for resulting formations at the completion of the call (e.g., ocean wave styling, couple handhold for double pass thru formation, etc.) |
The Parallel Ocean Waves starting position is equivalent to the ½ Tag diagram above. Notice that the neither the Basic nor the Plus definitions say what an Extend is - how far does each dancer move? And from the beginning double pass thru formation, there is no mention of the movement for the trailers in each column. And, exactly where are the outsides in each formation standing? It would seem that these dancers in the ¼ Tag and ¾ Tag formations would be separated. Yet, most callers expect these dancers to be standing next ot each other as if they were the trailers in a column. The diagram is mine. Callerlab provides no diagram. |
From Callerlab Advanced List
| Extend: At Advanced, this call is allowed from double pass thru, ¼ tag, box circulate, or ¾ tag: All move forward to the next tag position, as shown below:
There doesn't seem to be much difference between the Plus and Advanced definitions. Notice the both the Plus and Advanced definitions allow Extend to be done from the same starting positions. What is the Difference? Why is the definition duplicated in two dance programs? You get a little different picture of Extend from double pass thru if you look at only one column instead of two because of the positions of the two outside dancers on each side. Normally, callers want the outsides to slide together to become a couple at the end of these calls. I've often wondered where the dancers would end up from a beginning double pass thru formation if the caller said, "On a double track, do a ¼ Tag." If you are in a left-handed formation, the result is also left-handed The diagram is mine. Callerlab provides no diagram. |
So, Exactly What is an Extend?
It is not unusual for callers to call Extend and want the dancers to simply move forward. The definition for Two steps At A Time says to Extend using Circulates. This means to move straight ahead. In this case the definition wants the dancers to move in ½ Circulate increments until reaching the desired position. This argues for defining Extends in terms of ½ Circulates which is not what Extend the Tag specifies.
In examining the Callerlab definitions from Basic thru C2, there are more than 20 calls that include Extend within the definitions. Some definitions at C3A and C3B use Extend as a ½ Circulate. Not ½ of a Circulate like ½ of a Pass Thru but simply a straight ahead movement. There are other cases where calls use Cross Extend instead of Extend. These calls include but are not limited to Criss Cross the Shadow and Criss Cross Your Neighbor. Cross Extend is not defined until the C3B list.
A quick search thru the C3 Ceder Chest turned up another handful of uses of Extend which equated to a ½ Circulate. Also found were terms like step ahead, move up, ½ Press Ahead and move to the center. All were ½ Circulates.
It is also common for callers to use the term "step ahead" to mean Press Ahead or Circulate. The C1 and C2 Ceder Chest has a very thorough definition and discussion of Press so there should be no question about how to use Press. Extend is a different matter.
It is also common for callers to call Extend when they want to have the dancers move straight ahead. This violates the sense of movement specified in Extend the Tag.
Notice that the movement of the centers of the line is simply a Cross Trail-like movement. In this case the rule for Drop {direction} says that the handedness of the centers of the line controls the handedness of the resulting lines. This is clearly not so when a Cross Extend is involved.
The following is a count of the number of times that Extend appears in the Callerlab and Ceder definitions. The count was made by Googling the appropriate web sites.
The number of appearances by dance program is:
Mainstream 1
Plus 3 Included in Ceder Chest 2
Advanced 11 Included in Ceder Chest 2
C1 11 Included in Ceder Chest 4
C2 11
C3A 7
C3B 4
This list includes 5 calls that use Cross Extend.
Virtually all of these use Extend as a synonym for 1/2 of a Circulate
(or 1/2 Press Ahead)
It would seem that the original use of Extend as Extend the Tag has been
very largly superceded by the 1/2 Circulate usage.
Mainstream Program Plus Program
Extend Extend
Circulate (Ceder)
Follow Your Neighbor (Ceder)
Advanced Program C1 Program
Extend use of Mainstream call Checkover
Cast A Shadow Cross Your Neighbor (Cross Extend)
Grand Follow Your Neighbor Magic Column Circulate
Transfer the Column Box (Split) Recycle
Mini Busy Anything and Weave
Scoot and Weave Relay the Shadow (Cross Extend)
Scoot Chain Thru Follow Thru (Ceder)
Box Transfer Scatter Scoot (Ceder)
Transfer and Anything Wheel Fan Thru (Ceder)
Scoot and Dodge (Ceder) Anything to a Wave (Ceder)
Triple Scoot (Ceder) Cross Extend
C2 Program C3A Program
Chain the Square Interlocked Scoot Back
Criss Cross the Shadow (Cross Extend) Swap the Top
Criss Cross Your Neighbor (Cross Extend) Any Tagging Call Chain Thru
Drop Right/Left Open Up the Column
Invert the Column Reach Out
Peel to a Diamond Triple Play
Trail to a Diamond Follow Your Leader
Along
Swing Along
Turn to a Line
3 by 1 Transfer the Column
C3B Program
Cross Swap the Top
Loop and Tag
n Steps At A Time
Lift Off
Conclusion
Maybe we need a new call name to use when the caller wants the dancers to move staight ahead. Perhaps use of the word ADVANCE would work unless that word is already taken for something else.
Linda Kendall had a very good and specific definition of Extend in a Choreo Corner article in Zip Coder. Her definition is to use Extend only in the Extend the Tag sense.