Tag and Zag

By Rick Mohr; January 2015

Contra, Duple Improper Caller's Box

Level: Intermediate

A1:

Balance and swing neighbor (16)

A2:

Down the center, four in line (6)

Sliding doors (trade places as couples and turn alone) (4)

Return (bend the line to form a circle) (6)

B1:

Balance the ring (4)

Petronella turn (4)

Swing partner (8)

B2:

Circle left 3/4 (8)

Zig left with partner, past neighbors (3)

Zag right with partner, almost past next neighbors (3)

Gents allemande left 1/2 (2)

An all-moving dance with fun side-to-side movement, and balances at the tops of the parts.

In the "sliding doors" figure couples dynamically trade ends of a line of four. Careful word choice helps in the walkthrough; for exampe: "Go down the hall six steps, and stop. Stay facing down. Right hand couple take a step forward. When I say go, still facing down, as couples move sideways to trade places with the other couple. Go! Now turn alone to face the music."

In B2, couples zig left to progress and then zag right until the new gents have almost passed each other. But then they catch left hands, turning halfway for a just-in-time balance with new neighbors.

"Tag" in the title is from "tag the line", a Modern Western square dance figure similar to sliding doors. After naming the dance I learned that the two figures are actually somewhat different so it's better to call this one "sliding doors". But never junk a good title!

For an easier related dance see Zag and SnagZag and Snag.

Video: Sarah VanNordstrand & Triple A+ / Wake up Robin at Epicenter 2017, Mill Valley CA:
Video: Glen Morningstar & Oakland County All Stars at a Grange dance, Pittsfield MI: