66. SCOOT BACK: Starting formation -box circulate or quarter tag. From box circulate, dancers facing in step straight forward to join adjacent forearms, turn half (180=B0) and step forward to end in the position vacated by the dancer who was facing out. Meanwhile, each dancer facing out runs into the position vacated by the dancer who is doing the forearm turn. When done from right hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the right and the dancers facing out run right. When done from left hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the left and the dancers facing out run left. Finishes in a box circulate formation. From quarter tag, dancers step ahead, join forearms (right if center wave was right handed or left if center wave was left handed), turn half (180 degrees) and step straight forward. Those if center wave was left handed) , turn half (180 degrees) and step straight forward. Those returning to the center step to a wave (using same hands as origin.

STYLING: Similar to that of turn thru and fold.

TIMING: 6 steps.

Dan Koft writes:
I start the teach on this from a static set and

Heads Ladies U Turn Back
Heads gents tuck your free arm behind your back
Heads gents step forward and take hands, ladies stand STILL
Heads ladies Trade with the ghost that is where your partner was
Heads gents Trade then LET go of each other
Heads gents step forward and take hands with the ladies

That was the call Scoot Back

Heads ladies tuck your free arm behind your back
Heads ladies step forward and take hands, gents stand STILL
Heads gents Trade with the ghost that is where your partner was
Heads ladies Trade then LET go of each other
Heads ladies step forward and take hands with the gents

Then have ALL the ladies U Turn Back and repeat the drill for the Sides.

Dance this a bit then work up left handed Scoot Backs and waves then LATER the 1/4 Tag version.

Then later I can call from parallel waves
"Scoot Back, Centers (with the left) Scoot Back" as a Swing Thru equal.

Al Stevens writes:
I heard the late Jack Lasry explain the call "Scoot-back" as from parallel waves, everybody is going to do a "turn thru", either with somebody real, or with a phantom person. The first step is everybody take a step forward, now with the right forearm, do a turn thru with someone, or with no-one, then step back into a wave again.

This explanation was amplified again and explained that when the movement started from a right hand wave, the turn is with the right hand. When it is started from a left hand wave, the turn is with the left hand. It also might be noted that this can also be expanded to include 1/4 tag, and can help in teaching "Follow Your Neighbor".....everybody take a step forward cast off 3/4 with somebody real or with a "phantom".

Clark Baker writes:
In pesponse to Al Stevens's posting This is good, and can go a long way to making Scoot Back easier. One thing it does is give everyone the same part -- less to learn. You should be aware of three problems I can think of:

1) From columns, the scoot back should be done in your own box. The #3 dancer in the column may encounter someone real when they should be working by themselves. Of course, scoot back from columns shouldn't be called very often because it doesn't dance well.

2) Scoot Back And Roll should only have the original leaders roll since they are doing a run into the vacant spot. The trailers are walking forward at the end of their part of the call.

3) 1/2 Scoot Back should end in a two-faced line. The work with phantoms method also leaves the two phantoms trapped in the resulting formation. If you squish them, you will be ok.

This explanation was amplified again and explained that when the movement started from a right hand wave, the turn is with the right hand. When it is started from a left hand wave, the turn is with the left hand. It also might be noted that this can also be expanded to include 1/4 tag, and can help in teaching "Follow Your Neighbor".....everybody take a step forward, cast off 3/4 with somebody real or with a "phantom".

Again, this "work with phantoms" is also a good way to think about Follow Your Neighbor. It turns a two part "leads and trailers" call into a one part call which should be easier to remember and dance. SInce it doesn't have the roll problem above and usually isn't fractionalized, it is a safer alternative way to think about and teach follow your neighbor. If called from a column, each box of 4 works independently.

Dick Gaskill writes:
A couple of additional suggestions. Since Scoot Back can be done with either boys or girls facing in, or various combinations of boys and girls facing in and out, I use the terms "in-facers" and out-facers" rather than "boys" or "girls" when teaching it. For those dancers who have trouble with phantoms, a helpful crutch when teaching Scoot Back is to tell the out-facers to hold onto an imaginary flagpole that is sticking out of the floor between them and their partner, and while holding on to the pole, walk a half circle around it to face in. For kids, I call it a tetherball pole.

Bob Elling writes:
This is great. I showed this teach to Jack at a seminar he did for the Santa Clara Valley Callers Association when he did a seminar for us many years ago. He liked it for both Scoot Back and Follow Your Neighbor. I have been using it for 24 years. I really stress the importance of taking six steps. When you are facing out if you step forward two steps turn around in two steps and step back with two steps the timing is perfect. You have the added advantage of being in motion for the next call.

I remember well presenting this at a callers meeting. There were 2 squares of callers dancing at the time. One square thought it was a waste of time the other had two callers that knew me and told their square to go along with me because they knew me. After the teach I called a tip using "interesting combinations". Those who took the full six steps could dance everything I called smoothly, the other square fell apart and said out loud it could not be done. The callers on the side line pointed at the square having no problems. The combinations that really stumped them was from a standard box to do a swing thru, scoot back to a right and left thru. I have also been know to call a Scoot Back from a tidal wave. (I know that does not fit the definition) But it shows the importance of takig the proper nmber of steps.

As for Follow Your Neighbor I've had some negative response just recently. Because I teach dancers to extend and cast off 3/4 they maintain a palm up through the entire call. I find definition using a forearm to turn and adjusting to a palm up at the end to be very awkward. (Maybe they mean one hand up the other holding an arm) It is much easier to do with the palm up.

Another advantage is that it is easier to do a spread from a palm up wave, when forearms are held sideways movement is inhibited. The complaint is that everyone else uses forearms. I respond that some kids tell their parents that all the other kids use drugs but that does not make it okay. I was shown the callerlab definition a month ago and told all my groups that I had been teaching it wrong but I was not going to change because I thought body flow and smooth dancing was more important. The next week one of the dancers brought a copy of the Sets In Order manual and it had the definition with the forearms. Curiously the pictures show the dancers dancing palms up.

Another application of this principal of teaching is Ferris Wheel. I tell everyone to take two steps forward then wheel and deal. I believe this is the way Don Beck intended the call to be done. That allows you to call it from a quarter line.

If you like smooth continous dancing try these. Dancers learn quicker because they do the same thing regardless of facing direction thus they have less to remember.

Dick Gaskill wrote:
For those dancers who have trouble with phantoms, a helpful crutch when teaching Scoot Back is to tell the out-facers to hold onto an imaginary flagpole that is sticking out of the floor between them and their partner, and while holding on to the pole, walk a half circle around it to face in. For kids, I call it a tetherball pole.
I introduce a term that I call "flip". I describe it as the move that Shaquille Oneil makes when he turns to face the basket. He pivots on one foot and changes his facing direction 2 walls. In square dancing this of course is known as fold but if they don't yet know fold or if they are folding in front of or behind a phantom then using "flip" seems to help. I also use it later on during spin chain the gears.

Fred W Walker writes:
Two quick thoughts to share regarding the call Scoot Back.

First: As a teaching tip which breaks the in-facing dancer's movement down to its most basic level. Why not describe it as ... Extend, Trade and then Extend again ! This teaching concept seems to embody all of the important concepts such as "using adjacent arms" and reminds the dancers to "come back out" to complete the movement. Ever had that problem in lessons ? Second: Working from the knowledge that a Scoot Back is an equivalent of a Trade try this use of the call as a neat getout in your choreography:
Form a 1P2P line (zero line) call:
Right & Left Thru -
Ladies Lead Dixie Style to a Wave - (GBBG Waves)
Ends (Girls) Circulate -
Centers (Boys) Scoot Back - to a Left Allemande.

Heads square thru 2
Touch 1/4
Scoot Back
Boys run
Pass The Ocean
8 Circulate
Scoot Back
Girls Circulate
Turn Thru
Swing
Promenade