TEACHING HINTS AND ROUTINES
76. (ANYTHING) & SPREAD Starting formation - Various. This call can be used in three ways:

(1) If only some of the dancers are directed to Spread (e.g. from a static square, Heads Star Thru & Spread), they slide apart sideways to become ends, as the inactive dancers step forward between them.

(2) If the (Anything) call finishes in lines or waves (e.g. Follow your Neighbor), the centers anticipate the Spread action by sliding apart sideways to become the new ends, while the original ends anticipate the Spread action by moving into the nearest center position.

(3) If the (Anything) call finishes in tandem couples (e.g. Wheel & Deal from a line of four), the lead dancers slide apart sideways, while the trailing dancers step forward between them.

Teaching Hints:

#1. Put the dancers in a Double Pass Thru formation. Tell them that if there is a couple behind them, they are to take a step or two apart from each other. This is the Spread. Tell the dancers that are looking at the back of another dancer, they now must be ready and take a step forward in between the dancers that stepped apart. Many Trailing Dancers, at the initial learning, forget that they are part of the call action. The caller should be ready to prompt them.

Again if the previous call ends in a Double Pass Thru or Completed Double Pass Thru formation, the Lead Couple will Spread and the Trailing Couple will step in between the spreading couple. Example: Ferris Wheel & Spread.

#2. Previous call that ends in a Wave. The caller may want to delay the teaching of this call until other Plus calls have been taught. Reason: It seems that most callers do not use Swing Thru & Spread, Spin the Top & Spread, and similar call. Follow Your Neighbor, which is the most common associated call with action, is further down the teaching order.

Nether the less, if the caller wishes to teach it the dancers should be put ina a formation where the ending of the first part of “Anything & Spread” will end in a Wave. Tell the dancers that as they finish the first call, those that would end in the center must step or slide or circle apart. Those dancers that would normally be the ends the previous call would move to the center of the formation closes to where they would have normally ended the other call. As the definition state, the dancers should anticipate the body action for the Spread from the previous call to make the spread smooth. Many dancers will want to complete the previous call -- then do the spreading action.

#3. While this formation is not mentioned in the definition, the caller can use Spread when there is a Mini-Wave in front of a couple. Example from a square Set: Heads Touch 1/4 & Spread. The Side couples would step in between the Mini-Wave Couple to for 3X1 lines.

Routine Examples:

Heads Star Thru & Spread Star Thru Pass Thru L.A. Heads Square Thru Swing Thru Boys Run Ferris Wheel & Spread Pass Thru 1/2 Tag the Line (careful here, the dancers want to travel to far) Boys Cross Fold Star Thru Pass Thru Wheel & Deal Square Thru 3/4 L.A. Heads Square Thru Pass the Ocean Swing Thru Spin the Top & Spread Boys Run Bend the Line Star Thru Heads 1/2 Square Thru Everybody Partner Trade Your Home

A little harder Heads Touch 1/4 & Spread Acey Deucey Ends Run Right Centers Walk & Dodge Bend the Line Slide Thru L.A. Your Home Heads Lead Right Star Thru Rt & Lt thru Dixie Style to a Wave & Spread Recycle Swing Thru Turn Thru L.A.