You can click on any of these pictures to download an Adobe PDF file of the diagram formatted for printing on 8.5x11 paper.

In a quarter tag, or “ping pong circulate” formation, there are couples on the outside looking in (usually two couples, now three) and a wave in the middle. Of course, now instead of a normal wave made of of two mini-waves joined in the middle, we have three mini-waves joined into a six person “Y” with a three hand star in the very middle. To do a ping pong circulate, those in the wave will step forward (there are three pairs of them – at kind of funny angles) and partner trade, while those couples looking in (after passing through with those outbound centers) will step to a wave. Of course, it will be a six person wave with a three hand star in the middle.

The formation on the right is parallel ocean waves. Of course, there are three of them. Here’s one of the hard parts of hex squares: Just like with normal parallel waves, each dancer is a member of the wave and also a member of a box. You need to be able to see both of those – since you don’t know whether the next call will involve the box or the wave. For the waves to feel normal, they should be nice and straight. For the boxes to feel normal, each inside pair of tandem dancers should be one right behind the other. But you can’t have both at the same time! So we compromise: Bend the waves somewhat in the middle, and deal with their being a little crooked, and have the inside pair of dancers in the box deal with not being as close (or as straight) as they’d like. Alternating swing thrus and split circulates or walk and dodges in practice sessions may help come to terms with this. Of course the waves coule be lines of four or two faced lines, and the same issue and compromise applies. <BACK NEXT >