The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

The Purpose of Cueing - Are We Accomplishing It?

Nancy & Leonard Seeley
Grass Valley, California

There has in the past been much controversy over the question "to cue or not to cue". At the same time, Round Dancers have attempted to standardize their methods of describing dances so that ambiguities are avoided and everyone versed in round dance terminology will develop the same interpretation of a routine, whether or not they have had an opportunity to see the dance performed. Our cueing terms have evolved from these standardized terms. Perhaps now we should consider WHY we cue, and whether or not we also need to consider cueing needs as we continue our standardization endeavors.

Early in the history of Round Dancing there were fewer routines, less visiting at other clubs or in other area and it was standard to dance without cues at parties and hoedowns. Cues were primarily teaching aids. Then, as now, cadence cueing on the beat of execution assisted students learning to execute steps and figures with proper timing. Prompt cues served as memory aids when teaching or reviewing in class or workshop sessions. Today cueing is often provided at dances so that more can participate.

We, teachers and cuers, are all personally capable of dancing many routines without cues, and no doubt we agree that dancing without cues is very enjoyable. This opinion is shared by many other dancers, but perhaps the majority of round dance participants today do not wish to expend the time and effort necessary to memorize the sequences of the many routines which they might have the opportunity to dance and enjoy. Probably each of us has at some time had occasion to dance to cues a dance which we did not remember or maybe had never encountered before. But at such time, was the cueing adequate for comfortable execution? Or were any of the cues ambiguous or had some necessary information been withheld?

I believe that the goal of the cuer should be to make it possible for an able couple who is not familiar with a dance to follow its essential pattern without strain. To this end our cues should, as a minimum, tell the timing, weight changes and direction of motion or floor pattern. The number of cueing words should be minimized in order to enhance the appreciation of the blend of music and movement so characteristic of our Round Dancing, yet the cues should be timely, clear and complete enough for the purpose. Styling points, while an integral part of many dances and a large factor in the popularity of specific routines, are not necessary for this primary purpose. Those who have studied or had instruction in a given dance will generally remember these salient features without their being cued. Other items which a cuer may in essence assume that dancers remember may actually be necessary to state in order to assure correct execution. For example, it is not necessary to say "butterfly tilt;" it often is not really necessary to say "butterfly". But it is not sufficient to say "transition" without indicating which partner takes the extra (or omits a) step in the pattern, for this determines which foot both will start on for the following sequence of identical (or opposite) footwork and may affect the direction of motion on the floor.

The cuer should also be aware of the level of the average dancer at a given occasion. Just as the square dance caller who wishes to use "acey deucey" at a basic level dance will call "ends circulate, centers trade", so the round dance cuer may find occasion where it is better to cue "pivot" than "impetus". The essentials of several higher phase figures can be described in simpler terms. (The original cue sheets of many of our classics do so.) Though we now have specific names attached to these movement, thus simplifying cueing and embodying a certain styling value, there are times when these terms should not be used. However, because of the intrinsic importance of rhythm and timing in Round Dancing, we cannot always employ "equivalents" as the caller does (e.g. "ladies chain with a full turn to face out" for "swap around"). It is very difficult to adequately describe with a few simple cue words not only many higher phase figures, but also some of the variations or gimmicks in easy dances. We need to teach and use the standard cues and develop additional readily accepted cue terms for those actions which cannot now be adequately descried within the timing restrictions of cueing.

If it is agreed that a major aim of cueing is enabling proficient dancers unfamiliar with a routine to dance it well, it is necessary to develop, and to teach both cuers and dancers, certain principles which will serve both to simplify and clarify the cueing of routings. Both the cue words and the figures which they describe should be at once specific and generalized. Though the terms should be readily adaptable to serve in new situation as additional patterns are introduced for our enjoyment, there should be no possibility of misunderstanding the meaning of a cue. For example, the cue should differentiate between a stamp which does not change weight and one which does. (Southern California RDTA has chosen "stamp" for no weight change and uses "stomp" when weight does change). Also the cue "strolling vine" should not be used for both "side, -, cross, -; turn, -, side, -; cross, -, turn, -;" and "side, -, cross, -; side, close, turn, -; side, -, cross, -; side, close, turn, -;".

I would like to see future Journal articles devoted to this philosophy of cueing and to specific items which should be considered in this connection.

Roundalab Journal, February, 1982