There are a number of ways you can get Sd to interrupt calls
or replace parts of calls, just as there are a number of ways to
tell the dancers what you want.
For some calls, it is natural to indicate the interruption or replacement point by a part number. This typically occurs when the numbers are well known but the names of the parts might be ambiguous. For example, callers say `Pass the Axle, replace the 3rd part with Split Trade Circulate'. The third part is a type of Trade, but the fourth part is also a Trade, so it is safer to refer to it by number.
The concepts that Sd provides for this are:
replace the <Nth> part replace the last part interrupt after the <Nth> part interrupt after <M>/<N> interrupt before the last part skip the <Nth> part
The first four listed take two calls--the principal call and the replacement/interruption. You must press ENTER after typing these, and then enter the calls separately.
replace the 3rd part ENTER pass the axle ENTER split trade circulate ENTER
or
interrupt after the 3rd part ENTER contour the line ENTER fan relay the top ENTER
You can also interrupt a call (though you can't replace a part) by giving
the fraction of the call at which the interruption is to occur. The concept
for this is interrupt after <M>/<N>. You can use this concept to
interrupt calls that don't actually have parts, as in
interrupt after 1/2 ENTER scoot back ENTER cross over circulate ENTER
or to interrupt at a point that is not a part boundary, as in
interrupt after 1/8 ENTER load the boat ENTER grand swing thru ENTER
For `anything anything' calls, such as `trade motivate', just type it in.
For calls with a star turn, you can usually modify the amount of the turn, or omit it, by typing `, turn the star 1/4' (or 1/2 or 3/4), or `, don't turn the star'. (Remember that you never need to type commas or apostrophes.)
When in doubt, type a question mark immediately after the call.
chain reaction, don't turn the star scoot and plenty, turn the star 1/4
To replace the star turn with some other call, you need to use the "brute force" method described below.
Calls that end with the centers casting off 3/4 (with the ends usually
"moving up") can usually have the cast off replaced by typing
but [<some other call>]. The replacement call is put in
square brackets.
tally ho but [2/3 recycle] chain reaction, turn the star 1/2 but [mix]
When in doubt, type a question mark immediately after the call.
Some calls by convention allow "but" modifications of certain agreed-upon parts. Just type it.
spin the pulley but [reach out] line to line but [catch [grand mix] 2] slant [swing thru] and [turn and deal]
When in doubt, type a question mark at the tricky part. If it shows you a choice with `<ANYTHING>', you can type in another call, in square brackets, in place of the `<ANYTHING>'. For example, if we are not sure about the replacement for `line to line', we could type
line to line?
and it would offer
line to line line to line but <ANYTHING>
The second is the one we want. It tells us that the program takes `line to line but' followed by some call in brackets. So we type
line to line but [catch?
and it shows
line to line but [catch <N>]
line to line but [catch <ANYTHING> <N>]
line to line but [catch <ANYTHING> <N>, only the resulting
centers finish]
The second is the one we want. So we know that we can type
line to line but [catch [grand mix] 2]
Similarly, if we had typed
slant?
the program would offer
slant <ANYTHING> and <ANYTHING> slant <ANYTHING> and wheel slant touch and <ANYTHING> slant touch and wheel
The first of those indicates that we can type
slant [swing thru] and [turn and deal]
Some calls can take a subcall in front, typically meaning to replace the first part. The replacement call is placed in brackets. All of the `anything anything' calls are of this type, when the replacement call isn't a circulate replacement. (If it is a circulate replacement, just type it with no brackets.)
split counter percolate [2/3 recycle] percolate [reverse the top] an anchor [reverse the top] an anchor but [ah so] [bingo] cover up but [step and fold]
There are many other "brute force" ways to modify calls, typically
by saying something like `but replace the diamond circulate with
6x2 acey deucey'. This is done in Sd by giving the command
allow modifications before the call. Sd will ask
about the various subcalls to be replaced. Answer y or n
to the questions, and enter the selected subcalls.
--> allow modifications --> alter the wave The "swing" can be replaced. Do you want to replace it? n The "turn the star 1/2" can be replaced. Do you want to replace it? n The "flip the diamond" can be replaced. Do you want to replace it? y REPLACEMENT FOR THE flip the diamond --> relocate the diamonds
or
--> allow modifications --> scoot and plenty The "right scoot back" can be replaced. Do you want to replace it? n The "turn the star 1/2" can be replaced. Do you want to replace it? y REPLACEMENT FOR THE turn the star 1/2 --> turn the star 3/4, interrupt after 1/2 with [2/3 recycle]
(Yes, that last line is a real call that you can type.)
Some of the replacement/interruption meta-concepts push the semantics of the language to the limit. Whenever a call undergoes an interruption or enters or leaves a part with an additional concept on it, there is an implicit piecewise at that instant. That is, concepts and setups are re-evaluated. This behavior is not always obvious to the dancers. (However, the dancers' positions within the setup will not be re-evaluated if the call depends on carrying this information from one part to another, as in `patch the <anyone>' or `rims trade back'.)
Furthermore, some cases of replacements or interruptions may lead to situations that are likely to be perceived as wrong. For example, an implied piecewise on a concept such as cross concentric or single cross concentric is very likely to be considered wrong, because the centers and ends will switch with each other multiple times. If you have any doubt about whether some instance of concept stacking is correct and will be understood by the dancers, do not use it.
Furthermore, replacements and interruptions are normal, that is, they do not carry any concepts that were on the call being replaced--only those on the entire operation.
Example, from a starting DPT setup:
DELAY: TANDEM TWOSOME clean sweep 1/4 BUT REPLACE THE 3rd PART WITH A [CHECKPOINT crossfire BY crossfire]
Normally, the tandem twosome behavior is not re-evaluated after each part of the clean sweep. But, since the third part was replaced with something else to which that concept did not apply, the setup is re-evaluated before doing the final part. Note in particular that the replacement was normal---the call having a part replaced was a tandem twosome clean sweep 1/4. If we wanted the entire operation, including the replacement, to be tandem twosome (with no re-evaluation, of course) we might call:
TANDEM TWOSOME DELAY: clean sweep 1/4 BUT REPLACE THE 3rd PART WITH A [SINGLE CROSS CONCENTRIC turn thru]
There are some calls that behave as though they had "state" information that one must remember as the call progresses. Take the case of `exchange the diamonds'. When two people meet at a diamond point during this call, the person who has "already exchanged" takes the outside track, and the person who hasn't takes the inside track. If they have to stop, they take right or left hands depending on who is on which track. (If they have both exchanged, or neither has exchanged, they are on the same track and therefore take right hands.)
It follows from this that people need to know how far they have progressed
through the call. If a call is interrupted, interlaced, fractionalized, or otherwise
manipulated, this can become tricky. The dancers may need to know how to
complete a call that they didn't begin, or that they haven't been doing a consistent
part of. This can become very unnatural relative to
the parts of the call that are being performed. Some theories have been
promulgated that involve people remembering individually what parts of the call they
themselves did (e.g. whether they had passed the exchange point),
or "leaving notes on the floor" when an interruption occurs, intending to tell the
dancer who will resume from that point what they should pretend they had done.
We believe that these methods are of
marginal utility even in simple cases, and unworkable in complex cases.
Sd takes the position that the only state information is what part of the call
one is doing now. If a collision occurs after parts 1 or 2 of an `exchange the
diamonds', the person who is an out-point has exchanged and the other has
not. If a collision occurs after parts 3 or 4, both have exchanged, and
hence they take right hands. (You can work this out with checkers.)
Sd therefore considers parts 1 and 2 to be different from parts 3 and 4.
No matter what interruptions, interlaces, or other concepts were in use,
the dancers only need to know which of the 4 parts of the `exchange the diamond'
they are doing at each instant. They infer whether they have passed the
exchange point from that information alone.
If you think that some instance of a replacement or interruption will cause confusion on the dance floor because of these sorts of issues, you should not use it.
Go to the first, previous, next, last section, table of contents.