CIRCULATE

Let's look at the Circulate family of calls.  I'll begin with the basic circulates from Basic through A-2, then we'll look at Circulate from the perspective of All Position Dancing.

The Circulate family is usually taught toward the end of the Basic Program.  From a squared set let's have the heads Pass the Ocean and Extend.  We now have parallel (right) Ocean Waves with the girls as the centers and the boys as the ends.   Most of the Circulates in the Basic Program can be done from here.

Centers Circulate.  The girl's (they are the current centers) circulate path is in the center in a counter clockwise direction, always moving in a forward direction.  Each dancer moves up one position to take the place of the dancer in front of them.  The dancers facing in simply move up (across the center) to the other ocean wave.  The dancers facing out have to turn a corner - remaining centers - to the next center position.

If we now have the boys Circulate - they are the ends, their circulate path is in a clockwise direction and the rest is the same - the in-facers move across to the other wave, and the out-facers circulate to the other end of their own Ocean Wave.  You can think of the circulate paths as two concentric circles - a center circle and an outside (end) circle.  Centers stay centers and ends stay ends.

All Eight Circulate is the same idea.  Centers stay centers and ends stay ends - each dancer taking the place of the dancers in front of them in their circulate path.

Split Circulate.  From our Ocean Waves, let the girls, who are still the centers, drop hands with each other.  We now have a Split Setup - the formation is divided exactly in half - into two 'boxes'.  For a Split Circulate the idea is the same as above except that each 'box' circulates without crossing over the center line to the other box.  Split means that each half of the formation does the call on their own half.  From our Ocean Waves from above, if we Split Circulate what do we get?  The same right handed Ocean Waves but with the girls together on one end and the boys together on the other end.  If we Split Circulate again we still have right handed Ocean Waves, but with the boys as centers and the girls as ends.

Now if we call Centers Circulate it's the boys who go on the inside path - always remaining centers.  Ends Circulate would now be the girls and they would go - staying ends.

From the above Ocean (right) Ocean Waves, let the boys Run and then the girls (centers) Circulate.  [If you're following this with checkers we have right two faced lines in sequence with all four couples paired to their original partners]  From here we can have the boys (ends) Circulate, the girls Circulate, All Eight Circulate - but what happens there?  From two faced lines an All Eight Circulate is also a Couples Circulate.   Note here that the centers still stay centers and the ends still stay ends.

From these same two faced lines we can do an additional circulate:  Box Circulate.  The center four dancers - in this case the girls, can circulate in their own box of four in the center.  The difference between Box Circulate and Split Circulate is that in a Split Circulate, both halves of the formation must be able to do the call.  If we look again at our two faced lines:  if we split the formation down the middle, neither half is in a setup to Split Circulate.  Only the centers in this formation can Box Circulate.

Now Bend the Line and Touch 1/4.  We have a right handed column.  An All Eight Circulate has each person moving up to the next person's foot steps, with the out-facing ends turning the corner to become the end person on the other side of the column.  (you are going to skip one hand and take the next).  We can also Split Circulate from here.  We need to divide the column into two 'boxes' and the split circulate is easy to see.

The Plus Program has only two circulates, Ping Pong Circulate and Diamond Circulate.  Ping Pong Circulate starts and ends in Quarter Tag:  From a static square - heads (sides) Pass the Ocean.  It is basically: Extend, Extend, Outsides Partner Trade.  If you're interested, the exact circulate paths are diagrammed in the Plus book.

Diamond  Circulate is much like a Split Circulate.  Each Diamond circulates individually without crossing over from one diamond to the next.  Your path is the footsteps of the dancer in front of you in the formation.  Facing Diamond Circulate is the same idea except that you will be facing the person whose position you will be circulating into.  (Point if you want to)  Remember to pass right shoulders.  In a diamond you are either a center or a point.  Remember in Diamond Circulate to take handholds if you are circulating into the center position.  This is very important because the caller can call to the centers, who are also in an ocean wave (Swing-Thru, Spin the Top, Swing and Mix), or he can call Flip the Diamond or Cut the Diamond in which the centers and the points do different things.(points 'flip' or 'cut' while the centers circulate).

Cross over Circulate.  The idea is to circulate, but to also cross over from center to end or end to center at the same time.  From two faced lines:  the in-facing couple does a regular couple's circulate but the belle crosses over to the beau's position (in front of the beau).  The out-facing couple simply does a phantom Turn & Deal to the far end of their own line, effectively switching the center to the end and the end to the center.  From Ocean Waves:  the in-facers circulate across to the other wave, staying in their own box, but moving from center position to end (or vice-versa).  The out-facers do that same phantom Turn & Deal but on their own.  The center becomes an end on the far end of their own wave and an end becomes the far center.  The out-facing part of this call looks like a Trade the Wave.

Trade Circulate.  From Ocean waves it is the same as Cross Over Circulate, although it's called more often as Trade Circulate.  From two-faced lines, the in-facing couple circulates diagonally across to the far end (individual dancers still pass right shoulders), and the out-facers do a Partner Trade.  All Eight say 'ding-ding'.

In-Roll Circulate:  the in-facing end does his part of an all eight circulate one position (across) while the other dancers fold one position toward the vacated spot. (face in the direction of the vacated spot, circulate, and turn one quarter more in the same direction as their original turn.  It's kind of like a  mini- one person Turn & Deal.

Out-Roll Circulate:  the out-facing end does his part on an all eight circulate one position ( to the end of their own line) while the others face the vacated spot, circulate and turn one quarter more in their original turning direction.

If the designated dancers identifies themselves quickly (and loudly) it is much easier for the rest of the square.  Identifying your direction:  From anywhere in your line you can know your circulating direction.  Using In-Roll Circulate as an example:  You are in one of four possible positions:  1.  You are the in-facing end.  You Circulate.  2.  You are next to the in-facing end.  You move toward that end.  3.  You are not next to the infacing end.  You move toward the far end of the line.  4.  You are the out-facing end.  You move toward the other end of your line.  I think that being able to do these calls quickly and smoothly is the sign of a very good Advanced Dancer.

All Position Dancing and Circulate.  All Eight Circulate:  From Eight Chain Thru - Everyone Passes Thru with the dancer they are facing.  From Trade By, the centers Pass Thru while the ends Partner Trade - sound familiar?  From these formations, imagine yourself in a column and do your part of a column circulate.  From in-facing lines of four - All Eight Circulate (or Ends Circulate or Centers Circulate) Pass thru.  From out-facing lines of four - All Eight Circulate -  centers stay centers and ends stay ends.  This will look like : centers Trade, ends Trade.

Circulate is limited only by your caller's imagination and your ability to identify your individual circulate path.  Circulate can be a simple 'people mover' to get dancers into a desired formation or a real challenge.  Consider this sequence: ;(Plus)  From a Static Square:  Sides Lead Right, All Eight Circulate, Centers Circulate, Centers In, All Eight Circulate -;twice, Wheel and Deal, Girls Circulate, Veer Left, Couples Circulate, Centers Walk and Dodge, All Eight Circulate, Ends Circulate, Partner Trade and Roll, Veer Left, Centers Circulate, Bend the Line, Star Thru, Ends Circulate, All Eight Circulate, Left Allemande, Promenade Home.  The Call level is Plus (Roll), but the level of difficulty is Advanced because of the constant need of formation awareness, circulate paths and unusual  formation (three and one line)

John Oldfield