In the Thar Family, Thars and Wrong Way Thars are formations in motion. Center dancers hold a Pack-saddle Star (see “Additional Detail: Styling: Arms and hands”) and walk backward, and each center dancer maintains a forearm grip with the adjacent outside dancer, who walks forward.
The calls in the Thar Family are some of the oldest. They are traditionally delivered in a more verbose fashion, blurring the division between the actual command words and the helping words. As always, it is the caller’s responsibility to deliver these calls so the dancers understand what is desired.
Timing numbers in the Thar Family do not count turning the Thar.
5a. Allemande Thar
“Allemande Thar” is a formation. It also appears on the Mainstream list of calls, not as a call by itself, but rather as a collection of commands that result in a Thar. The commands function as suffixes, making a Left Arm Turn end in a Thar. Descriptive words are often part of these commands.
Command examples
- Walk Around The Corner; Turn Partner Left And Make An Allemande Thar
- Walk Around Your Corner; Turn Partner Left For An Allemande Thar, Men In The Middle Of A Backup Star
- Walk Around The Corner; Turn Partner Left A Full Turn, Girls In The Middle Of An Allemande Thar
- Do Paso, Turn Partner Left, Corner Right, Partner Left, Boys Swing In To A Thar
- Boys Make A Right Hand Star, Turn It Once Around, Find Your Corner, Turn Corner Left To An Allemande Thar Star With The Girls In The Center
- Right And Left Grand, But On Your Fourth Hand Make An Allemande Thar, Men Back In
Styling
The dancers in the center, backing up, will form a Pack-saddle Star. These center dancers must remember to allow those on the outside, who travel farther, to set the pace.
Women, if on the outside, may use skirt work.
5b. Allemande Left to an Allemande Thar
Command examples
- Allemande Left To An Allemande Thar, Go Right And Left And Form A Star
- Allemande Left To An Allemande Thar, Go Forward Two, Men Swing In To A Backup Star
- Allemande Left To An Allemande Thar, Go Right And Left And Make An Allemande Thar
Comments
To avoid dancer confusion with Allemande Thar, the caller must always include some instructions about “going forward”. Simply calling “Allemande Left To An Allemande Thar” is improper. Furthermore, although going forward two is most common, it must be specified.
The caller can direct the dancers to Go Forward any number of hands. Each hand is a Pull By, except the last hand, which is normally the start of an Arm Turn into a Thar or Wrong Way Thar.
5c. Wrong Way Thar
“Wrong Way Thar” is a formation. It also appears on the Mainstream list of calls, not as a call by itself, but rather as a collection of commands that result in a Wrong Way Thar. The commands function as suffixes, making a Right Arm Turn end in a Wrong Way Thar. Descriptive words are often part of these commands.
Command examples
- Allemande Left; Turn Partner Right, Girls Swing In Make A Wrong Way Thar
- Allemande Left; Turn Partner Right A Full Turn, Boys Swing In Make A Wrong Way Thar
- Turn Partner Left; Turn Corner Right To A Wrong Way Thar (men will be in the middle)
- Do Paso; (at the end of the Do Paso) Go To The Corner Turn Her By The Right, Make A Wrong Way Thar
- Allemande Left In The Alamo Style; Swing Thru; Turn By The Right 3/4 To A Wrong Way Thar
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Comments
Callers often specify who ends in the center. This is particularly helpful in non-standard applications.
In most cases, dancers Left Arm Turn 1/2. That is, if the dancers take forearm holds when shoulder-to-shoulder, the dancer who begins on the outside will end in the center. Callers may specify a different amount of turning. For example: Circle Left, Turn Your Corner Left All The Way Around To An Allemande Thar, Men In The Center.
Allemande Thar is part of circle choreography. It is improper from Left Hand Waves to call Turn Partner Left to An Allemande Thar.
“Allemande Left to an Allemande Thar” has a specific meaning described below (#5.b). It does not mean to Left Arm Turn with corner and continue to a Thar. For that action “Allemande Left, Hang On To Corner, Women Wheel In To An Allemande Thar” could be used.