Computer training for dancers - C4

In 1975 Bruce Roe, a circuit designer who worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories and a long time Chicago-area challenge square dancer dancer, developed a dancer training tool to assist in learning new levels of square dancing. His device would present the music and calling and 7 of the eight dancers on a computer screen and the user would control the final dancer. Bruce built a special joystick that, like all joysticks, would control the X and Y position, but additionally allowed the user to turn a knob on the end of the joystick to control facing direction. Once the learner had mastered one position (say the Head Man), they could try the same dance again controlling a different dancer (e.g., Side Lady). In this way they would become proficient with all positions.