files

Displacement in a file (one after another) is one of the two main approaches to group formations. The other is in a rank (side by side). I’ve tried to order these formations from simplest to most complex, starting with displacement along a line.

These figures represent generic types rather than specific instances. Though they make excellent studies for practising your paddling, the real interest lies in what you can do by varying and connecting these and other formations in a dance.

See also the pages of duets and trios and quartets, do-si-dos, group pivots and ranks.

Ratings: simple (for a competent style paddler) ; challenging ; really hard