| Index to dances | |
|---|---|
| Dance | Format |
| Absolute zero | Five Couple |
| A slice of life | Contra |
| The blizzard chimney contra | Contra |
| California Star Boxing Flea | Contra |
| The Fosse Way contra | Contra |
| The fruits of my labour | Contra |
| Garden party | Circle |
| Hunter's conception | Five Couple |
| Jackie's eight | Square |
| Jackie's three | 3 Couple |
| Jackie's seventh | Circle |
| Jay's square | Square |
| Larry's dance | Square |
| Loughborough Polka | Four Couple |
| Meltdown | Four Couple |
| The Nanpantan circle dance | Circle |
| Parallel turns | Contra |
| Pat and Terry's contra | Contra |
| Pitter Patter | Square |
| Showtime reel | Sicillian circle |
| Swing Swang Swung | Contra |
| Switch on your brain | Contra |
| Try a Becket | Contra |
| Where when and why | Square |
| Whose line is it anyway? | Contra |
| Wildcat square | Square |
| Zayat Contra | Contra |
ABSOLUTE ZERO
Five Couple 48 bar
| A1 | Lines forward and back |
| RHT your partner 1½ | |
| A2 | Lines forward and back |
| LHT your partner 1½ | |
| B1 | Top man cast to the bottom |
| Do Si Do your opposite | |
| B2 | Top lady cast to the bottom |
| Swing your partner | |
| C1 & C2 | Face the bottom couple and dip and dive to place |
| Swing your partner |
A SLICE OF LIFE
Becket
| A1 | LHT your corner 1½ (first shadow) |
| Swing the next (second shadow) | |
| A2 | Ladies chain over to a circle of four |
| Balance ; Petonella Twirl to two long waves on the side of the set, men facing in, ladies out giving RH to first shadow | |
| B1 | Balance ; Rory O Moore style roll to the right |
| Swing partner | |
| B2 | Double slice to the left i.e. forward to the left diagonal couple and continue moving to the left as you back out to face the next couple (double progression) |
| RHS |
THE BLIZZARD CHIMNEY CONTRA
Becket
| A1 | Circle L ¾ and pass through |
| RHT the next person 1½and join hands in a long wave on the sides, men face in ladies face out | |
| A2 | Balance ; Box Circulate Balance ; Box Circulate |
| B1 | Swing neighbour (the one from the RHT) |
| Men LHT 1½ | |
| B2 | Balance and swing partner |
CALIFORNIA STAR BOXING FLEA
Long, 1s Impr, Triple progr.
| A1 | Give RH to neighbour, Balance ; Box the Gnat |
| RHS | |
| A2 | Give LH to second neighbour, Balance ; Swat the Flea |
| LHS | |
| B1 | Swing next neighbour |
| Lines forward and back | |
| B2 | Star Through across the set with partner ; Circle L, California Twirl with partner to face the next neighbour |
I was asked once about the difference
between a Box the Gnat and a Star Through. After
demonstrating the various moves I wanted to see if it was
possible to write a contra that automatically put
you in the correct place so that it was impssible to use the wrong
hand! I'm not quite sure I achieved my goal but this useful teaching
dance
was the result.
THE FOSSE WAY CONTRA
Long, PROPER
| A1 | 1s cross down, 2s cast up into a double figure of eight |
| A2 | 1s cross to neighbour and swing |
| B1 | Lines forward and back |
| 1s 2HT 1½ | |
| B2 | With the same couple circle L |
| 1s lead up through 2s and cast 1 place |
Lots of journeys on the Fosse Way
THE FRUITS OF MY LABOUR
Long, 1s Impr
| A1 | In lines balance towards neighbour and away ; Men roll away neighbour |
| Men LHT 1½ to an O.W. (RH to partner). | |
| A2 | Balance ; Chassey past partner, reform O.W. |
| Balance ; Chassey past partner, reform O.W. | |
| B1 | Balance and swing partner |
| B2 | R and L thru |
| Ladies chain over |
Written outside the Marquee before the start of a “Home Grown” workshop at Sidmouth. Named by Henry Morgenstein
GARDEN PARTY
Circle
| A1 | Do Si Do partner |
| Do Si Do corner | |
| A2 | Walk past your corner and RHT the next |
| LHT you original corner 1½ | |
| B1 | Walk past your original partner and swing the next |
| B2 | Promenade |
HUNTERS CONCEPTION
Five Couple
| A1 | RHT your partner |
| Do Si Do on the L diagonal | |
| A2 | LHT your partner |
| Do Si Do on the R diagonal | |
| B1 | 2s and the 4s turn contra corners |
| B2 | Top couple slip down the centre of the set |
| Swing your partner |
JACKIE'S EIGHT
Square
| A1 | All four ladies chain |
| Heads circle L ¾ and pass through | |
| A2 | Full double figure eight with the side couple ( heads cross thru sides to start) |
| B1 | Heads lead through the sides and separate around one to lines of four |
| Lines forward and back | |
| B2 | Ladies cross and swing your partner to a square set |
JACKIE'S THREE
3 Couple
| A1 | 2s turn contra corners |
| A2 | 2nd man face 3rd man, 2nd lady face 1st lady for a reel of 3 on the sides of the set. Pass left shoulder to start |
| B1 | 2nd man with 3s, 2nd lady with 1s for a LHS |
| 2s cross for a RHS with the other couple | |
| B2 | All circle left half way ; 2HT partner ½ way |
| 2s lead to the bottom WHILE bottom couple (1s)couple cast up to the middle |
JACKIE'S SEVEN
Circle Men inside
| A1 | Do Si Do partner to O.W. |
| Balance ; LHT | |
| A2 | RHT partner 1½ |
| LHT corner | |
| B1 | Balance and swing partner |
| B2 | Promenade ; Ladies cast back past two men |
JAY'S SQUARE
Square
| A1 | Men LHS |
| Pick up your partner and star promenade ½ way | |
| A2 | Head ladies chain |
| Heads go to the R and circle to a line | |
| B1 | Lines forward and back |
| Pass through to an ocean wave ; Balance | |
| B2 | Swing through and balance ; Step forward, swing partner one position |
| to the L |
LARRY'S DANCE
Square
| A1 | Heads walk past your partner ; around one and in through the sides |
| Heads circle L ½ way and pass through | |
| A2 | R and L thru with the side couple |
| Heads dive through ; Pass through | |
| B1 | LHT your corner ; RHT your partner |
| Swing your corner | |
| B2 | Promenade to the man’s original position |
LOUGHBOROUGH POLKA
Four couple, 2s and 4s Impr
| A1 | With your neighbour Dip and Dive the set, RH couples of the line arch first |
| A2 | Centre four people RHS |
| LHS with the opposite couple | |
| B1 | First corner couples swap places on the diagonal ; Second corner couples swap places on the diagonal |
| All promenade one place round the set | |
| B2 | All four ladies chain |
| Lines forward and back |
MELTDOWN
Four couple, 1s and 3s Impr
| A1 | 2s and 3s ½ fig 8 though the end couples |
| 2s and 3s circle left half way and pass through to original places | |
| A2 | Face neighbour along the sides and Pass The Ocean ;
Balance (do not join the two separate wavey lines together) |
| Swing through (½ RHT, ½ LHT) ; Balance | |
| B1 | Step forward out of the wave and swing your partner |
| B2 | In circles of four Balance ; Circle left 3/4 |
| Centre four (1s and 4s) california twirl and pass through each other up and down the set |
THE NANPANTAN CIRCLE DANCE
Circle men inside facing out
| A1 | Gypsy R shoulder around your partner to a circular wave (men facing out RH to partner) |
| Balance ; RHT ½ way | |
| A2 | Pull by partner to start a grand chain till you get to the seventh person |
| B1 | Balance and swing this one |
| B2 | Promenade ; Ladies cast back one place |
PARALLEL TURNS
Long, 1s Impr
| A1 | Pass your neighbour R shoulder and LHT the next |
| Pass your neighbour R shoulder and LHT the next | |
| A2 | Balance and swing your neighbour |
| B1 | 1s ½ fig 8 up through 2s |
| 1s turn contra corners | |
| B2 | 1s finish contra corners |
| 1s swing and face down |
PAT AND TERRY’S CONTRA
Long, 1s Impr
| A1 | Circle L 3/4 |
| Swing neighbour | |
| A2 | R and L thru |
| Ladies chain over | |
| B1 | “Push Off Hey” |
| B2 | Balance and swing partner |
| For next turn of dance start with cpl on L diag |
| “Push Off Hey” | Ladies start hey by passing Rsh, Lsh with N. Men push off each other in centre and back out of the set to the same side passing man’s R to Ladies L as the ladies go in and push off two hands in the centre and back out the same as the men, who then pass R with each other to meet their partner on their original side 1st time through start with opposite couple and then couple on L diagonal |
PITTER PATTER
Square
| A1 | All circle L ½ way |
| Heads forward and back ; Sides forward and back | |
| A2 | Head ladies chain |
| Heads circle L ¾ and pass through | |
| B1 | Swing the one you meet to side lines |
| Lines forward and back | |
| B2 | Pass through to an ocean wave ; Balance |
| Box circulate ; Balance | |
| C1 | & Box circulate ; Balance |
| C2 | Step forward and swing your partner |
| Promenade home to original positions |
SHOWTIME REEL
Sicillian circle
| A1 | Swing your opposite |
| Circle L and slip L one place to the left | |
| A2 | Circle L ¾ with new couple (not with partner) |
| Square through 3 hands (start opposite) | |
| B1 | LHT partner 1½ |
| Ladies chain | |
| B2 | Forward and back to partner |
| Star through partner ; Pass through along |
SWING SWANG SWUNG
Long, 1s Impr Double Progr.
| A1 | Swing your neighbour |
| R and L thru and roll away with neighbour | |
| A2 | Gypsy new neighbour (# 2) |
| Swing this neighbour (# 2) | |
| B1 | Men LHT 1½ |
| Swing partner | |
| B2 | Long lines forward and back |
| Ladies LHT 1½ |
SWITCH ON YOUR BRAIN
Long, 1s Impr
| A1 | Balance to neighbour ; Box the gnat to a long wave, men facing in |
| Balance ; Box circulate | |
| A2 | Balance ; Box circulate |
| Swing original neighbour | |
| B1 | Circle L |
| Ladies lead a flutter wheel | |
| B2 | Ladies chain over |
| LHS |
TRY A BECKET
Becket
| A1 | Circle L ¾ to an O.W. |
| Balance ; Ladies walk forward to a new wave * | |
| A2 | Balance ; Men walk forward to partners wave WHILE the ladies LHT ½ way |
| RHT partner 1½ | |
| B1 | Reel of 4 men pass L shoulder to start |
| B2 | Balance and swing partner |
*Ladies pass one other lady before taking hands in the wave. At the end of the sets ladies loop L to other ladies place to reform wave. Men loop to the other end of the wave.i.e. nobody is ever out.
WHERE WHEN AND WHY
Square
| A1 | Head ladies chain |
| Heads circle L ¾ and pass through | |
| A2 | Swing the one you meet to side lines |
| Lines forward and back | |
| B1 | Pass through to an ocean wave ; Balance |
| In fours box circulate ; Balance | |
| B2 | In fours start a box circulate but men make a LHS while ladies single file promenade C.W. |
| C1 | Pass your partner by and RHT the next |
| Swing your partner | |
| C2 | Promenade to place |
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY
Long, 1s Impr
| A1 | 1s cross down, 2s cast up into a double figure of eight |
| A2 | 1s LHT, Swing neighbour |
| B1 | Men LHT 1½ |
| Swing your partner | |
| B2 | Circle L ¾ |
| 1s cross up through while 2s cast for a double ½ figure of eight |
WILDCAT SQUARE
Square
| A1 | Heads forward and on the way back ladies roll away |
| Heads star through with your opposite ; Circle L ½ way with side couple | |
| A2 | Heads dive through (sides california twirl) ; Pass through in the centre |
| RHS with the new side couple | |
| B1 | Heads LHS |
| Swing your corner | |
| B2 | Promenade to the man’s original position |
|
ZAYAT CONTRA Long, 1s Impr Dbl progr |
|
| A1 | LHT neighbour 1½ |
| Swing the next | |
| A2 | R and L through |
| On the left diag ladies chain and roll away | |
| B1 | Pass through across and swing partner |
| B2 | Circle L ¾ |
| RHT neighbour 1½ | |