Contra dances by Yoyo Zhou

Updated 2018-10-23

Dances

Here are some dances I've written. If you enjoy them, please let me know! I'm always interested in hearing feedback on what works and what doesn't, especially helpful teaching notes. If a dance needs a name, suggestions are welcome.

The ones that have actually been tried with real dancers have sometimes undergone revision. The usual disclaimers apply: nothing is ever truly original, and I hope to give credit to others where it's due. If you borrow pieces to write your own variations, I'd appreciate some attribution, but also, please share whatever you come up with if it's good!

Thanks to Cis Hinkle, Chris Page, and David Millstone for some corrections and clarifications. Thanks to Charlie Fenton and Maia McCormick for suggestions for improvements.

These dances are grouped into sections. Within sections, they are ordered by date of composition.

Great

Good

Derivative

Complex

Radical

Experimental

I'll use the convention of only annotating moves with their time (in counts) if it's not obvious how to break up 16 (as 6+10, 8+8, or 16). Also, neighbors are numbered - N1 is the current neighbor, N0 the previous neighbor, N2 the next neighbor, and so on. The neighbor number increments when the dance begins again, so N2 becomes N1 and so on.

Glosary

Cross trail thru - pass by right shoulder across, left shoulder up/down.

Give and take X, rollaway X - used here as transitive verbs. "Give and take ladies" means the ladies go to the gents' side to swing. "Rollaway gents" means the ladies roll the gents in front of them.

Sawtooth - see Give and Take. Basically it's Becket, but the dance ends slightly left of your original neighbors, so you don't need to slide left as far.

Slice - as couples, go forward on the left diagonal to meet a new couple, and fall straight back across from them.

Legal mumbo jumbo: All dances here are Creative Commons CC BY. You're welcome to call them anytime.

Great Stuff


Star of the County Alameda
September 11, 2012
improper
A1 (next) N balance, box the gnat
into right hand star
A2 (4) P pull by right across the set
(12) N swing on the other side
B1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P swing
B2 (8) promenade across
(6) star left 3/4
(2) with N up/down, pull by left

Often, when we pull across by the right hand, if we hold on too long, it leads to ladies turning over their right shoulder, which is bad for e.g. a right and left thru. But in this dance, it's good flow for the ladies to keep turning right into the N swing.

Teaching notes:


Nothing Works and We Don't Know Why
March 18, 2013
improper
A1 (next) N balance, swing
A2 promenade across with wide loop (to face shadow)
1/2 hey, ladies pass right, gents ricochet
B1 P balance, swing
B2 long lines
1/2 hey, gents pass left, ladies ricochet

The title refers to a physics joke about combining theory and practice, and it alludes to the broken heys in this dance.

Teaching notes:


Chris's Poetic Orangutan
June 2, 2013
improper
A1 long lines
(with next N) P mad robin, ladies in front
A2 gate N ladies
ladies pass left, pass P right, gents left shoulder turn 1
B1 P right shoulder turn, swing
B2 circle left 3/4
N swing

For Chris Page, who enjoyed the working title "untitled mad robin gate dance".


Mountains in Sunny Windows
June 29, 2013
becket right
A1 circle left 3/4, pass thru
N0 allemande right 1+1/2 to long wavy lines, gents in ladies out
A2 balance wave, slide right
N1 swing
B1 pass thru to a wave, balance
walk forward to next wave, ladies allemande left 1 while gents orbit
B2 P balance, swing

Written as I was listening to Jaige Trudel's uplifting jig, Sunny Windows, in an airport with blinding sunlight, overlooking the Min Mountains in shadow.


The Editor's Reel
July 10, 2013, revised January 2014
becket right
A1 circle left 3/4
N1 swing
A2 left diagonal ladies chain (to shadow)
1/2 hey (with shadow + N2), ladies pass right
B1 P right shoulder turn 1
1/2 hey (with P + N2), ladies pass left
B2 P balance, swing

For Kristin Seibert. In Scottish dancing, heys are called reels.

Teaching notes:


Four Have Sprung
October 19, 2013
becket left
A1 circle left 3/4
N1 allemande right 1/2, N2 allemande left 1/2, N3 allemande right 1/2 to long waves, gents in ladies out
A2 balance wave, slide right
N2 swing
B1 (8) long lines
(2) ladies pull by right
(2) P pull by left
(4) gents allemande right 1
B2 P balance, swing

For the organizers of Fall Has Sprung, the 12-hour dance in Grass Valley: Dan Skeahan, Eric Engels, Joyce Miller, and Lisa Frankel. You also get to see four of your neighbors each time through.

Some have suggested, in the B1, changing the pull by left to an allemande left 1/2. I prefer the timing with a pull by, but the allemande left 1/2 may be better in a crowded hall.


One-Third Century Reel
March 8, 2014
becket right
A1 ladies chain
1/2 hey, ladies pass right
A2 N balance, swing
B1 (8) long lines
(4) gents allemande left 3/4 (brief long wave down center)
(4) next gents allemande right 3/4 (ladies step to the right)
B2 P balance, swing

For Jim Saxe. The B1 is as in David Kaynor's Mary Cay's Reel, but left-handed, for the gents.


Clear Out the Living Room
July 26, 2014
2s improper
A1 N right shoulder turn, swing
A2 (2) gents pull by left
(6) P allemande right *
(8) middles allemande left 1+1/2, outsides orbit
B1 P balance, swing
B2 (4) balance ring
(4) pass thru across, individually turn right, advance to next N
(8) single file promenade 3/4

For Ruth Gorrin, for the "Yoyo writes you a dance" auction at American Week 2014. Notes:


Snakeworks
October 2014
becket right
A1 give and take gents, N1 swing
A2 circle left 3/4
gents allemande right 1+1/2
B1 (4) N1 allemande left 3/4
(4) N2 allemande right 3/4
(8) ladies allemande left 1+1/2
B2 P balance, swing

Your next neighbor is next to you after the neighbor swing, but you meet on the other side. Cross over when waiting out at the ends (gents on the left, ladies on the right).


Eccentricity
October 15, 2014
becket right
A1 ladies chain (to N1)
ladies allemande right 1+1/2 while gents orbit
A2 (4) N1 allemande left 3/4
(4) N2 allemande right 3/4
(8) gents allemande left 1+1/2 while ladies orbit
B1 N2 balance, swing
B2 circle left 3/4
P swing

Twirl, Interrupted
November 25, 2014
becket left
A1 circle left 3/4
N1 swing
A2 (4) ladies #1 allemande right 3/4
(2) ladies #2 allemande left 1/2
(4) ladies #3 allemande right 3/4
(6) N2 courtesy turn
B1 balance ring, petronella
balance ring, rollaway shadow lady up/down
B2 P balance, swing

For Margaret Pigman. After the neighbor swing, note that N2 (next neighbor) is next to you. Gents don't go anywhere, but ladies are soon going to reach N2. The timing in A2 is tight.


Diana's Delight
Yoyo Zhou
December 23, 2015
A1 P half-poussette around new N, gents push ladies pull
ladies left shoulder turn 1+1/2
A2 full hey, pass P right
B1 P balance, swing
B2 circle left 3/4, rollaway N lady
P mad robin (around N)

Commissioned by Jim Van Velzer for his wife Diana.


Dance Both Rolls
March 2016
improper
A1 N balance, swing
A2 balance ring, petronella
balance ring, P rollaway lady along
B1 balance ring, N rollaway lady across
P swing
B2 ladies chain
1/2 hey, ladies pass right

Named for the San Francisco Bay Queer Contra Dance (and debuted at its final dance at the Lake Merritt Dance Center).


Pizza Shop
August 22, 2016
becket left
A1 slice left
ladies chain
A2 ladies allemande right 1
N swing
B1 down the hall, turn as couples
B2 circle left 3/4
P swing

Inspired by a discussion from Luke Donforth on teaching the ladies chain. There's a common chain - allemande right - swing sequence done with partners; less often, with neighbors. It's helpful to have the first ladies chain of an evening be with neighbors.

For a non-Becket version, have dancers start improper, swing their neighbor, and start the dance at B1.


Captain Hook's Revenge
May 3, 2018
improper, long wave of gents down the center
A1 gents balance wave, ladies walk forward as gents back up
ladies balance wave, allemande right 3/4
A2 N balance, swing
B1 give and take gents, P swing
B2 ladies chain
1/2 hey, ladies pass right, but gents allemande right 3/4 to form a long wave

To start the walkthru, have gents walk forward into a long wave.

Good Stuff


Pure Ingredients
August 19, 2012
improper
A1 circle left 1
N do si do
A2 N balance, swing
B1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P swing
B2 ladies chain
cross trail thru

Named for Pure Ingredient Cafe at Google, close to the location of the Google contra.


Millbrae
January 2013
improper
A1 long lines, roll away next N (ladies in front)
balance ring, petronella
A2 P balance, swing
B1 circle left
balance ring, petronella
B2 N balance, swing

Rings of Saturn
February 10, 2013
improper
A1 N1 do si do
N0 do si do
A2 N1 balance, swing
B1 gents left hand balance, pull by
P swing
B2 ladies chain
1/2 hey, ladies pass right

Note the two consecutive do si dos add up to make an elongated do si do; there is no weaving.


Training Wheels
April 15, 2013
improper
A1 long lines
N swing
A2 down the hall, turn as couples
B1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P swing
B2 promenade across
ladies chain

This is suitable for one of the first dances of the evening, but the up the hall into gents allemande is suprising for experienced dancers. An alternative is to turn alone, come back, roll away the N lady, gents allemande.

So named because it was written on a Caltrain.


Spiral Arms
May 30, 2013
becket/sawtoothy
A1 slide left, new ladies allemande right 1+1/2
N swing
A2 circle left 3/4
P do si do
B1 balance the wave, P allemande right 1/2, gents allemande left 1/2
N star promenade
B2 give and take P ladies, swing

The star promenade to give-and-take transition was inspired by Lisa Gets Cozy. I wanted to find a way to star promenade without gents allemanding left 1+1/2, as they always do.


Right Thought
June 2013
duple improper
A1 long lines
gents allemande right 1+1/2
A2 P balance, swing
B1 right and left thru
ladies allemande right 1+1/2
B2 N balance, swing

Pedal Point
November 9, 2013
improper
A1 gents allemande left 1+1/4
P star promenade
A2 ladies do si do
P swing
B1 circle left 3/4
N swing
B2 long lines
star right

A recombination of Pedal Pushers, Harmony Supper Line, and Sweet Music. One of those dances that you're sure somebody has already written.


Wandering Stars
January 24, 2014
improper
A1 N1 allemande right 1+1/2
N2 star left
A2 N1 right shoulder turn, swing
B1 give and take ladies, P swing
B2 ladies chain
N1 star left

Drakes Beach
April 1, 2015
improper
A1 gents allemande left 1+1/4
P swing
A2 ladies allemande right 1+1/2
N swing
B1 down the hall, turn alone
B2 circle left 3/4, pass thru across
right hand star 3/4
This resulted from thinking about Gene Hubert and passing through across the set.
Fishbowl
August 4, 2015
improper
A1 N do si do 1+1/4
1/2 hey, pass N right
A2 N balance, swing
B1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P swing
B2 long lines
ladies allemande right 1+1/2 to progress

Fly Away Birdies
June 2013, rev. May 2016
improper, 1s between 2s in a line of 4
A1 down the hall, thread the needle* to invert the line
return, bend the line
A2 circle left 1
N swing
B1 balance ring, petronella
balance ring, petronella
B2 2s balance, swing, end facing up between new 1s
A1' up the hall, thread the needle* to invert the line
return, bend the line
...
B2' 1s balance, swing, end facing down between new 2s

* To do a "thread the needle", the couple on the left makes an arch, and the rightmost person leads the way through the arch as the arch moves forward, keeping all hands connected. The line ends up in the same order but facing the opposite way. It's like a CA twirl, but with two extra people on the right.

Originally written a Dixie twirl, but it seems much easier with a thread-the-needle.


Littleleaf Linden
May 13, 2016
becket, left
A1 slide left, circle left 3/4
N swing
A2 full hey, gents pass left; 2nd time, ladies ricochet to long waves, P in right hand
B1 P rory o'more
B2 P balance, swing

Three L's made this dance: Luke Donforth, who inspired it; Laurel Thomas, who called it; and Linda Leslie, who wanted to know what it was called.


Lemniscate
September 20, 2016
improper
A1 circle left 3/4
ladies chain
A2 ladies allemande right 1
N swing
B1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P swing
B2 long lines forward, rollaway P lady back
circle right 3/4, turn alone to face next

This also came out of the ladies chain - allemande right - swing discussion, but it isn't the same level of easy teaching dance.


Circumnavigation
October 17, 2016
improper
A1 long lines
N swing
A2 (8) gents allemande left 1+1/2
(2) P allemande right 1/2
(6) ladies allemande left 1
B1 P balance, swing
B2 (12) circle left 1+1/4
(4) N rollaway lady

Castelo Novo
May 19, 2018
improper
A1 circle left 1
N swing
A2 circle left 3/4
P swing
B1 long lines
ladies allemande right 1+1/2
B2 N allemande left 1+3/4
next N do si do

Invented and called at the Portuguese Hall in Newcastle.


Lark in the Afternoon
November 3, 2018
improper
A1 N balance, swing
A2 gents allemande left 1+1/2
P do si do (var. pass P right, ladies do si do)
B1 P balance, swing
B2 circle left 3/4
balance ring, P CA twirl

Called at a larks and ravens session during Foggy Moon in Carmel.

Derivative Stuff


Pillar Point Harbor
October 20, 2012
becket right
A1 ladies allemande right 1+1/2
with N, promenade the set clockwise (ladies in center); ladies scoop gents around to their next N behind them
A2 next N right shoulder turn, swing
B1 (8) with next N, promenade the set counterclockwise (gents in center)
(2) gents pull by left
(6) P right shoulder turn 1
B2 1/2 hey, ladies pass left
P swing

A left-right inverse of Fairport Harbor by Paul Balliet. There are several things to watch out for; one is that the first promenade is not the regular promenade direction. The scoop is also interesting: couples turn clockwise halfway to face backwards, then ladies turn over their right shoulder to face forwards again. Demos might help.


The Green-Haired Girl
August 5, 2013
improper
A1 N balance, swing
A2 right and left thru
left hands across star
B1 (4) ladies allemande left 1 while gents loop right
(4) pull by N right, gents pull by left (while ladies loop right)
(8) P swing
B2 circle left 3/4
N right shoulder turn 1+1/2

A variant of the Green-Eyed Girl by Jim Kitch, which seemed like it had a nice flowing signature figure without good flow around it. (If you call the Green-Eyed Girl, I'll suggest this as a replacement.) The right shoulder turn 1+1/2 is a Jim Kitch-esque forgery.


(Untitled Balance to My Lou variation)
May 2013
becket right
A1 long lines
right diagonal ladies chain (to N)
A2 balance ring, roll away shadow across
N swing
B1 balance ring, petronella
balance ring, petronella
B2 balance ring, petronella + spin 1/2
P swing

The B section is from Balance to my Lou by Becky Hill. This was my best attempt to add a neighbor swing. It's still a dance in which you don't see your partner as much as your shadow, though.


Waves on Salmon Creek
October 17, 2014
improper
A1 long lines
gents allemande right 1+1/2 to short waves
A2 balance wave, walk forward (to shadow)
1/2 hey, pass shadow left
B1 P balance, swing
B2 ladies allemande right 1+1/2
N swing

Winter Evening Rollaway
November 22, 2014
becket left
A1 circle left 3/4
N do si do to short waves
A2 (4) balance wave
(12) walk forward, next N swing
B1 right and left thru
ladies chain
B2 balance ring, rollaway N lady across
P swing

This is just a recombination of Linda Leslie's Winter Storm and Bob Isaacs's Early Evening Rollaway (itself a variant of Tom Hinds's Early Evening Jig). It goes to show that nothing really is original.


Life Is Short; Dance Often
co-written with Lindsey Dono
2014
becket right
A1 circle left 1
ladies chain
A2 mad robin
circle right 1
B1 (4) with P, zag right, zig left
(12) with next N, ~3/4 hey, gents pass left
B2 P balance, swing

This is derived from a conversation with Lindsey Dono about her dance Mesmerize Me, but it has a new interesting B part. In B1, you come in from the ends crossed over (ladies on the left).

The hey is similar to Erik Weberg's Joyride (and Victor Skowronski's Companions). In teaching, after the progression to new neighbors, the ladies should take a step left (out of the set) to set up for the hey, which is really 5 passes (5/8 of a full hey).


In the Mood for Flapjacks
August 16, 2015
becket right
A1 circle left 1/2, roll away P gent, ladies cross set passing right
N right shoulder turn 1
A2 next N balance, swing
B1 circle left 3/4 (almost 7/8), ladies curl in
1/2 hey, pass P right
B2 P balance, swing

I adapted parts of this from Lisa Sievert's Mood Ring, itself based on Sue Rosen's Mood Swings, with even more stealing from Joseph Pimentel's Flapjack Express. (Joseph calls the A1 figure a "traveling ..."). Although I wrote this down as a becket, it's easier to teach as an improper dance starting at A2, so that one knows one's direction of progression.


The 24th of May
May 24, 2018
Yoyo Zhou
A1 gents allemande left 1+1/2
N swing
A2 long lines
star left to long waves, gents face out, ladies face in
B1 balance wave, box circulate (with next N)
balance wave, box circulate
B2 balance wave, box circulate
P swing

Named as an homage to the many "24th of" box circulate dances. Turns out to be most similar to The 24th, Once More by Tom Lehmann.


Mama Lee's Roll
August 6, 2018
becket left
A1 long lines, P rollaway lady
long lines, P rollaway gent
A2 ladies chain
circle right 1
B1 with N2, circle left 1
N2 swing
B2 ladies allemande right 1+1/2
P swing

After basing this somewhat on Rollin' and Tumblin' by Cis Hinkle, I found it pretty similar to Mama Loo's Reel by Gene Hubert.

Complex Stuff


Sine and Cosine
July 2012
becket right
A1 circle left 3/4
N swing
A2 right and left thru
ladies do si do with next lady to a long wave down the center; but same gents take left hands across
B1 (4) balance (ladies right, gents left)
(4) allemande 3/4 (ladies right, gents left) to put gents in a long wave down the center
(4) balance (ladies right, gents left)
(4) allemande 3/4 (ladies right, gents left) and a little more, walk forward
B2 P balance, swing

The inspiration for this dance comes from Carol Ormand's choreography workshop at American Week and Patrick Morris's Hallucination Jig. And arguably Dean Snipes's Our House. A possible alternative is to balance the waves a third time at B2, then walk forward to P swing.

Teaching notes:


Apples and Concord Grapes
November 14, 2012
becket right
A1 circle left 3/4
N1 swing
A2 full hey, gents pass left; end in long wave with gents facing in, ladies facing out, N1 in right hand
B1 (4) balance wave
(4) slide right to short wave, left hand to N2
(4) balance wave
(4) slide left
B2 (4) N allemande right 1/2, ladies allemande left 1/2
(12) P swing

Named for the fruit we picked in Grass Valley and brought to the potluck table at Fall Has Sprung in 2012. Some inspiration from Sue Rosen's Apples and Chocolate.

Teaching notes:


Victoria Regia
January 2015
improper
A1 mirror hey along the sides, 1s split 2s, then 2s split 1s:
N1 pass L/R, N2 mirror (R/L) shoulder turn 1, N1 pass L/R, N0 mirror (R/L) shoulder turn 1
A2 1s balance, swing
B1 (4) down the hall with N1 (1s in center)
(4) roll away N1 (ladies in front)
(8) 2s swing
B2 (8) N1 swing
(4) up the hall with N1 (1s in center)
(4) 2s gate 1s to face N2

The mirror hey has the gent 1/lady 2 column passing by the left, turning by the right shoulder, and the lady 1/gent 2 column passing by the right, turning by the left shoulder.

In the spirit of generosity, this borrows ideas from Scottish and English dancing. In the mirror hey, dancers can make eye contact with their partner when they come toward each other. Couples waiting out at the ends should go wherever they are needed (sometimes they need to play the role of 1s, but sometimes they act as 2s).


Constellation
April 12, 2016
4 face 4
A1 lines of 4 forward and back
ladies chain up/down
A2 (4) two left hand stars 1/2
(4) right hand star (center 4) 1/2
(4) two left hand stars 1/2
(4) right hand star (center 4) 1/2
B1 N balance, swing
B2 (hands 4) circle left 3/4
P swing, face next N in a new line of 4

The ladies chain is to the neighbor that you eventually balance and swing. Notice that ladies follow their partners through the stars, and the stars are very short, so gents need to stay alert. When one isn't active in a star, one should just stay in place.


The Rose of Brooklyn
November 14, 2017
4 facing 4
A1 lines of 4 forward and back
groups of 4 circle left 3/4
A2 full hey for 4 across the set, pass N right, end in short waves across the set with people in the hey
B1 balance waves, ladies walk forward (as if to form a wave of 4 across) while gents turn to their right 1/4
center ladies allemande left 1+1/2 while others orbit halfway
B2 P right shoulder turn, swing

For Victoria Rose, commissioned from the CDSS auction by John Seto.

As with most 4 face 4s, you end up progressing to the diagonally opposite position. Identify this as where you'll eventually meet your partner.

Your neighbor is the one opposite you in the line of 4. After circling left 3/4, you're in a line of 4 across the set with neighbor (your partner is in the other line of 4); for teaching, take hands in this wave across to identify the end position for the hey (as well as the people to dance the hey with).

Radical Stuff


Waxmyrtle
June 2013
2-part improper slip jig contra
A1 (6) N right shoulder turn 1
(6) 1/2 hey, ladies pass left
A2 (12) N swing
B1 (3) gents cross the set
(9) P swing
B2 (6) balance ring*
(3) petronella
(3) pass N1 left (up/down)
Notes:
Scattermento
November 22, 2014
scatter mixer
A1 P promenade anywhere in the room; make a circle of 3-5 couples
A2 circle left
circle right
B1 gents/ladies star left 1
P do si do 1+1/4
B2 next P balance, swing

To identify next partners, after the star left, face your partner, then look to the person on the left diagonal.

As with scatter mixers of this sort, dancers want to make their circles absurdly big, which means the star left is rushed. Fortunately it really doesn't matter whom you end up with.


Green Dreams
April 8, 2015
2-part improper slip jig contra
A1 (6) hands across star left 3/4
(3) ladies allemande left 3/4 (while gents loop right)
(3) P pull by right
A2 (2) gents pull by left (while ladies loop right)
(10) N swing
B1 (6) balance the ring, give and take gents
(6) P swing
B2 (6) circle left 3/4
(6) with P, zig left, zag right

There are elements from both Jim Kitch's Green-Eyed Girl and Joseph Pimentel's Little Green Heron, but recast into 6 instead of 8. The pull by sequence in the A part can tend to end up on the diagonal, but it feels better to be straight across. The balance is in for 3, out for 3; during the out, ladies tug their partner to their side.


Round Robin
October 2016
improper
A1 N1 hands across star right
(around N1) gent 1 round two, lady 1 cut thru
A2 N0 hands across star left
(around N0) gent 2 round two, lady 2 cut thru
B1 with N1, circle left 3/4
P swing
B2 balance ring, petronella
P balance, box the gnat

This dance takes inspiration from English country dance and square dance. The title alludes to both sets of dancers dancing the gent round two, lady cut thru in turn. (That figure ends with that gent and lady trading places with each other.)


Trip to Sturtevant
February 2017
duple proper English country dance
Tune: Trip to St. Nicholas by Paul Hutchinson
A1 First corners set right toward each other and turn single right; meanwhile, second corners cast up/down orbiting into each other's place
Right hands across 1
A2 Second corners set left toward each other and turn single left; meanwhile, second corners cast up/down orbiting into each other's place
Left hands across 1
B1 Neighbor (on the side) left shoulder back to back
Partner two hand turn 1 and fall back
B2 Partner right shoulder back to back
Double half figure eight; tops (2s) cast while bottoms (1s) cross up

Thanks to Anita Anderson for sharing this tune with me at Camp Sturtevant years ago, and thanks to Kalia Kliban for bringing it to the other side of the pond.


Harwood Heys
January 27, 2018
improper
A1 N balance, swing
A2 long lines
1s (2s) left hand balance, swat the flea
B1 1/2 hey for 3 for 4, 1s (2s) pass right diagonal corner by left to start
1/2 hey for 3 for 4, 1s (2s) pass right diagonal corner by left to start
B2 1s (2s) P balance, swing, face next N down (up)

"1/2 hey for 3 for 4" is a new figure based on the 1/2 hey for 3 from ECD (or 1/2 reel of 3 from SCD). In it, the 1s (2s) trace the path of a 1/2 figure 8 around their right diagonal corner, while the 2s (1s) pass that person by left shoulder, then pass partner by the right shoulder. 1s (2s) encounter a shadow from another couple but pass them by the right, so they don't really interact. Everyone ends in their partner's place.

This dance alternates between the 1s and 2s being active. The right diagonal corner is the 1st corner in the 1st hey and the 2nd corner in the 2nd hey, but it's easier to teach as just "your right diagonal corner".

For teaching, I suggest: have only the actives walk the 1/2 figure 8, then have them go back to place, then have everyone do the first 1/2 hey for 3 for 4, and then do the second 1/2 hey for 3 for 4.

Named for Sharon Green's house, where this dance was tested.

Experimental Stuff


Pirate Radio
September 19, 2012
duple improper
A1 long lines forward and back
pass thru to a wave, gents take left hands in the middle; balance the wave
A2 (4) N allemande right 1/2, ladies allemande left 1/2
(12) P swing
B1 promenade across
pass thru to a wave, ladies take left hands in the middle; balance the wave
B2 (4) P allemande right 1/2, gents allemande left 1/2
(12) N swing

Note the first pass thru to a wave begins with the lady on the left and gent on the right, so gents end up in the middle of the short wavy line.


The Persimmon Tree
October 21, 2013
becket left
A1 circle left 3/4, roll away N lady
next N swing
A2 long lines
ladies chain
B1 balance ring, petronella
balance ring, petronella
B2 balance ring, roll N across set
P swing