hook: Allen Ortep - early 19th century choreographer
by: Michael Fuerst
formation: Improper
| A1 | 16 | dosido and swing neighbor
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| A2 | 8 | right and left through across
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| 8 | circle balance (on left foot then right), slide/spin left one place in cricle. (aka Allen Ortep)
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| B1 | 16 | partners balance and swing
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| B2 | 8 | forward and back and roll away, gentlespoons shifting right
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| 8 | circle balance (on left foot then right), slide/spin left one place in cricle., end facing new neighbors
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In 1810, and for some years before and after, Sudbury MA (incorporated in 1639) was the site of a monthly barn dance. One of the local dance masters, Allen Ortep, composed a contra dance, where four dances would balance in a circle and shift/spin left (rather than right) one place. Allen and another local dance master both had interest in the same ladle. To shorten a long story, Allen did not get the ladle, and eventually stopped attending the Sudbury dances. His successful rival then composed a dance where four dancers balanced in a circle and shifted right one place, and named it petronella (which one can spell backwards if needed). To honor these events, Sudbury MA was given the zipcode 01776. (Thanks to Don Veino for pointing out Sudbury's zipcode.)