hook: teaches courtesy turn as a promenadey circle mixer
formation: circle mixer
hold in 'courtesy turn' hold (left in left hand in front; right hand in right hand behind). All couples in a circle facing LOD
| A1 | 8 | partners promenade, wheel around to go back the other way
|
| 8 | partners promenade, wheel around to face in to the center
| |
| A2 | 4 | in to the center
|
| 4 | wheel around
| |
| 4 | facing out, step out
| |
| 4 | wheel around, let go
| |
| B1 | 16 | partners balance & swing, finish facing in
|
| B2 | 4 | balance in and out
|
| 4 | ladle turn under gentlespoon's right arm, ladle let go & ladle face reverse direction
| |
| 4 | ladle walk forward to next gentlespoon ⁋
| |
| 8 | with next gentlespoon, take courtesy turn hold, wheel around to face line of direction
|
Invented to work on getting the "courtesy turn" into muscle memory of a large group of barn dancers working their way to contra dance skills.
Teach them the courtesy turn hold as a promenade hold (left in left in front, right in right behind), then do a super-simple mixer.
I think that gets to a possibly fun-nish dance that teaches the courtesy turn divorced from right and left through or chain, and has more elastic timing than a regular contra.. (I don’t have a swing or anything because I’m really trying to get them used to that courtesy turn hold but only have to figure it out once per partner. Once they’re used to the hold and the scoop I think that then teaching chain or right & left through should be a piece of cake.