hook: introduces roll away without choreography
formation: four couple square
any 32-bar waltz, esp. "My Lodging is on the Cold
Ground
| A1 | 4 | ____ balance corners
|
| 4 | gentlespoons roll away ____ corner (left hand ladle to gentlespoon's right hand)
| |
| 4 | balance corners
| |
| 4 | gentlespoons roll away ____ corner
| |
| A2 | 4 | balance corners
|
| 4 | gentlespoons roll away ____ corner
| |
| 4 | balance corners
| |
| 4 | gentlespoons roll away partners
| |
| B1 | 32 | waltz the set
|
Via Alan Winston, as I wanted a dance featuring rollaways, but without choreography inaccessible to a room full of first-time dancers.
Alan notes: you might get to your goal with this dance which barely has choreography (La Guaracha, from "Companion to the Ballroom" 1827, here from the Community Dances Manuals):
That A1 is balance and roll away (with gentlespoon not half-sashaying); four times gets everybody home.
For a barn dance where you can't rely on everybody being able to do a traveling waltz, you can easily adapt this in multiple ways;
first off, sub a promenade for the waltz, or sub a circle left and promenade home.
second, you can just make it duple meter if you prefer, and then make it balance and swing and promenade.
Third, you can change it to be roll away with a half sashay, and it's more important to reach your partner than to get home on the rollaways; the promenade takes care of that.
Fourth, change the figure to
1st time: all balance, ladles roll left to right in front of gentlespoons (start crossing neighbor) 4x
2nd time: all balance, gentlespoons roll left to right in front of ladles
(start partner)
(For ONS you might be fine just repeating those two times, but if you're a little ambitious ... 3rd time: all balance, roll left to right 2x, / all balance, gentlespoons roll left to right 2x, meet partner on other side ...
Anyway, it's barely choreography but it gives you roll away practice in square formation without having to do heads or sides.