hook: accessible diagonal waves
by: Rick Mohr
formation: Becket
| A1 | 2 | slide left along set ⁋
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| 6 | circle left 3 places
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| 8 | neighbors swing
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| A2 | 8 | long lines forward & back
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| 4 | star left 2 places - gentlespoons drop out
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| 4 | ladles allemande left ¾
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| B1 | 0 | form an ocean wave - ladles by right hands and neighbors by left hands
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| 4 | balance the wave
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| 4 | neighbors allemande right ½ and a little bit more
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| 0 | form a right diagonal ocean wave - gentlespoons by right hands and neighbors by left hands (next gentlespoon)
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| 4 | balance the wave
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| 4 | gentlespoons allemande right ¾
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| B2 | 0 | form a left diagonal ocean wave - gentlespoons by right hands and partners by left hands catch left hands with partners to form left diagonal wavy line
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| 4 | balance the wave
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| 12 | partners swing
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http://rickmohr.net/contra/dances.asp#DrBluhmsDelight
Diagonal action makes this dance fun and different while staying accessible.
The neighbors allemande right in B1 is slightly more than half way round — gentlespoons go just past the opposite gentlespoon to join left hands with the next gentlespoons, forming a wave on the right diagonal. Then left allemande 3/4 easily forms the left diagonal wave with partners for the balance in B2. Of course the gentlespoons would never forget to complete the balance by looking left at each other before diving into the partner swing ... but it couldn't hurt to remind them!
Usually after the swing in B2 dancers are almost across from their new neighbors and don't need to shift left very far to start the circle left in A1.
For my buddy Carey Bluhm of Keene NH, who delights in playing fiddle tunes.
Video: Lisa Greenleaf & Didgeridoo at Fiddling Frog 2010, Pasadena CA (posted by Dave Foster)