2026-06-06 Pittsburgh Contra

user: Eitan Greene

Table of Contents

  1. Appetizer by Scott Higgs

    Called by Donna Hetrick
  2. Summer Sunshine by Paul Balliet

    Called by Donna Hetrick
  3. Jubilant Solstice by Diane Silver

    Called by Donna Hetrick
  4. Square Affair by Becky Hill

    Called by Donna Hetrick
  5. Regression to the Mean by Cristy Altamirano

    Called by Jasmine Davis
  6. Minimum Fuss, Maximum Fun by Dean Snipes

    Called by Jasmine Davis
  7. Pigtown Petronella by Cary Ravitz

    Called by Jasmine Davis
  8. Walpole Condo by Ric Goldman

    Called by Jasmine Davis
  9. Waving at the Stars by Eitan Greene

    Called by Eitan Greene
  10. Culver City Contra by James Hutson

    Called by Eitan Greene
  11. Rockin' Robin by Rick Mohr

    Called by Eitan Greene
  12. Tica Tica Timing by Dean Snipes

    Called by Eitan Greene


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Appetizer

by: Scott Higgs

Called by Donna Hetrick

introduces moves: swing, long lines, chain, allemande, circle, do si do

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
B1 6
ladles allemande right once
10
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors do si do 1½ ⁋

Summer Sunshine

by: Paul Balliet

Called by Donna Hetrick

introduces moves: balance, form an ocean wave, pass through

formation: improper

form an ocean wave - ladles by left hands and neighbors by right hands

A1 4
balance the wave
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
ladles chain
8
ladles chain
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
partners swing
B2 6
circle left 3 places
2
form an ocean wave - ladles by left hands and neighbors by right hands
4
balance the wave
2
pass through to next neighbors ⁋
2
form an ocean wave - ladles by left hands and next neighbors by right hands

https://sites.google.com/site/contradancesbypaulballiet/#TOC-Summer-Sunshine-Favorite

Jubilant Solstice

by: Diane Silver

Called by Donna Hetrick

introduces moves: hey, meltdown swing

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners start a half hey - rights on ends, lefts in center
B1 16
partners meltdown swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain (face new neighbors) ⁋

Square Affair

by: Becky Hill

Called by Donna Hetrick

introduces moves: square through

formation: Becket

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
A2 16
square through four - partners balance & pull by right, then neighbors pull by left, then repeat ⁋
B1 16
next neighbors balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing on original side

Original published in RosenHill Collection 2005. Available at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=2ahUKEwjh-ZCcz6reAhUKXa0KHb-qA_sQFjACegQICBAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Faptsg.org%2FDance%2Feasy_dances.rtf&usg=AOvVaw1iKx8xkRMJlMTgwuoBnYep

Regression to the Mean

by: Cristy Altamirano

Called by Jasmine Davis

introduces moves: slice

formation: Becket

A1 8
slice left and straight back
8
circle left 3 places
A2 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
circle left 3 places
B2 16
partners meltdown swing

Minimum Fuss, Maximum Fun

by: Dean Snipes

Called by Jasmine Davis

introduces moves: box the gnat, box circulate, star

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
8
balance & box circulate - gentlespoons cross while ladles loop right
A2 8
balance & box circulate - ladles cross while gentlespoons loop right
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Pigtown Petronella

by: Cary Ravitz

Called by Jasmine Davis

introduces moves: right left through, petronella, turn alone

formation: Becket ccw

Double progression.

In long lines, your partner is in one hand, your shadow is in the other hand.

A1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
right left through
8
left diagonal ladles chain to shadow (only if there is someone there) ⁋
B1 8
balance & petronella
0
turn alone to face a new neighbor ⁋
8
balance & petronella
B2 0
turn alone to face your partner
16
partners balance & swing

http://www.dance.ravitz.us/#pp3

Note the similarity to Maliza's Magical Mystery Motion. The chain is to the diagonal left here, so at the end of B1 you must face a new set of four to find your partner.

YouTube, 2, 3

Walpole Condo

by: Ric Goldman

Called by Jasmine Davis

introduces moves: custom

formation: three face three

A1 8
lines of three forward & back
8
opposites do-si-do
A2 16
centers turn contra corners with neighbors
B1 16
centers turn contra corners with partners
B2 8
circle left 3 places (halfway)
8
partners basket swing; face next three ⁋

Waving at the Stars

by: Eitan Greene

Called by Eitan Greene

introduces moves: custom, facing star

formation: Becket

Interlocking waves: Everyone has hands with person diagonal from them. This should be same role.

A1 4
gentlespoons slice left to a long wave ⁋
4
balance the wave
4
ladles slice left to interlocking wave ⁋
4
balance the waves
A2 8
facing star clockwise 3 places with ladles putting their left hands in and backing up
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
gentlespoons start a half hey - lefts in center, rights on ends
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
B2 16
partners long swing

Teach the dance without progression as walk forward to interlocking waves. Then teach the slice at the end.

Inspired by Gypsy Star by Cary Ravitz

Culver City Contra

by: James Hutson

Called by Eitan Greene

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
right left through
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Rockin' Robin

by: Rick Mohr

Called by Eitan Greene

introduces moves: pull by dancers, custom, zig zag

formation: improper

fast reels

A1 8
circle right 4 places
6
neighbors allemande left once
2
gentlespoons pull by right
A2 16
hey, partners passing left shoulders to start
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 10
circle left 5 places to original place
6
zig left zag right ⁋

Rick Mohr notes: This is a very fun dance, especially with fast reels.

It helps to alert the gentlespoons to pull by at the end of the phrase in A1. Otherwise some will delay until the beginning of A2, making them late for the balance in B1. This can be reinforced during the dance by calling "gentlespoons right hand pull by" early by a beat or two.

The "Zig-Zag" in B2 is most satisfying if dancers emphasize the sideways left/right motion rather than the forward motion which gets them past their neighbors. There's plenty of time, so encourage them to go a good distance out of the set in the Zig. The idea is to let the momentum from the circle left propel into the Zig left, and then let the momentum from the Zag right lead directly into the circle right with the next couple.

For Robin Kynoch, a fine tinwhistle player from Framingham, Massachusetts. You might not think it possible to "rock" on the whistle, but Robin does.

Originally posted to: http://rickmohr.net/contra/dances.asp#RockinRobin

Tica Tica Timing

by: Dean Snipes

Called by Eitan Greene

introduces moves: promenade, slide along set

formation: Becket

A1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
neighbors promenade
8
ladles chain
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
B2 14
partners balance & swing
2
slide left along set ⁋

Julian Bee notes that swapping the promenade for a R+L Thru is Linda Leslie's "Old Time Elixir #2", written in 1998. It's unclear when Dean wrote TTT, so both deserve a cross-reference. https://contradb.com/dances/474