Louisville, KY 2023-01-02

user: Nicholas Rockstroh

Monday

by: Jim Hemphill

introduces moves: allemande, meltdown swing, circle, swing, right left through, star

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1½
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 16
partners meltdown swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
B2 8
right left through
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Between the Lines

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: long lines, custom, do si do

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ones swing, end facing down ⁋
B1 8
next neighbors mirror do si do, ones splitting twos
8
twos swing, end facing up
B2 8
circle left 4 places
8
neighbors do si do once

Kitchen Stomp

by: Becky Hill

introduces moves: chain, petronella

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B1 8
ladles chain
8
balance & petronella
B2 8
balance & petronella
8
star left 4 places ⁋

The Hartmann Reel

by: Chart Guthrie

introduces moves: hey

formation: improper

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
gentlespoons right-hand chain
A2 16
gentlespoons start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
right left through
8
ladles chain ⁋

Salmonella Evening

by: Steve Zakon-Anderson

Medley

introduces moves: balance, pass through

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1¾
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 16
partners balance & swing
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
B2 8
balance & petronella
4
balance the ring
2
pass through ⁋

Old Time Elixir #2

by: Linda Leslie

Medley

introduces moves: slide along set

formation: Becket

A1 0
slide left along set ⁋
8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
right left through (or promenade)
8
ladles chain to partner
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
B2 16
partners balance & swing

A variation of the dance Old Time Elixir by Mike Boerschig. The same dance was also written by Dean Snipes, and is called "Tica Tica Timing".

Treasure of Sierra Madre

by: James Hutson

introduces moves: box the gnat

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 8
partners right hand balance & box the gnat
8
partners start a half hey - rights on ends, lefts in center
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Dr. Bluhm's Delight

by: Rick Mohr

introduces moves: form an ocean wave

formation: Becket

A1 2
slide left along set ⁋
6
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
4
star left 2 places - gentlespoons drop out
4
ladles allemande left ¾
B1 0
form an ocean wave - ladles by right hands and neighbors by left hands
4
balance the wave
4
neighbors allemande right ½ and a little bit more
0
form a right diagonal ocean wave - gentlespoons by right hands and neighbors by left hands (next gentlespoon)
4
balance the wave
4
gentlespoons allemande right ¾
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
4
balance the wave
12
partners swing

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)

Fire in Vermont

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

introduces moves: balance the ring, California twirl, custom

formation: Becket ccw

Couples wait out with gentlespoons on the right and ladles on the left

A1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
neighbors swing
A2 4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl, take hands with next neighbors
8
balance & petronella
B1 8
balance & petronella
4
balance the ring
4
neighbors California twirl, keep hands and reach back to partners to form a cloverleaf
B2 6
cloverleaf left 3 places
10
partners swing

Notice that the two twirls to swap are done with different hands. This is intentional. The California twirl and reach back to a cloverleaf is inspired, primarily, by several Rick Mohr dances which do the same thing.

The name is a result of a remarkable confluence of events. A friend of mine from Wisconsin, Ceara Herndon, was visiting her sister in Vermont. She sent me a picture of a firepit captioned with the title, which seemed like a good name for a dance. As it turns out, the state flower of Vermont is the Red Clover, which I only learned AFTER writing the dance. On top of all this, there's an old, hitherto unpublished dance of mine called "Fire Flower," which also contains a California twirl and reach back to a cloverleaf.