2023-10-20 Dennis's Halloween Dance

user: Moose Flores

Table of Contents

  1. Intro Lesson NOT A DANCE by unknown

    Lesson: Circle, give weight, stay connected, AR, AL, DSD, Swing, courtesy turn & chain, better never than late.
  2. 24th of October by Don Lennartson
  3. Hey Maker Contra by Aden Water

    After trying once, a demonstration of hey helped IMMENSELY
  4. Leave Them Hanging by Luke Donforth

    point out next N BEFORE the B2 progression, & say "... until you meet next N"
  5. Box the Cat by Lisa Greenleaf

    A few got a little lost
  6. Joyride by Erik Weberg

    By now, getting good at heys. A1) You're going to walk around your N twice, and the 2nd time is different from the first time.

  7. Slice of Pie by Breaking Up Thanksgiving Dance Writing Workshop 2022

  8. Waltz & Break
  9. Simplicity Swing by Becky Hill

    TUNE: Bloom by Troye Sivan. Such a JAM! ^_^
  10. The Slinky Walk by Moose Flores, Chris Page
  11. Salmonella Evening by Steve Zakon-Anderson

    they LOVED the triple petronella!

  12. Waltz & Goodnight

  13. Unlucky Seven https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=3287


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Intro Lesson NOT A DANCE

by: unknown

Lesson: Circle, give weight, stay connected, AR, AL, DSD, Swing, courtesy turn & chain, better never than late.

introduces moves: circle, allemande, do si do, swing, right left through, chain

formation: circle

Lesson: Circle, give weight, stay connected, AR, AL, DSD, Swing, courtesy turn & chain, better never than late.

A1 8
circle left 4 places
8
neighbors allemande left once
A2 8
neighbors do si do once
8
partners swing
B1 8
right left through
8
ladles chain
B2 16
partners balance & swing

Lesson: Circle, give weight, stay connected, AR, AL, DSD, Swing, courtesy turn & chain, better never than late, keep moving, "keep smiling and all is forgiven", Everyone makes mistakes!

24th of October

by: Don Lennartson

introduces moves: long lines, star, box circulate

formation: Becket

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
A2 8
star left 4 places to progress ⁋
8
next neighbors allemande right 1½ to long waves, gentlespoons face in
B1 8
balance & box circulate - gentlespoons cross while ladles loop right
8
balance & box circulate - ladles cross while gentlespoons loop right
B2 8
balance & box circulate - gentlespoons cross while ladles loop right
8
partners swing

Editor's Notes:
Based on Steve Schnur's 24th of June.

This dance is from William Watson's mirror of American Country Dances On Line
All rights reserved by the author; used by permission.
Added to database 3/19/1997; last revised 3/5/1999; edited by Russell Owen

Hey Maker Contra

by: Aden Water

After trying once, a demonstration of hey helped IMMENSELY

introduces moves: slide along set, hey, balance

formation: Becket CW

A1 2
slide left along set to new neighbors ⁋
2
circle left 1 place
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½ to partner
8
partners allemande right 1¼ so Ladles are facing in
B1 16
ladles start a full hey - lefts in center, rights on ends
B2 4
partners balance (or right gyre )
12
partners swing

Written to be an undistracting first hey dance for newer dancers, it also is quite flowy.
Let your music's vibe dictate whether to balance and swing or right gyre

Video: https://youtu.be/H8Z3IdI2Wb8

Leave Them Hanging

by: Luke Donforth

point out next N BEFORE the B2 progression, & say "... until you meet next N"

introduces moves: gyre, stand still

formation: improper

A1 4
neighbors gyre once
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
ladles start a half hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
B1 4
partners gyre once
12
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
8
stand still Gentlespoon one cast left

In the second half of B2 the circle follows Gentlespoon number one as he/she drops left hand; cast counterclockwise to invert circle and stop when all dancers are facing their original direction of progression.

Box the Cat

by: Lisa Greenleaf

A few got a little lost

introduces moves: box the gnat, pull by dancers, custom

formation: improper

Have dancers introduce themselves to their previous neighbor during walkthrough.

A1 8
neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
2
neighbors pull by right
6
previous neighbors allemande left once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Joyride

by: Erik Weberg

By now, getting good at heys. A1) You're going to walk around your N twice, and the 2nd time is different from the first time.

introduces moves: mad robin, poussette, pass by

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors gyre once
8
mad robin, ladles in front
A2 8
half poussette - gentlespoons pull partners back then left
8
gentlespoons start a half hey - lefts in center, rights on ends
B1 2
gentlespoons pass by left shoulders
14
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places to next neighbor ⁋

This is one of the most flowing dances I’ve written (2007…?) and dancers have expressed appreciation for the connectedness and satisfying feel. After the half pousette with partner, the ladles should let go and take a step back and to the left in order to leave room in the middle for the gentlespoons to begin the hey. The timing of this dance has been described as “squishy”, which is ok. Encourage dancers to stretch out the Mad Robin, the Pousette and the Hey and use all the music provided.

*I’ve recently been teaching this dance the way I initially intended it; with the fifth change of the hey and then the swing in the B1 part of the dance. I’ve found that as I get better at teaching it, it has become easier to convince dancers to suspend their hurry in getting to the next figure during the A parts. As dancers relax into the flow they seem to enjoy it more, and saving that last crossing by the gentlespoons until the B1 seems to enhance the joy.

Ryan Smith notes in a facebook thread: One of my favorite dances of all time is Joyride. It starts with a face-to-face, transitions into a mad robin, then to a half pousette, then to a hey (or at least 7/8ths of one) and then into a swing. Then the ladles chain across and you star to the next neighbor. With the right hall and the right partner, you can lock eyes halfway through A1 and not look away until the end of B1. Because the vast majority of the moves are not moves where you are connected to the other dancers physically, it requires extra effort for the caller. Because the first move needs to take up 8 counts of music, but that most dancers will try to do it in 6 means that there's some more extra work for the caller.

Original at http://www.erikweberg.com/joyride/

Slice of Pie

by: Breaking Up Thanksgiving Dance Writing Workshop 2022

introduces moves: custom, slice

formation: Becket CW

No neighbor swing.
When out wait in Becket, ready for the slice left.

A1 8
right left through
8
ladles chain
A2 8
mad robin, ladles in front
6
ladles start a half hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
2
Ladles cross directly to Partner
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
slice left and straight back with new neighbors ⁋

Waltz & Break

Simplicity Swing

by: Becky Hill

TUNE: Bloom by Troye Sivan. Such a JAM! ^_^

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain to neighbor
B2 8
star left 4 places ⁋
8
next neighbors do si do once

The Slinky Walk

by: Moose Flores, Chris Page

introduces moves: custom

formation: Becket

  • Designate ones and twos, then have each set turn 1 quarter to the left for Becket. Then verify that all the ones are on the same side. Ones progress leftward & down the hall.
  • It may help to walk through a colonnade once without arches, to demonstrate the paths, then add the ones' arch (left to left!)
  • Give the twos a chance to practice arching the colonnade during the walkthrough.
A1 2
slide left along set ⁋
6
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places
B1 16
left colonnade - "ones arch, colonnade!" +
B2 16
partners balance & swing
  • Left Colonnade: ones join left hands to make an arch and hold that arch for the entire figure. Ladles trade positions by left-shoulder pass through with ladle two going under the arch (and the arch moves!). Gentlespoons trade by left shoulders with gentlespoon two going under the arch. Ladles trade back by left shoulders; gentlespoons trade back by left shoulders. Each trade has 4 beats of music, so there's no need to rush.

Salmonella Evening

by: Steve Zakon-Anderson

they LOVED the triple petronella!

introduces moves: petronella, 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 ⁋

Waltz & Goodnight