Graz - 2025-05-02

user: Brian Roberts

Table of Contents

  1. Airpants by Lisa Greenleaf
  2. Chicago Shuffle by Moose Flores
  3. Like I've Known You Forever by Devin J. Pohly
  4. Riverside Jig by Linlithgow Ceilidh
  5. Lady Mondegreen by Moose Flores
  6. Yellow Cat's Jig (Maggie Jo's Version) by Jim Gregory

  7. Waltz
  8. La String Bean by Julian Blechner
  9. The Slinky Walk by Moose Flores, Chris Page
  10. Midwest Folklore by Orace Johnson
  11. Cherokee Shuffle by David Kaynor
  12. Canterbury by Jan Larsen
  13. Early Evening Rollaway by Bob Isaacs

  14. Waltz


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Airpants

by: Lisa Greenleaf

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

formation: improper

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

Chicago Shuffle

by: Moose Flores

introduces moves: petronella, balance the ring, California twirl

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once as couples
8
neighbors do si do once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B2 8
balance & petronella
4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl ⁋

Optional: last time
B1) Long lines forward & back, Gentlespoons allemande left 1 1/2
B2) Partners balance & swing

Variation on Cherokee Shuffle
https://contradb.com/dances/509

Like I've Known You Forever

by: Devin J. Pohly

introduces moves: chain, promenade, pass through

formation: improper

A1 8
ladles allemande right 1½
8
partners swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
ladles chain
8
partners promenade
B2 8
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋
6
neighbors do si do once

Written to fulfill some criteria I had for a teaching dance:

  • First swing is with partner. Pairing beginners intentionally with experienced dancers for teaching loses some utility if they end up spending the lengthily-practiced first swing with their inevitably inexperienced neighbor.
  • Chain and promenade, but no right and left through. Rehearse and reinforce courtesy turns before dancers are even given the option to mistakenly turn alone.
  • Clear progression. So we can talk about progression.

I picture the B1 promenade in courtesy turn position, as it was the local custom where I danced at the time, it allows transfer of knowledge from the ladles chain, and it makes for a lovely partner moment as you are reunited for a cozy, leisurely walk across the set. However, don't feel you have to make a special request if your community's customary promenade differs.

The original B2 of this dance was "circle left, balance the ring, pass through" to emphasize the progression and leave some recovery time. In practice, I found that the extra time wasn't needed even for new dancers, and that it consistently caused the ladles to hesitate before starting the A1. The new ending tightens the timing and gives the ladles a nice flow into their allemande. (New dancers running behind can just skip the do-si-do.)

The ladles' allemande was changed from left-hand to right-hand based on a comment made by Lisa Greenleaf. Both work equally well out of the do-si-do, but the ladles benefit from having a left hand free to start the partner swing.

Number: DJP-000
Composed: State College, PA, fall 2012.
Debuted: Harrisburg, PA, 2012-10-12.
Updated: Warrenville, IL, fall 2018; again in summer 2019.

Riverside Jig

by: Linlithgow Ceilidh

introduces moves: star, custom

formation: Becket (no matter)

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
long lines forward & back
A2 8
star right 4 places
8
star left 4 places
B1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
partners do si do once
B2 16
top 2 couples form line of 4, dance to the bottom over everyone's heads ⁋


____0_________X___
^___0__^__^__X__^_
|___0___|___|__X__|_
0__ 0__X__0__X__X_

Lady Mondegreen

by: Moose Flores

introduces moves: pull by dancers

formation: Becket ccw

A1 8
gentlespoons balance & pull by left
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
long lines forward & back ⁋
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
partners do si do once
B2 16
partners balance & swing

Ask the band for a reel.

Simpler variation on Druzy Green
https://contradb.com/dances/2038

Yellow Cat's Jig (Maggie Jo's Version)

by: Jim Gregory

introduces moves: custom

formation: Circle mixer

A1 8
circle left 4 places
8
circle right 4 places - single file, ladles tap shoulder of new partner ⁋
A2 8
partners do si do once
8
partners swing
B1 8
partners promenade, then face the center
8
couples go forward & back
B2 8
ladles go forward & back
8
gentlespoons go forward & back

Waltz

La String Bean

by: Julian Blechner

introduces moves: custom, turn alone

formation: circle mixer

A1 8
ladles to the center and back
2
gentlespoons to the center
4
gentlespoons turn alone
2
gentlespoons go back
A2 8
partners allemande left 1½ (gentlespoons progress CCW, ladles progress CW) ⁋
8
next neighbors do si do once (now your partner)
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 16
partners promenade along the set on the right

The Slinky Walk

by: Moose Flores, Chris Page

introduces moves: slide along set, 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.

Midwest Folklore

by: Orace Johnson

formation: Becket

A1 2
slide left along set ⁋
6
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors do si do once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners do si do once
B2 16
partners balance & swing

Bob Isaacs notes: Hailing from Urbana, IL, Orace Johnson was a pillar of the Midwest contra community until his passing in 1991 while contra dancing. This simple dance is as pure as it gets. It also inspired one of the best contra books, Midwest Folklore, a collection of the best dances from the Midwest’s best choreographers.

Cherokee Shuffle

by: David Kaynor

introduces moves: form an ocean wave

formation: improper

A1 8
circle left 4 places
8
neighbors do si do once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 4
gentlespoons allemande left ½
4
form an ocean wave & balance - gentlespoons by left hands and partners by right hands
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl (look for new neighbors) ⁋

From a CD by the 'String Beings'

Canterbury

by: Jan Larsen

introduces moves: balance, roll away, gyre

formation: improper

A1 4
neighbors balance
12
neighbors swing
A2 4
long lines forward
4
gentlespoons roll away neighbors (while going back, Ladles roll L, Gentlespoons side-step R)
8
gentlespoons do si do 1½
B1 8
partners gyre once
8
partners swing
B2 12
circle left 5 places
4
pass through ⁋

Early Evening Rollaway

by: Bob Isaacs

introduces moves: right left through

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
right left through
8
ladles chain
B1 4
balance the ring
4
gentlespoons roll away neighbors with a half sashay across the set
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋
8
next neighbors do si do once

Waltz