Easy dances ala Joe

user: Brian Roberts

Table of Contents

  1. Level 1

  2. Suggestions by Joe Harrington on the Shared Weight Contra Callers mailing list https://lists.sharedweight.net/hyperkitty/list/contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net/thread/4TD2HZ4HAC7GA5MKNYRF2DWVLAK6AOY4/
  3. Airpants by Lisa Greenleaf
  4. The Big Easy by Becky Hill
  5. Midwest Folklore by Orace Johnson

  6. Level 2
  7. Claire's Request by Alan Winston
  8. Easy Peasy by Diane Silver
  9. Hypnosis by Melanie Axel-Lute
  10. Kinematic Vorticity by Carol Ormand
  11. The Nice Combination by Gene Hubert
  12. Pearls of Wisdom by Bob Isaacs
  13. Push the Button by unknown
  14. Thursday Night Special #1 by Larry Jennings

  15. Level 3
  16. Al's Safeway Produce by Robert Cromartie
  17. Another Easy One by unknown
  18. Appetizer by Scott Higgs
  19. The Baby Rose by David Kaynor
  20. The Balter Dance by Michael Fuerst
  21. Bristol Court by Melanie Axel-Lute
  22. Broken Sixpence by Don Armstrong

  23. The Cure for the Claps

  24. Forgotten Treasure, see https://www.upadouble.info/dance.php?id=ForgottenTreasure
  25. Hocus Pocus by Lisa Greenleaf
  26. M.A.D. About Dancing by Robert Cromartie
  27. Missing You by Don Flaherty
  28. Tica Tica Timing by Dean Snipes


Database

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Level 1

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 ⁋

The Big Easy

by: Becky Hill

introduces moves: balance the ring, pass through

formation: improper

A1 4
balance the ring
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles allemande left 1½
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
pass through

Midwest Folklore

by: Orace Johnson

introduces moves: slide along set

formation: Becket

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

Level 2

Claire's Request

by: Alan Winston

introduces moves: balance, custom, give & take, promenade, chain

formation: improper

A1 4
neighbors balance
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
entire set oval left
8
entire set oval right
B1 4
balance the ring
4
ladles give & take partners
8
partners swing
B2 8
partners promenade
8
ladles chain ⁋

Easy Peasy

by: Diane Silver

introduces moves: California twirl

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl ⁋

Hypnosis

by: Melanie Axel-Lute

introduces moves: down the hall, up the hall, arch & dive

formation: improper

Line of four going down the hall has ones in the middle: W2-M1-W1-M2.

A1 8
down the hall and turn alone
8
up the hall; end facing neighbor
A2 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B2 12
circle left 5 places
4
twos arch ones dive ⁋

Kinematic Vorticity

by: Carol Ormand

introduces moves: gate

formation: improper

A1 8
long lines forward & back ⁋
8
twos gate ones to face down the set
A2 8
down the hall and turn alone
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing

JoLaine Jones Pokorney notes that this is a good dance for enabling dancers of limited mobility to keep up. Here are some more: http://jolainejonespokorney.blogspot.com/2018/03/if-you-stumble-make-it-part-of-dance.html?m=1

The Nice Combination

by: Gene Hubert

introduces moves: star

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing end facing down the hall
A2 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Pearls of Wisdom

by: Bob Isaacs

introduces moves: petronella

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1¾
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 4
partners balance
12
partners swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
neighbors swing
B2 4
balance the ring
4
petronella
4
balance the ring
4
petronella; face next ⁋

Push the Button

by: unknown

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
B1 8
ladles do si do once
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
pass through ⁋

Thursday Night Special #1

by: Larry Jennings

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing, end facing down the hall
A2 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
long lines forward & back - ID next neighbors ⁋

Level 3

Al's Safeway Produce

by: Robert Cromartie

formation: improper

A1 8
star left - wrist grip - 4 places
8
neighbors allemande left 1½
A2 8
ladles allemande right 1½
8
partners swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
neighbors swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
star right - wrist grip - 4 places ⁋

Author's Notes:
The transition from left hand star to allemande left is especially nice if a New England style (hand on wrist) star is used. This is the only dance I can think of for which I specifically request that type of star in those parts of the country where the default is hands-across.
Unfortunately, the origin of the name is lost in the mists of time. All I can say is that "Al" is not Al Olson, although had I known who he is when I wrote this, it might have been. Composed sometime around 1989.

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 9/14/1997; last revised 3/5/1999; edited by Russell Owen

Another Easy One

by: unknown

introduces moves: right left through

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1½
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 8
partners do si do once
8
partners swing
B1 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B2 8
right left through
6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋

Appetizer

by: Scott Higgs

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 ⁋

The Baby Rose

by: David Kaynor

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners do si do once
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places to new neighbors ⁋

The Balter Dance

by: Michael Fuerst

introduces moves: roll away, custom

formation: Becket CW

A1 8
ladles chain
8
star left - hands across - 4 places
A2 8
gentlespoons chain
8
star right - hands across - 4 places
B1 8
neighbors balance across and pull by across using right hands
8
partners swing end facing neighbors across
B2 4
long lines forward
4
gentlespoons roll away partners with a half sashay -- gentlespoons finishing on partner's right, gentlespoons' left and ladles' right hands joined
4
partners balance towards each other and away
4
ladles hold their place while gentlespoons roll from right side to left side of partner, to finish facing next neighbors ⁋

Balter - to dance artlessly, without particular grace or skill, but usually with enjoyment.

Although neither expected nor intended, this dance is suitable for a crowd with a high proportion of beginners, as one caller reported to me: "I called a couple of your dances tonight. There were totally brand new dancers in the mix--folks with not even other dance experience--so even basic stuff required like 3 walk-thrus. We did Dave Found The Missing Coffee Cup, and Balter Dance. Balter Dance was particularly well received for its chains for both ladles and gentlespoons, which is rare, and works beautifully with the alternating stars. One person commented that it was great for helping new dancers, since you're in physical contact with either a partner or neighbor almost all the time, so you don't get lost or wander in the wrong direction."
So by accident, this dance was aptly named.

Bristol Court

by: Melanie Axel-Lute

introduces moves: box the gnat

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 16
partners balance & swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
B2 8
neighbors promenade
8
star left 4 places

Broken Sixpence

by: Don Armstrong

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
gentlespoons do si do once
A2 8
ladles do si do once
8
ones swing end facing down to split the twos
B1 8
down the hall and turn alone
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B2 8
circle left 4 places
8
star left 4 places to a new neighbor couple ⁋

The Cure for the Claps

Hocus Pocus

by: Lisa Greenleaf

introduces moves: hey

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
ladles chain
8
ladles start a half hey - rights in center, lefts on ends right shoulder
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl ⁋

M.A.D. About Dancing

by: Robert Cromartie

formation: improper

Starts in ocean waves, ladles in the middle taking left hands, neighbors taking right hands, 1s facing down

A1 4
balance wave right, then left
4
neighbors allemande right ½ (and reform wave with gentlespoons in the middle)
4
balance wave left, then right
4
gentlespoons allemande left once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places and step into original ocean wave ⁋
4
balance wave forward and back, and walk forward to new waves

The A1 balance LEFT then right is editorial; I think it flows better but as far as I can tell it wasn't specified in the original dance. (Also, experienced dancers often balance to the right here out of instinct, so either really emphasize the balance left or don't bother.)

Missing You

by: Don Flaherty

introduces moves: star promenade, butterfly whirl

formation: indecent

If you stat improper the ones will be below the twos after the first time though

A1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½ To pick up your partner
4
star promenade left ½ With partner
4
butterfly whirl
A2 8
ladles allemande right 1½ Gentlespoons cross straight across to partner
8
partners swing
B1 8
ladles chain To neighbor
8
balance & petronella
B2 8
balance & petronella And a little more to new neighbor ⁋
8
neighbors swing New neighbor

7 30 20
Walk this dance through before taking to the dance floor

Tica Tica Timing

by: Dean Snipes

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