Berea, KY 2025-05-24

La Green Bean

introduces moves: custom, turn alone, form long waves, balance, allemande, swing, promenade

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	0	form long waves - ladles face in, gentlespoons face out
	4	balance
	4	neighbors allemande right once
	4	balance
	4	partners allemande left once
B1	16	neighbors balance & swing (this neighbor is your new partner)
B2	16	partners promenade along the set on the right

Riffing on La String Bean by Julian Blechner. Changes the direction of progression around the ring and gives an easier target for the transition to a new partner (since it's the person with whom you did an allemande right). See also La Southern Green Bean for a version with Rory O'More slides.

Tuesday Night Special

by: Larry Jennings

introduces moves: circle, chain, star

formation: improper

A1	16	neighbors balance & swing
A2	6	circle left 3 places
	10	partners swing
B1	8	partners promenade
	8	ladles chain
B2	8	neighbors promenade
	8	star left 4 places to next neighbors

One of the great glossary dances. Simple figures and gentle timing, but not so comprehensive that it leaves you with no options to make the second dance feel distinctive. Definitely a favorite of mine.

Contra Essentialism

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

introduces moves: long lines, right left through

formation: improper

Note the hand in which the next neighbor's hand will be held in the long lines

A1	8	long lines forward & back
	8	neighbors swing
A2	8	right left through
	8	ladles allemande right 1½
B1	16	partners balance & swing
B2	8	gentlespoons allemande left 1½
	8	neighbors swing and take hands with next neighbors in long lines ⁋

I was taking a course on gender and sexuality at the time I wrote this. The title is a double pun; "Contra is essential" is one meaning, "against cultural/biological essentialism" is another.

Autumn Air

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: hey, pass through

formation: Becket

A1	8	ladles chain
	8	ladles start a half hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
A2	16	neighbors balance & swing
B1	8	gentlespoons allemande left 1½
	8	partners swing
B2	7	circle left 3 places
	2	pass through ⁋
	7	circle right 3 places

Jerome's Lastest Crypto Scam

by: Jerome Grisanti

introduces moves: custom, down the hall, up the hall, gate

formation: improper

A1	8	neighbors mirror do si do, twos splitting ones
	8	ones swing, end facing down the hall in a line of four
A2	8	down the hall and slide doors
	8	up the hall and bend into a ring
B1	16	neighbors balance & swing
B2	2	pass through across the set
	6	ones gate twos to face into the set
	8	twos swing ⁋

waltz

Seven Sevens

by: Jim Kitch

introduces moves: box the gnat, mad robin, pass by, meltdown swing

formation: Becket ccw

A1	8	circle left 3 places
	8	neighbors swing
A2	8	right left through
	8	star left 4 places to take right hands with next neighbors ⁋
B1	8	next neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
	8	mad robin, gentlespoons in front
B2	2	gentlespoons pass by left shoulders
	14	partners meltdown swing

Mange Tak

by: Ron Buchanan

introduces moves: form an ocean wave, pull by dancers

formation: Improper

A1	16	neighbors balance & swing
A2	8	pass through to an ocean wave & balance - ladles by left in the center, neighbors by right on the sides
	2	neighbors allemande right ½
	2	gentlespoons pull by left
	4	partners allemande right ¾ and look for shadows
B1	6	shadows allemande left once
	10	partners swing
B2	8	pass through to an ocean wave & balance - ladles by left in the center, partners by right on the sides
	2	partners allemande right ½
	2	gentlespoons pull by left
	4	neighbors allemande right ¾ and look for next neighbors

Nutella Petronella

by: Bradley Smith

introduces moves: custom, petronella, balance the ring

formation: four face four

A1	8	lines of four forward and back
	8	opposites do si do once
A2	0	Ends balance and swing to change places while centers...
	8	balance & petronella
	8	balance & petronella, centers note partners and then...
B1	4	balance the ring
	4	pass through to partners
	8	partners swing and face shadows in Contra lines
B2	8	gentlespoons start a half hey - lefts in center, rights on ends - with shadows ⁋
	8	partners swing and face next neighbors

Early Rising Robins

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

introduces moves: revolving door, roll away

formation: indecent

A1	8	mad robin, ladles in front
	8	ladles allemande right 1½
A2	16	partners meltdown swing
B1	8	revolving door - gentlespoons take left hands and drop off partners on other side
	8	neighbors swing
B2	4	long lines forward
	4	ladles roll away neighbors with a half sashay on the way back
	8	mad robin, ladles in front, continue with next neighbors ⁋

A revision of the dance written at Summer CDH 2018 for the band Wake Up Robin. The original suffered from a kitchen sink mentality and I think this dance is nicely tightened up comparatively. I'm leaving the original up because it might still be enjoyable in the right circumstances, however I expect this dance will be much friendlier to typical Contra dance circumstances without sacrificing the core of what made the original interesting.

Heart of Glass

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: star promenade, butterfly whirl

formation: Becket

A1	6	circle left 3 places
	2	pass through ⁋
	8	next neighbors swing
A2	8	gentlespoons allemande left 1½, keeping hands, pick up partner
	4	star promenade left ½
	4	butterfly whirl to face in
B1	16	ladles start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
B2	16	partners balance & swing

Cary Ravitz notes: This dance is an easier version of Through the Looking Glass, or you
might see it as Amy Kahn's Sweet Music with a different progression,
or Steve Zakon-Anderson's Twirling at the Alter with the progression
moved from the hey to the circle, or David Zinkin's Becky's Becket
with a different A2.

http://www.dance.ravitz.us/dance2011.htm#hg

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