user: Nicholas Rockstroh
waltz
by: Larry Jennings
introduces moves: swing, circle, promenade, 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.
introduces moves: long lines, right left through, allemande
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.
by: Al Olson
introduces moves: hey
formation: improper
| A1 | 8 | circle left 3 places
|
| 8 | partners allemande right 1½
| |
| A2 | 16 | ladles start a full hey - lefts in center, rights on ends
|
| B1 | 16 | partners long swing
|
| B2 | 8 | partners promenade
|
| 8 | ladles chain ⁋
|
introduces moves: roll away, petronella, down the hall, up the hall
formation: improper
| A1 | 4 | long lines forward
|
| 4 | ladles roll away neighbors with a half sashay
| |
| 4 | long lines forward
| |
| 4 | gentlespoons roll away neighbors with a half sashay
| |
| A2 | 8 | balance & petronella
|
| 8 | partners swing, end in a line of four facing down
| |
| B1 | 8 | down the hall and turn alone
|
| 8 | up the hall and bend into a ring
| |
| B2 | 8 | balance & petronella
|
| 8 | neighbors swing and take hands with next neighbors in long lines ⁋
|
Written at 3 AM at Summer CDH 2019. Sometimes the sequences just come to me, and when they do it can feel like remembering something I've never done. Named after a song from Celldweller's album Wish Upon a Blackstar.
by: Cary Ravitz
introduces moves: mad robin
formation: Becket
| A1 | 8 | right left through
|
| 8 | star left - hands across - 3 places and a bit more until gentlespoons are aligned in the center
| |
| A2 | 4 | gentlespoons allemande left ½
|
| 12 | neighbors swing
| |
| B1 | 8 | mad robin, gentlespoons in front
|
| 8 | star right 3 places and a bit more so new ladles can take left hands ⁋
| |
| B2 | 4 | ladles allemande left ½ while gentlespoons walk forward to meet partners
|
| 12 | partners swing
|
Make sure to remind the dancers, particularly the ladles, to keep their eyes looking up for the next people rather than looking down at their feet.
In practice, both stars function as full stars, but noting the different alignment helps to keep the set oriented, especially on the star right before the progression
by: Ridge Kennedy
introduces moves: Rory O'More, give & take, balance the ring, pass through
formation: improper
| A1 | 8 | balance & Rory O'More right
|
| 8 | balance & Rory O'More left
| |
| A2 | 16 | neighbors balance & swing
|
| B1 | 4 | gentlespoons give & take partners
|
| 12 | partners swing
| |
| B2 | 8 | circle left 3 places
|
| 4 | balance the ring
| |
| 4 | pass through to new waves ⁋
|
Can also make waves in B2 and balance those
waltz
by: Chris Page
introduces moves: poussette, meltdown swing
formation: improper
| A1 | 6 | half poussette - gentlespoons pull partners back then left
|
| 10 | neighbors swing
| |
| A2 | 8 | gentlespoons allemande left 1½
|
| 8 | partners start a half hey - rights on ends, lefts in center
| |
| B1 | 16 | partners meltdown swing
|
| B2 | 8 | ladles chain
|
| 8 | circle right 4 places ⁋
|
by: Chris Page
introduces moves: custom
formation: triple minor, triad formation
Take a standard proper triple minor. 1s and 2s cross over, and then 2s and 3s circle left 1/4. Chris describes it as 1s improper, 2s and 3s Becket. For more on Triad formation, see "TLC Tempest."
| A1 | 8 | balance & petronella [3]
|
| 8 | balance & petronella
| |
| A2 | 8 | balance & petronella [4]
|
| 8 | star left 3 places **3 Gentlespoons** [5]
| |
| B1 | 16 | grand right & left - partner right, left, right, partner left, right, left [6]
|
| B2 | 16 | partners meltdown swing [7] ⁋
|
http://chrispagecontra.awardspace.us/dances/index.htm#whirlpool
[1] Starting formation: Take a standard proper triple minor. Ones and twos cross over, and then twos and threes circle left 1/4. I describe it as ones improper, twos and threes Becket. For more on Triad formation, see "TLC Tempest."
[2] Twos and threes progress up, staying with each other, but swapping sides as they travel up. Ones progress down past two couples.
End effects at the top: Every third time through the dance, two couples get spit out at the top. The both wait out improper, one below the other. One will get in the next time, the other will have to wait until the time after that.
End effects at the bottom: Couples just wait out on the sides, Becket-like, for a full hands-six to form. Since this is double progression, there shouldn't be any couples at the bottom accidentally trapped there forever.
[3] All six. For the petronella turn, everyone move one position to their right.
[4] Everyone is now progressed. All the remaining moves finish where they started.
[5]Menease out of the star a tiny bit early so everyone's facing their partner around the circle of six.
[6] Within the group of six.
[7] Or balance and swing. After the swing, ones face down. Twos and threes face uppish and across, having swapped sides.There's no need to mention who are twos and threes. Just call them "side couples".
After testing "Because It Was There," I realized a grand right and left was a good thing to put in a regular-length contra. This was the result, which worked surprisingly well. It's also helped by a low piece count.
by: Gene Hubert
introduces moves: slide along set
formation: Becket
| A1 | 2 | slide left along set ⁋
|
| 6 | circle left 3 places
| |
| 8 | neighbors swing
| |
| A2 | 8 | long lines forward & back
|
| 8 | ladles chain
| |
| B1 | 16 | ladles start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
|
| B2 | 16 | partners balance & swing
|