St Louis, MO 2025-06-29

user: Nicholas Rockstroh

The Baby Rose

by: David Kaynor

introduces moves: swing, circle, do si do, chain, star

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

Contra Essentialism

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

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.

Balance and Cross

by: Rick Mohr

introduces moves: balance the ring, pass by, down the hall, up the hall, hey

formation: improper

A1 4
balance the ring
2
gentlespoons pass by right shoulders
10
partners swing, end facing down in lines of four
A2 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
B1 4
balance the ring
2
ladles pass by right shoulders
10
neighbors swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles start a half hey - rights in center, lefts on ends - and look for next neighbors

Rick notes, "A straightforward dance with good symmetry and timing."

Sometimes, that's all you have to say.

Dip and Dive

by: unknown

introduces moves: custom

formation: square dance

A1 2
active couple lead right
6
circle left 4 places with right-hand couple
8
circle right 4 places
A2 16
dip and dive
B1 8
ones swing
8
actives lead through lonesome couple
B2 8
actives cast back to home
8
partners swing

Middle Break

by: Bob Isaacs

introduces moves: custom

formation: Square Break

A1 6
neighbors allemande left once
10
grand right and left
A2 8
partners do si do once
8
partners swing
B1 6
neighbors allemande left once
10
grand right and left
B2 8
partners do si do once
8
partners swing

An Arm and a Leg (John Coffman) variation

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

introduces moves: promenade

formation: Becket

Look at the dancers on their left diagonal. These are next neighbors. The dancers across from you are prev neighbors.

A1 8
partners promenade and loop to next neighbors
8
ladles chain
A2 8
star left 4 places, then with prev neighbors
8
star right 4 places, back to current neighbors
B1 16
neighbors balance & swing
B2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing

Replaced the diagonal right and left through with a promenade and loop, then moved the neighbors swing to the ones you chained with and switched from a meltdown to a balance.

Contra Currents

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: gate, figure 8

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing, face down the hall in a line of four
A2 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
4
up the hall
4
twos gate ones to face into the set
B1 8
ones half figure 8
8
ones swing and face down to new twos
B2 8
circle left 4 places with next neighbors
8
twos swing

waltz

Petronella Stompshake

by: Cherylyn Geers

introduces moves: petronella, custom

formation: scatter mixer

Hands four anywhere in the hall.

A1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
A2 8
star left - wrist grip - 4 places
8
star right - wrist grip - 4 places
B1 16
neighbors balance & swing
B2 16
neighbors scatter promenade

Based on Petronella Milkshake but shifts the petronellas to A1 and takes out the circles in favor of the Stomp transition of petronellas to stars.

I like wrist grip here for scalability if some couples end up with hands more than four. That also opens up the possibility of one massive star at the end, à la Bob Isaacs at the end of Cold Pig/Warm Mud.

Fatal Attraction

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: slice, roll away, custom

formation: Becket

A1 4
slice left ⁋
4
gentlespoons roll away partners on way back
6
circle right 3 places
2
first gentlespoons roll away neighbor [1]
A2 4
Ones go forward; pivot counterclockwise 90 degrees; fall back. Meanwhile, Twos go backwards; loop one position counterclockwise around group of four [2]
4
Twos go forward; pivot counterclockwise 90 degrees; fall back. Meanwhile, Ones go backwards; loop one position counterclockwise around group of four
4
Ones go forward; pivot counterclockwise 90 degrees; fall back. Meanwhile, Twos go backwards; loop one position counterclockwise around group of four
4
Twos go forward; pivot counterclockwise 90 degrees; fall back. Meanwhile, Ones go backwards; loop one position counterclockwise around group of four
B1 16
neighbors balance & swing
B2 6
circle left 3 places
10
partners swing

1) At the end of A1, first gentlespoons are on their original side when they do the roll away. After the roll away, all gentlespoons are above the ladles.
2) In the A2, every four beats is the positional equivalent of a circle right 1/4. It'll feel sort of ricochet-hey-like, and you're always looking at your partner.

Kimmswick Express

by: Gene Hubert

introduces moves: custom, pass through, balance

formation: square dance

A1 8
Heads forward & back
8
right left through Heads
A2 6
circle left 3 places Heads
2
pass through to face Sides
8
neighbors do si do 1¼ to a wave of 4 (2 ladles in the middle by the left, neighbor right)
B1 4
balance right & left
2
neighbors allemande right ½
2
gentlespoons allemande left ½
8
partners swing
B2 16
partners promenade along the set on the right to home

balance and swing break

~ ~ ~

Winter in Summerland

by: Jeff Spero & James Hutson

introduces moves: form an ocean wave, custom, gyre

formation: Becket

A1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
pass through to an ocean wave & balance - ladles by left in the center, neighbors by right on the sides
B1 4
dance forward to next neighbor ⁋
4
neighbors gyre ½
8
three-quarters hey (gentlespoons by left in the center)
B2 16
partners balance & swing