Bellarmine Contra Dance copy

user: Nicholas Rockstroh

Table of Contents

  1. Broken Sixpence by Don Armstrong
  2. Reel Easy by Cary Ravitz
  3. Butter by Gene Hubert

  4. Aw Shucks (not found on contraDB)
  5. Star Trek by Mike Richardson

  6. Catch Em On the Fly (not found on ContraDB)
  7. Rod's Grits by Bill Olson
  8. Delphiniums and Daisies by Tanya Rotenberg
  9. Roll in the Hey by Roger Diggle
  10. Too Hot to Trot var. by Eric Black
  11. Basic Becket by Mattie Rynkiewicz

    No Swinging
  12. Giant Robot Dance by Linda Leslie

    double progression, 2 neighbor swings and a partner swing
  13. Don't Have to Walk but You Can Dance by Luke Donforth
  14. The Merry-Go-Round (Das Ringelspiel) by Heiner Fischle
  15. Like I've Known You Forever by Devin J. Pohly

  16. Nicholas's Section
  17. Contra Essentialism by Nicholas Rockstroh
  18. Family Contra by Sherry Nevins
  19. Jefferson And Liberty variation by Nicholas Rockstroh
  20. The Baby Rose by David Kaynor
  21. Autumn Air by Cary Ravitz
  22. Heartbreak Contra by Dugan Murphy


Database

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Validation

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Broken Sixpence

by: Don Armstrong

introduces moves: do si do, swing, down the hall, up the hall, circle, star

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 ⁋

Reel Easy

by: Cary Ravitz

introduces moves: long lines, allemande, pull by dancers

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles allemande right 1½
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
6
neighbors allemande right once
2
neighbors pull by right to next neighbors ⁋

https://www.dance.ravitz.us/#re :

To change from a Becket dance to Reel Easy in a medley, change Reel Easy's first figure to circle left 3/4. From a counter-clockwise Becket dance, change it to men allemande left 1+1/2.

The second half of B2 can be danced as neighbors allemande right 1+1/4, walk straight forward to (A1) do-si-do the next. But I think it is more fun to allemande right 1, lean back a bit, and pull by.

YouTube, 2, MRD

Butter

by: Gene Hubert

introduces moves: slide along set, chain, hey

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

http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern/437-butter-by-gene-hubert-becket

Aw Shucks (not found on contraDB)

Star Trek

by: Mike Richardson

introduces moves: pass by

formation: Becket

A1 8
star right - hands across - 4 places
8
ladles chain after gentlespoons drop
A2 16
ladles start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
B1 4
ladles pass by right shoulders
12
partners swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
star right - hands across - 4 places then slide left ⁋

Catch Em On the Fly (not found on ContraDB)

Rod's Grits

by: Bill Olson

introduces moves: box the gnat, right left through, promenade, pass through

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
8
star right - wrist grip - 4 places
A2 8
right left through
8
ladles do si do 1½
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
partners promenade
6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋

Delphiniums and Daisies

by: Tanya Rotenberg

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande left 1½
8
ladles chain
A2 16
ladles start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends
B1 16
partners long swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors allemande right 1½ ⁋

Written in 1985 for the 20th anniversary of her parents' wedding, these being their wedding flowers.

Roll in the Hey

by: Roger Diggle

formation: improper

A1 8
circle left 4 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
B2 16
ladles start a full hey - rights in center, lefts on ends turn away from this neighbor to a new neighbor to progress

Too Hot to Trot var.

by: Eric Black

introduces moves: gyre, balance the ring

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
ladles chain to partners
8
ladles gyre once in the center
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
pass through ⁋

Basic Becket

by: Mattie Rynkiewicz

No Swinging

introduces moves: custom, poussette

formation: Becket

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
long lines slice left & back ⁋
A2 8
circle left 4 places
8
partners do si do once
B1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
half poussette - ladles pull neighbors back then left
B2 8
neighbors do si do once
8
half poussette - gentlespoons pull neighbors back then left ⁋

can be called positionally

Giant Robot Dance

by: Linda Leslie

double progression, 2 neighbor swings and a partner swing

introduces moves: give & take

formation: Becket

double progression

A1 6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋
8
neighbors do si do once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
next neighbors swing ⁋
B2 4
gentlespoons give & take partners
12
partners swing

"Written for Dance Flurry, 2009 and the Band!" - Linda

Don't Have to Walk but You Can Dance

by: Luke Donforth

introduces moves: California twirl

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
neighbors promenade
8
ladles allemande right 1½
B1 16
partners balance & swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
partners California twirl ⁋

The Merry-Go-Round (Das Ringelspiel)

by: Heiner Fischle

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
long lines forward & back
8
circle left 3 places
B1 8
partners do si do once
8
partners swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋

Like I've Known You Forever

by: Devin J. Pohly

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.

Nicholas's Section

Contra Essentialism

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

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.

Family Contra

by: Sherry Nevins

introduces moves: balance

formation: improper or proper

Begin joined hands four

A1 4
balance the ring
4
balance the ring
8
circle left 4 places
A2 4
balance the ring
4
balance the ring
8
circle right 4 places
B1 8
neighbors do si do once
8
partners do si do once (across the set)
B2 16
neighbors do si do 1½ as couples (holding partner's hand) ⁋

Jefferson And Liberty variation

by: Nicholas Rockstroh

formation: improper

A1 8
circle left 4 places
8
circle right 4 places
A2 8
star right 4 places
8
star left 4 places
B1 16
neighbors balance & swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ones swing and face next neighbors ⁋

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 ⁋

Autumn Air

by: Cary Ravitz

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

Heartbreak Contra

by: Dugan Murphy

introduces moves: petronella

formation: improper

A1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
pass through ⁋