Russellville Grange 2026-05-15

Repeat for side couples, then all four ladles and all four gentlespoons. The transition from star to grand right and left is a challenge for beginning square dancers and provides an opportunity for the "team" to be successful. Introduction and ending are caller's choice.

Barn dance dancers have not been quick enough to star right then left, so we've just gone "one direction." See Barn Dance Variation for simpler version.

Patter:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
ladles to the center and back to the bar, gentlespoons to the center for a right hand star
(1 2 3 4) back by the left don't go too far
(1 2) pass your partner pick up the next for a star promenade
(1 2 3 4) now gentlespoons back out & ladles go in
once and a half &you're gone again (5 6 7 8)
(1 2 3 4) now ladles back out, ladles go in
turn & a half & you're gone again (5 6 7 8)
(1 2 3 4) now break that star, everyone swing
(1 2 3 4) promenade til you get back home

from Wade Pearson, who notes "when you have dancers who are sharp, you can call this 1ce with gentlespoons as the first star, then a 2nd time with ladles as the first star for the opposite star promenade

Chris's notes:

"Written at the A-1 Diner in Gardiner, ME October 24th, 2008. Called for the first time that same evening at the North Whitefield contra dance. I was looking for a good dance to go either before the break or at the end of the evening. The dance is simple enough for the dancers and lets the band rock with an energetic tune set. Plus it ends with a partner swing without any changes from the caller. Call it in duple improper formation starting with the A2 for a more standard experience."

If not progressing, ladle twirl back to "outside".

Via Alan Winston, as I wanted a dance featuring rollaways, but without choreography inaccessible to a room full of first-time dancers.

Alan notes: you might get to your goal with this dance which barely has choreography (La Guaracha, from "Companion to the Ballroom" 1827, here from the Community Dances Manuals):

That A1 is balance and roll away (with gentlespoon not half-sashaying); four times gets everybody home.

For a barn dance where you can't rely on everybody being able to do a traveling waltz, you can easily adapt this in multiple ways;

first off, sub a promenade for the waltz, or sub a circle left and promenade home.

second, you can just make it duple meter if you prefer, and then make it balance and swing and promenade.

Third, you can change it to be roll away with a half sashay, and it's more important to reach your partner than to get home on the rollaways; the promenade takes care of that.

Fourth, change the figure to
1st time: all balance, ladles roll left to right in front of gentlespoons (start crossing neighbor) 4x
2nd time: all balance, gentlespoons roll left to right in front of ladles
(start partner)
(For ONS you might be fine just repeating those two times, but if you're a little ambitious ... 3rd time: all balance, roll left to right 2x, / all balance, gentlespoons roll left to right 2x, meet partner on other side ...

Anyway, it's barely choreography but it gives you roll away practice in square formation without having to do heads or sides.