Baltimore Wednesday 2026-05-20

user: Luke Schoppert

Phoebe's Becket

by: Linda Leslie

introduces moves: down the hall, up the hall, circle, pass through, do si do, swing, allemande

formation: becket

Start in short lines four with dancers next to their partner, as though following a partner swing, and ending to face down the hall.

A1 8
down the hall and turn as a couple
8
up the hall and bend into a ring
A2 6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through ⁋
8
next neighbors do si do once
B1 16
neighbors balance & swing
B2 8
ladles allemande right 1½
8
partners swing

Once More With Feeling

by: Isaac Banner

introduces moves: balance, box the gnat, petronella

formation: improper

A1 4
neighbors balance right hand
4
neighbors box the gnat
8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
A2 16
partners balance & swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
B2 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella and turn to face new neighbors

Parmesan

by: Bradley Smith

introduces moves: hey, chain, star

formation: improper

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1½
8
gentlespoons start a half hey - lefts in center, rights on ends
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

Dance All Night

by: Rich Mohr

introduces moves: long lines, custom

formation: four face four

Have dancers note their "trail buddies" and who their corners are. The two dancers in the middle of the line of 4 are corners and the dancers at the ends have their corners in front of them.

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
corners swing
A2 8
ladles star right once
8
corners allemande left 1.25
B1 10
partners pull by right for grand right and left until they meet their partner
6
partners do si do once
B2 16
partners balance & swing and end facing new lines of 4 ⁋

In the grand right and left dancers end up traveling half way around the circle.

Halloween's Twisted Heart

by: Koren Wake

introduces moves: custom, promenade, gyre

formation: improper

A1 4
face neighbor; ladles back up across the set, gentlespoons follow their neighbors
12
neighbors swing
A2 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B1 8
partners promenade
8
ladles chain
B2 8
star left 4 places ⁋
8
neighbors gyre once

Halloween Twist by Melanie Axel-Lute meets Chris Page's iconic Heart of Joy eye contact pull across the set into a swing.

If your dancers aren't familiar with Heart of Joy, you can practice this with hands -- it's really just a circle left 2 places then swing your neighbor on the other side of the set, but coming from the right gyre it's much better without hands!

Bob the Surfer

by: Dugan Murphy

introduces moves: form long waves, box circulate

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors allemande right 1½
B2 0
form long waves - gentlespoons face in, ladles face out
8
balance & box circulate - gentlespoons cross while ladles loop right
8
balance & box circulate - ladles cross while gentlespoons loop right, look to next neighbors

Tica Tica Timing

by: Dean Snipes

introduces moves: slide along set

formation: Becket

A1 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
neighbors promenade
8
ladles chain
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
B2 14
partners balance & swing
2
slide left along set ⁋

Julian Bee notes that swapping the promenade for a R+L Thru is Linda Leslie's "Old Time Elixir #2", written in 1998. It's unclear when Dean wrote TTT, so both deserve a cross-reference. https://contradb.com/dances/474

Invisible Birds

by: Luke Schoppert

introduces moves: mad robin, allemande orbit, meltdown swing

formation: indecent

A1 8
mad robin, gentlespoons in front
8
gentlespoons start a half hey - lefts in center, rights on ends - ladles ricochet turning to face partner
A2 2
partners allemande right ¼
6
gentlespoons allemande left once around while the ladles orbit clockwise ½ around
2
neighbors allemande right ½
6
ladles allemande left once around while the gentlespoons orbit clockwise ½ around
B1 16
partners meltdown swing
B2 8
ladles chain and roll away
8
mad robin, gentlespoons in front, continue to new neighbors

riff on Al Green's Heavenly Bodies, inspired by a Rockville manhole cover

Timing is tight. Saner version forthcoming maybe

Zag it Back

by: Jacqui Grennan

introduces moves: slice, zig zag

formation: Becket

A1 8
slice left and straight back ⁋
8
ladles allemande left 1½
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
6
neighbors zig left zag right
4
shadows allemande left once
B2 16
partners balance & swing

The timing is fuzzy in the B1 but it does all fit.

Barack Me, Obamadeus

by: Maia McCormick

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors meltdown 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
partners promenade
6
circle right 3 places
2
pass through by the left ⁋

Written for Brooklyn Contra on 8/4/17, which is Obama's birthday, hence the title. Smooth dance with a hey-like figure up/down the set and a satisfying promenade > circle right transition.

Vallimont's Silver Hammer

by: Luke Donforth

introduces moves: square through

formation: Becket

A1 2
slide left along set ⁋
6
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
A2 8
neighbors promenade
8
ladles chain to partner
B1 8
square through two - neighbors balance & pull by right, then partners pull by left along
8
shadows do si do once
B2 16
partners balance & swing