2026-06-09 Trolley Barn Prospective Program

user: Sam Whited

Midwest Folklore

by: Orace Johnson

introduces moves: slide along set, circle, do si do, swing

formation: Becket

A1 2
slide left along set ⁋
8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors do si do once
16
neighbors balance & swing
8
circle left 3 places
8
partners do si do once
16
partners balance & swing

Butter

by: Gene Hubert

introduces moves: long lines, 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

Birminghams

by: Gary Nelson

introduces moves: pass through, gyre, promenade, petronella

formation: Becket

A1 6
circle left 3 places
2
pass through
8
neighbors gyre left shoulders once
A2 8
neighbors promenade
8
ladles chain
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella
B2 16
partners balance & swing ⁋

Break

Al's Safeway Produce

by: Robert Cromartie

introduces moves: star, allemande

formation: improper

A1 8
star left - wrist grip - 4 places
8
neighbors allemande left 1½
A2 8
ladles allemande right 1½
8
partners swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
neighbors swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
star right - wrist grip - 4 places ⁋

Author's Notes:
The transition from left hand star to allemande left is especially nice if a New England style (hand on wrist) star is used. This is the only dance I can think of for which I specifically request that type of star in those parts of the country where the default is hands-across.
Unfortunately, the origin of the name is lost in the mists of time. All I can say is that "Al" is not Al Olson, although had I known who he is when I wrote this, it might have been. Composed sometime around 1989.

This dance is from William Watson's mirror of American Country Dances On Line
All rights reserved by the author; used by permission.
Added to database 9/14/1997; last revised 3/5/1999; edited by Russell Owen

Cows are Watching

by: Bill Pope and Judy Goldsmith

introduces moves: balance the ring, roll away, zig zag

formation: Becket ccw

A1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles allemande right 1½
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 4
balance the ring
4
gentlespoons roll away partners with a half sashay Across the set
8
zig left zag right ⁋
B2 8
gentlespoons allemande left once Next Gentlespoons, once and a bit
8
partners swing

The Amazing Sarah Wilcox

by: Tom Hinds

introduces moves: pass by, balance, California twirl

formation: progressed improper

from improper, trade places with neighbors and face back into the same group of 4

A1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
A2 8
circle left 3 places
8
neighbors swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
3
partners pass by right shoulders
3
neighbors pass by left shoulders
2
partners pass by right shoulders, stay facing out
B2 4
neighbors balance
4
gentlespoons roll away neighbors with a half sashay ⁋
4
next neighbors balance
4
next neighbors California twirl

Ellen's Yarns

by: Rick Mohr

introduces moves: right left through

formation: Becket

A1 8
right left through
8
star left 4 places, note shadow next to you
A2 8
right diagonal ladles chain
8
ladles chain across to shadow
B1 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella turning to face partners
B2 16
partners balance & swing

Rick's Notes:

"Ted Sannella was the first to use "Petronella turn" into "balance and swing" with someone from another ring, in his dance "Fiddleheads". This dance was written (before the craze for such dances!) to provide that experience for everyone rather than just the actives.

When starting the left-hand star in A1 it helps if the ladies take a look at the lady on the right diagonal so they know who to aim for when coming back around into the ladies chain.

When waiting out at the ends dancers should stand as a couple on the ladies' side of the set; in A2 they should participate in the ladies chain.

For Ellen Cohn of New Haven, Connecticut; raconteuse, natural dyer, gifted musician and singer, longtime Fiddlehead, and valued friend."

Lavender and Lilac

by: John Coffman

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors balance & swing
A2 8
gentlespoons allemande left 1½
8
partners swing
B1 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles chain
B2 8
balance & petronella
8
balance & petronella + (look for new neighbors) ⁋

Contra-Accordions

by: Bob Isaacs

formation: improper

A1 2
neighbors pass by right shoulders
6
next neighbors allemande left once
2
neighbors pass by right shoulders
6
prev neighbors allemande left once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 6
circle left 3 places
10
partners swing
B2 8
ladles chain
8
star left 4 places ⁋

M.A.D. About Dancing

by: Robert Cromartie

formation: improper

Starts in ocean waves, ladles in the middle taking left hands, neighbors taking right hands, 1s facing down

A1 4
balance wave right, then left
4
neighbors allemande right ½ (and reform wave with gentlespoons in the middle)
4
balance wave left, then right
4
gentlespoons allemande left once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places and step into original ocean wave ⁋
4
balance wave forward and back, and walk forward to new waves

The A1 balance LEFT then right is editorial; I think it flows better but as far as I can tell it wasn't specified in the original dance. (Also, experienced dancers often balance to the right here out of instinct, so either really emphasize the balance left or don't bother.)

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.

Frocks Rockin' Frolic

by: Will Mentor

introduces moves: see saw, give & take

formation: improper

A1 8
circle right 4 places
8
neighbors see saw once
A2 16
neighbors balance & swing
B1 8
ladles give & take partners
8
partners swing
B2 10
circle left 5 places zoomily
6
zig left zag right ⁋

Transcribed from memory, please test before calling for dancers.

3, 33-33

by: Steve Zakon-Anderson

introduces moves: pull by dancers, box the gnat

formation: improper

A1 4
1st neighbors balance & pull by right
4
2nd neighbors pull by left
8
3rd neighbors right hand balance & box the gnat
A2 4
3rd neighbors pull by right
4
2nd neighbors pull by left
8
1st neighbors swing
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
long lines forward & back
8
ladles do si do 1½ ⁋

Made Up Tonight

by: Erik Hoffman

introduces moves: arch & dive

formation: improper

A1 16
neighbors long swing
A2 8
ladles chain
8
ladles chain
B1 8
circle left 3 places
8
partners swing
B2 8
circle left 3 places
4
balance the ring
4
twos arch ones dive ⁋

Trip to Atlanta

by: John Nance

formation: improper

Double progression

A1 8
neighbors allemande right 1½
8
next neighbors swing
A2 8
next neighbors promenade
8
ladles chain
B1 2
neighbors pass by right shoulders
14
partners swing
B2 6
circle left 3 places
2
neighbors pass by right shoulders up and down ⁋
8
next neighbors do si do once

Most of the dance is out of the set with next neighbors. There's no way in contradb to do "Neighbor #1" or similar" so I repeatedly called them "next neighbors", but you're not finding new neighbors each time, they're the same next neighbors.