Charlotte 7/12

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.

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

Sometimes, that's all you have to say.

Bob Fab notes: While it does not have waves at the sides, it has them in the middle so you can use it when the hall is too short for everyone to be in the same waves.

It is an excellent dance for incorporating a large group of beginners, because you hardly ever are without someone in your hand, and the storyline is nice.

/+ along the set is still within the minor set. After the chain you're on the same side of the set as your partner.

Martha Wild notes: I usually call the whole A2 sequence “orbit”. This dance requires space along the lines for the chain up and down. I like the half square through into ladles chain up and down transition - bit of a surprise at first.

This dance was written in honor of the late great physicist Richard Feynman, who taught at Cal Tech. There were only two questions on his Quantum Mechanics final exam - the first was “Consider hydrogen.” Of course, if you really look at this dance, perhaps it should be called “Consider Helium” or at least consider helium without the neutrons.... But that is hard on helium, so after a brief attempt at fusion (after building up spin energy in the do-si-do and allemande right), the combined orbits undergo fission and we’re back to hydrogen atoms in balance and swing your partner. By the way, the second question was “Do something elegant.”

a request was made on the Contra Callers facebook group for any easy dances with balances halfway through both A1 and A2. Yoyo wrote this and commented it on the Facebook thread on October 23, 2019.

Intended to make a left-hand chain feel good, to be accessible to new dancers, and to have flow that facilitates positional calling. Tested at Dance, Music and Spice Week (Camp Cavell 2019), where dancer Ruth Scodel said that it reminded her why she fell in love with contra dancing.

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."

A variation of the dance Old Time Elixir by Mike Boerschig.