This post was migrated from a collection of contra dances I wrote. The post date is mostly accurate, but the post time is not.

Difficulty

medium

Comment

Are you a swinger? This is a relatively “normal” contra dance with extra swinging.

Position

improper

Progression

single

Choreography

A1

16 beats: balance and swing neighbor

A2

4 beats: balance ring

4 beats: petronella

8 beats: swing partner

B1

16 beats: hey, starting with women passing right shoulders

B2

6 beats: circle left ¾

10 beats: swing your neighbor, ending back to back

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This post was migrated from a collection of contra dances I wrote. The post date is mostly accurate, but the post time is not.

Difficulty

medium

Comment

This dance focuses on near-continuous turning without breaking pace.

Position

improper

Progression

single

Choreography

A1

4 beats: circle left ½

4 beats: right hand star ½

8 beats: ½ hey, starting with women passing left shoulders

A2

16 beats: gypsy and swing partner

B1

16 beats: hey, starting with men passing left shoulders

B2

6 beats: circle left ¾

6 beats: left hand star ¾

4 beats: petronella

2 beats: pass through

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This post was migrated from a collection of contra dances I wrote. The post date is mostly accurate, but the post time is not.

Difficulty

extreme

Comment

Every progression the women move two and the men move one, so assuming you’re not at the end of the major set, you end up in a completely new set of four every time. Also, this dance has a backwards petronella, so it’s not for the faint of heart. Note: something can be a balance and half gypsy, balance and half do-si-do, balance and roll away with a half sashay, california twirl and double same-person pull-by, balance and half allemande, swing, or improv; the dancers choose.

Position

improper

Progression

mixed single and double

Choreography

A1

8 beats: swing neighbor

4 beats: California twirl partner

4 beats: petronella

A2

8 beats: something partner

8 beats: ½ hey, starting with men passing left shoulders

B1

4 beats: men roll away woman on left with a half sashay NB: this woman and the man who rolls her are now partners

8 beats: do-si-do partner

4 beats: backwards petronella

B2

4 beats: balance ring

8 beats: swing partner, ending facing up or down

4 beats: pass through up or down

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This post was migrated from a collection of contra dances I wrote. The post date is mostly accurate, but the post time is not.

Difficulty

easy

Position

improper

Progression

single

Choreography

A1

8 beats: left hand star

8 beats: circle left

A2

8 beats: gypsy neighbor

8 beats: ½ ladies’ chain

B1

16 beats: gypsy and swing partner

B2

8 beats: ½ ladies’ chain

8 beats: do-si-do neighbor

Read more…