Schedule Teaching PAST-COURSES
SeLo 2024g Plex 2024g
past SeLo
past LinA
past DfyQ
past Plex
past Abstract Algebra
past NT&Crypto
Combinatorics 2017-2018

Fonts
Articles Michael Dyck's Contradance Index
Michael Dyck's Contradance Index

Jonathan's dances Dances/Composers (contradance) Tunes/Bands (contradance)
L0 Contradance program L1 Contradance program L2 Contradance program L3 Contradance program L4 Contradance program L5 Contradance program


Navigation JK Top
Dances: Easy, Medium, Advancedish, 4Facing4, Squares, Tunes, Composers.
JK: DancesRecent ProgramsHouse contras Mathematics teaching.
Legacy pages: 2010, UFCC, 2011, 2012, 2013.
Dancing on a Moving Float: 2015:  Finding NEMO     2016: The Right Stuff
   2017:  The Unicorns missed the Boat     2018: Emerald Isle

Advancedish contra dances

Momentum by Jonathan King. (2018October)
[BECKET: Hands-in-long-lines-oval, face partner, look past; there is your shadow. Tune with energetic B1, B2. Wizard's Walk works well.]
End Effect: When you go out on the traveling turn, end reversed with the on the Left. After the shadow-swing, the partner-swing puts the on the Right.

[“Travel-left”: W.partner, traveling 2-hand-Clockwise-turn (or traveling-swing, or just Slide-L) to new nbrs, where...]
start a (L-shoulder) Full-hey(16).

[Halfway-] partner(4), swing shadow(12).

Partner swing on the side(8) [where you started].
Circle left halfway(4), roll away NBR [with a half sashay] across the set(4).


Circle left halfway, roll partner away [with a half sashay] along the Side(4+4). Circle left halfway(4), and Travel-left(4) along the set to face new nbrs.

Uses the second half of Orace Johnson's wonderful Du Quoin Races. Below is an Alternate version, where the start the hey.


Alt-[“Travel”: W.partner, traveling Counter-CW-2-hand-turn (or traveling-reverse-swing, or just Slide-L) to new nbrs, where...]
start a (usual R-shoulder) Full-hey(16).    [Then, as the comes back to place...]


Alt-... Left-shoulder [Halfway-] partner(4), swing shadow(12).
Not all Earthquakes are Andreas' Fault by Jonathan King. (July 2013)
[BECKET: The Earthquake! shakes you from the-one-you're-swinging to swinging-the-next. (Triple-Swing version, single-progression.)]
[Before becketizing: Id DIR-PROG. Pass through up-down, takes hands4 with the next; these are your current nbrs. Your Previous nbrs are behind you. Now BECKETIZE.]

Star-R 3-places(8). With new couple “your previous nbrs”, star-L all-the-way(8).

[Face orig. Nbr; ONEs down, TWOs up]  Square-Through [Nbr R-hand bal and pull-by(4+2); w.prtnr L-hand pull-by across(2); w.nbr R-hand bal and pull-by(4+2); w.prtnr pull-by across(2)], to face current nbr. In this Square-Through: always turn right, turn left.

Swing curr.nbr(8). “Earthquake! You swing the next!” Face away from the-one-you-swung, and swing the next(8) [in your Dir-Prog.].

Circle-left 3-places(8). Partner swing(8).

Written for my Cocoa Beach friend, Andreas. First called at his dance.
Apogee by Chris Page.
[BECKET: Contra-stretch, for orbit room.]
[J-promenade] Partner-promenade across, face-in, slide right to face a new couple(8). chain(8).
allemand-R 1.5, while orbit CCW halfway(8). Nbr swing(8).
GENTS L-hand chain(8) to partner [C.P recommends pull-by L, and allemand-R partner]. allemand-L 1.5, while orbit CW halfway(8).
Partner (8), and swing(8).
VideoCameraAlex Deis-Lauby | Chimney Swift.
Labor of Love by Kathy Anderson.
[IMPROPER: Alternating 1s/2s Contra Corners. Note DIR-PROG.]
Nbr bal&swing(4+12).
Long-lines(8). ONEs/TWOs R-hand balance across the set, Box-the-Gnat(4+4). [Gnat puts all the on one rail, on the other]
ONEs/TWOs turn Contra Corners(4+4+4+4).
ONEs/TWOs bal&swing(4+12); End that swing facing original Dir-Prog. [Push apart to step to opposite rails, to face a new nbr].
VideoCameraAdina Gordon | Crowfoot. In Quebec.
VideoCameraKaren Jackson | Playing with Fire.
Joyride by Erik Weberg.
[IMPROPER: Pousette.]
(8). Mad-Robin [ slides-left behind nbr- as she slides-right, all back to place](8).
Half-Pousette clockwise, start backing-up(8). start half-hey, passing L-shoulder with other (8). [ will end-up across the set.]
cross one more time, passing L-shoulders (4), to swing partner(12).
chain to nbr(8). Star-L all the way, to new nbrs(8).
Erik writes: “This is one of the most flowing dances I've written (2007...?) and dancers have expressed appreciation for the connectedness and satisfying feel. After the half pousette with partner, the women should let go and take a step back and to the left in order to leave room in the middle for the men to begin the hey. The timing of this dance has been described as squishy, which is ok. Encourage dancers to stretch out the Mad Robin, the Pousette and the Hey and use all the music provided.”.

VideoCameraRebecca Lay | Magic Foot.
Jenny hits a tree by Jessica Ritts & Tom Wimmer.
[BECKET: Challenging]
Circle-left 3-places and pass thru(6+2). New Allemand-L 1.5 (8).
[Full-hey ricochet] Pass partner by R-shoulder and immediately ricochet, hey across; hey across, ricochet (16).
Ring-bal, petronella(4+4). Ring-bal, petronella(4+4).
Partner bal&swing(4+12).
Carol James gave me this, in Sep.2017.

Circulate

Du Quoin Races by Orace Johnson.
[BECKET: Tune with distinct A1, contrasting with B2.]

Balance-ring, pass through to an ocean wave(4+4) [partner is in your R-hand]. Balance R-L again, allemand-R 3 places into long waves ( face in).

Balance R-L(4), circulate(4) [ cross, pivot into his partner's place] into new long-waves [ facing in]. Balance R-L(4), circulate(4) [ cross, pivot].

[short] Partner swing on the side(8) [where you started].
Circle left halfway(4), roll away NBR [with a half sashay] across the set(4).


Circle left halfway, roll partner away [with a half sashay] along the Side(4+4). Circle left halfway(4), and slide-left(4) along the set to face new nbrs.
There is extra time for the slide-left. Energetic couples can put in a traveling-2-hand turn, or a traveling-swing.

VideoCameraMartha Edwards | Playing with Fire. VideoCameraRobert Cromartie | Footloose.

Different

Polly-Wolly-Amorous by Joey Norton.
[BECKET, std-single-prog: Double-contra, 128 beats. If extra couple, they get on left diagonal. , your Hey-buddy=shadow, is the in your L-hand, when you becketized.]

Circle left 3-places(8), Nbr swing(8).
On left-diagonal, chain(8). [Straight across] start half-hey(8).
Bal&swing your Hey-buddy(4+12).
Long-lines(8). (Turn to face) Partner swing(8). [Couple out, swing Ptr who is across from you, but THEN Couple get on left-diagonal.]

Circle left 3-places(8), Nbr swing(8).
On Left-Diagonal, chain(8). [Straight across] start half-hey(8).
[Face Ptnr] Partner swing(8). Long-lines(8).
On Left-Diagonal, Rights-&-lefts(8). [Straight across] Rights-&-lefts(8).
Double Chocolate by Jim Kitch.
[INDECENT: Needs an even number of couples. ONEs stay ONEs, TWOs stay TWOs, the whole dance. You travel with your group-of-four. Now take hands-8, As, Bs, Cs, Ds. The A&B couples travel together DTHall. The C&D couples travel together UTHall. When C&D get to the top of the line, they're out for 1 cycle, then come back in as A&B.]

Corner, bal & swing: Ends with partner, middles with nbr, Bal&swing(4+12). (End in square formation; the ends are the heads.)
[everyone] In-to-the-center-and-back(8). Head- chain(8).
Four chain [R-hands-across star, halfway].  Side- chain(8+8).
HEADS cross-trail-through, and go around one [each A goes around one B; the As end up above the Bs](8). Long-lines(8).
VideoCameraGaye Fifer | Scarlet Runner String Band.
Across the Way by Chris Page.
[IMPROPER: Slip-jig music.]
NBR swing(12).
allemand-L [once around](6). [ keep allemanding, join behind their Ptnr, first time Ptnr passes, to form a] Hands-across star-L 3-places(6).
[ pull their R-shoulder back to] Partner swing(12) [on the 's home side].

chain(6). Crosstrails through(6).
Bugaboo by Chris Page.
[IMPROPER: Slip-jig. Teaching: Pass thru one couple; the couple-out stands reversed, with on Left.]
[Current nbr] NBR box-the-Gnat(3), then Pull-by-R(3).
[With] With prev.NBR: Swat-the-flea(3), then Pull-by-L(3).

[Back to curr.nbr] Current NBR swing(12).
cross the set by L-shoulder(3). Partner swing(9).
[Quick] -chain(6). Crosstrails though(6). [Pass ptr-R across the set, pass nbr-L along the set, to face New nbr. ]

Diamond dances

Steal This Dance by Alan Sklar.
[IMPROPER into a DIAMOND]
Long-lines(8). [New] allemand-L 1.5 (8). [New on L-diagonal.]
Partner bal&swing(4+12)
power-chain to NBR [courtesy turn with 2 extra steps to put facing each other in the middle; forms a diamond; #1- above](8). Balance-the-diamond, petronella (4+4).
Balance-the-diamond, petronella (4+4).
Diamond-balance(4), arch with NBR [“arch-twirl”]; stay put, twirl(4) [toward him, CCW, under his arm, ending to his right in long lines ( assist back to lines)].

VideoCameraDiane Silver | Hot Sonata.
I got this from Barbara Groh, babsgroh@gmail.com. Dance title refers to Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman.
Fiddleheads by Ted Sannella.
[IMPROPER into a DIAMOND] TEACHING NOTES: Hand-4, then #1- and #2- swing. I'm going to put you in the diamond formation. Hands-4, to the left, take one step; You've turned your ring 1/8-th. ONEs in the middle, G-facing-up L-facing-down, TWOs facing across. #1-, look behind you, up the hall, to the #1- in the previous diamond. That's where you need to be; #1-, drop hands to walk to her position, and take hands with that diamond.

END EFFECT: The progression is Nbr-swing, in B2. TWOs, who progressed off the top, you are still Twos; when the Ones cross, a #1- will join you to make a diamond, but with no #1-.
Next time through the music, you have become ONES. This newly-minted #1- needs to cross the set and arc left. He will be facing-up in a full diamond.


ONEs pass-across the set [R-shoulders], then arc-left around one person [G-around-G, L-around-L] into the middle of the set, #1- facing down, #1- facing up, and takes hands-4 (8). [As the ONEs arc, the TWOs can come together and then push back.]
  You form a diamond, #1- with his original twos, but #1- with the previous TWOs [who were above in the set]. Balance-the-ring, petronella (4+4).


Balance, petronella (4+4), with the ONEs doing an extra half-turn to face partner; swing!(8)

DTHall Line4, ONEs in the center, between the TWOs you started with. ONEs turn as a couple, TWOs turn alone (4+4).. UTHall Line4, ONEs hand-cast to below their TWOs (4+4).

[Hands-4]Circle left halfway [to original places], Nbr-swing on side (4+12). [Give yourself plenty of time to open out.]
VideoCameraTony Parkes | ?.
Goody One Shoe by Rick Mohr.
[BECKET: Double-progr. Diamond formation. Id ONEs/TWOs & home-side.]
Make sure there's a couple across from you.
walk fwd(4) to make wavy-line in the middle, bal-R-L(2+2).
[ stay put] “Rory-O, and (a little bit) More”

slide/spin to the right and 1/4 more(4) to end with #1 facing up, #2 facing down. [Form a diamond, not with partner; in middle and at the sides.] Balance the diamond(4).


“Petronella turn” one place to the right(4). [ to the middle ”, spin 1/4 more to a long wave of .] balance the wave(4). spin to the right (as in Rory O'More) and 1/4 more(4). [Form a diamond, with partner; in middle and at the sides]
Balance the diamond (4)


L-allemande 3/4 round(4) into a 3/4 Hey(12) [NBRs pass R-shoulders to start].
partner(8), then swing(8).
VideoCameraGeorge Marshall | ?.

Triplets

Melrosean Triplet by Jonathan King.
[Triplet, PROPER: abc
123
Letters are ,  diGits are .]

Circle-6-Right, halfway(8) 321
cba
.
THREEs star-L [with the couple below] halfway(4) bc1
23a
[and flow into a]
THREEs star-R [with the couple below] halfway(4), to end in handshake with partner across the set ba3
21c
.


Box-DoSiDo: [“meanwhile-move”: Bottom couple (the THREEs) Balance & Box-the-Gnat(4+4), while top two couples mirror-DoSiDo Ptnr, passing between the . (ONEs DoSi, TWOs see-saw).] bac
213
.
Lines fwd-and-back(8).

Middle-couple [ONEs] turn Contra Corners(4+4+4+4).
ONEs swing(8) [drifting down between the THREEs] while THREEs cast-up [“ONEs swing-down, THREEs cast-up”] bca
231
.
Everyone, dosido partner(8).

Done to contra music, this dance is challenging. Done to waltz music, each 2 contra-steps becomes a single waltz triple-step; e.g, a parenthetical (8) means four waltz triple-steps.    In waltz timing, for “Lines-fwd-and-back” I recommend going fwd on the R-diagonal (triple-step 1), fwd on L-diagonal (triple-step 2), then reversing for the remaining two triple-steps. With hands-joined, this is very satisfying.
Ted's Triplet #7 by Ted Sannella.
[Triplet, PROPER: Couples #1 (also called Active couple) #2#3]    abc
123

Top two couples turn partner by-the-R 1.5(8) 12c
ab3
. Top two couples rights-and-lefts across(8) bac
213
.

Active-couple [in middle place] turn contra-corners(4+4+4+4).

Active-couple bal&swing(4+12), end facing up, in middle bac
213
.

Original active-couple lead up to the top and cast [around the outside] to the bottom(8). [Other couples scootch up a bit] All dosido partner(8) bca
231
.

VideoCameraDave Bateman. Seq. can be clearly viewed a 1:15.
David's Triplet #4 by David Smukler.
[Triplet, ONEs Improper:] 1bc
a23

ONEs down the center to the bottom, separate, then up the outside to the middle place(8). All forward and back(8) b1c
2a3
.

All R-allemand partner once around and fall back to line(8).
All L-allemand partner 1.5(8) 2a3
b1c
.

CCW promenade single file [Indian file], half-way round(8) c1b
3a2
. Face partner and dosido(8).

All bal&swing partner(4+12), Top-couple end facing down, others up 3ab
c12
.