Miscellaneous Contra Dances

Notes | Dances


Notes

These are dances that I think should be published, but they have no specific attribution so there is no obvious place to put them. So here is my page of miscellaneous dances. Cary Ravitz

This page is maintained by Cary Ravitz.

Last modified 5:54 PM, 16 Apr 2011 - File size 6K - Count 1892

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Dances

Berea Spring Gypsy
Box the Gnat Contra Variation
Country Doctor's Reel Variation
The Green Eyed Girl Variation
Shades of Shadrack Variation
WarmUp

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Berea Spring Gypsy                          workshop at Berea KY  4-03

Improper contra

Start with the final figure, neighbors swing, to put the twos in the
middle, everyone facing down.

A1 - Go down the hall with twos in the middle (5).
   - Turn as a couple (3).
   - Come back up (5).
   - Ones cast around the twos (3).

A2 - Ones half figure eight around the twos (8).
   - Ones face down, twos face up.
   - With a new couple gypsy for four 3/4 (8) (star right without
     hands).

B1 - Partners gypsy and swing (16).

B2 - Men allemande left 1+1/2 (8).
   - Neighbors swing and end facing down (8).

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Box the Gnat Contra Variation                        Becky Hill, et al

Improper contra

A1 - Neighbors join men's right hand and ladies' left hand.
   - Balance and star through (twirl to swap) (8).
   - Partners join men's right hand and ladies' left hand.
   - Balance and star through (8)

A2 - Neighbors balance and swing (16).

B1 - Circle left 3/4 (8).
   - Partners swing (8).

B2 - Right and left through across (8).
   - Ladies chain across (8).

Dances


Country Doctor's Reel Variation                    Merilee Karr, et al

Improper contra

A1 - Balance and spin to a line across, men in the middle facing out,
     ladies on the ends facing in (8).
   - Balance and spin to contra lines, men facing up, ladies facing
     down (8).

A2 - Balance and spin to a line across, men on the ends facing in,
     ladies in the middle facing out (8).
   - Neighbors allemande right 1+1/2 (8).

B1 - Men allemande left 1/2 (2).
   - Partners swing (14).

B2 - Right and left through across (8).
   - Ladies chain across (8).

Dances


The Green Eyed Girl Variation                         Jim Kitch, et al

Becket

A1 - Circle left (8).
   - Hand across star left (8).

A2 - Men drop out and loop to the right to face in while ladies
     allemande left 1 (4).
   - (Same set of four) partners pull by by the right (2).
   - (Same set of four) men pull by by the left (2).
   - Neighbors swing (8).

B1 - Right and left through across (8).
   - On the right diagonal, only if there is someone there, ladies
     chain (8).

B2 - Partners balance and swing (16).

Dances


Shades of Shadrack Variation                        Gene Hubert, et al

Becket

A1 - Circle left (8).
   - Partners do-si-do 1+1/4 to a wavy line across (8).

A2 - Balance (4).
   - Men allemande left 1/2 (4).
   - Neighbors swing (8).

B1 - Right and left through across (8).
   - On the right diagonal, only if there is someone there, ladies
     chain (8).

B2 - Partners balance and swing (16).

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WarmUp                      Jerry Blum, Patti Gutwein, John Lenarduzz,
                           Kathryn C. Millis, Josh Moses, Dave Notman,
                                   Bill Olson, Kate Power, Cary Ravitz
                                  at Winter WarmUp, Columbus OH  12-10

Double improper contra

A1 - Lines of four go forward and back (8).
   - Up and down in sets of four, ladies pass right to start a 1/2 hey
     (8).

A2 - In the set of eight, ladies star right 1/2 (6).
   - First neighbors swing and end facing across (10).

B1 - Across in sets of four, men allemande left 1+1/2 (8).
   - Second neighbors swing and end facing up and down (8).

B2 - Up and down in sets of four, circle left 3/4 (8).
   - Partners swing and end facing your original direction (8).

Alternate A1

A1 - Lines of four go forward and back and the two couples with the
     men on the outside roll away with a half sashay so that men are
     in the middle (8).
   - Up and down in sets of four, dancers on the right (lady who did
     not roll away, man who did a half sashay) pass right to start a
     1/2 hey (8).

The alternate A1 puts the lady who did a roll away into a better
position to start the star right. This is obviously harder to teach,
but maybe more interesting to dance.

Dances