Dances I've written
Two nights ago I dreamed about calling a few dances at a big contra weekend. I woke up yesterday and wrote part of Screen Door Slam. Today I woke up wanting to finish it, and ended up going in a slightly different direction- Come in and Shut the Door. Then I went back and fixed another dance I wrote in December of last year, that hadn't worked right, Just a Dream?, and I'm copying in the first dance I wrote, Castles Burning, just for good measure.
Castles Burning
September 2006
Becket
(1's) l G x X a A
(2's) M w O o B b
A1: Partners box the gnat (4) and swing (10) slide left (2)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
(couples are now out on the ends)
A2: Ladies chain across (8)
M |o G|b X| a
w |O l|B x| A
(couples on the end line up as for an improper dance to come back in)
Right hand star (with partner and new neighbors, come back in at the ends) once around (8)
M o|G b|X a
w O|l B|x A
B1: Men turn in over your left shoulder almost all the way around- (couples on the ends are back out) to find your old neighbor diagonally across the set,
men allemande left all the way, (8)
M |o G|b X| a
w |O l|B x| A
then scoop up your neighbor's wife
M| o-G b-X |a
| / / |
w| O-l B-x |A
and Star promenade 1 place with a butterfly whirl (8)
to end facing your partner up or down the set
M |G l|X x| a
w |o O|b B| A
B2: Pull by your partner with the right (4)
M l G x X a
w O o B b A
into a Left hand star all the way around (back in at the ends!) (8)
M l|G x|X a
w O|o B|b A
(unless you are coming in from the ends you should be in a different star than your partner)
Take your partner by the right and balance (4)
M l G x X a
w O o B b A
Note: see how couples on the end will slide around to the left at the end of A1:
w M l G x X
O o B b A a
-completing the progression.
A nice little dance- even if you are out, you will always come back in to swing your partner.
****
Come in and Shut the Door
4/14/07
Becket
(1's) l G x X a A
(2's) M w O o B b
A1: Ladies allemande right once around (8)
Men give your partner a little courtesy turn/butterfly whirl back home (8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
A2: Circle right 3 places, (6)
M l|O x|B a
w G|o X|b A
partners step in and turn away from each other, touching shoulders, to face a new couple (2)
(couples should be out on the ends)
M |l O|x B| a
w |G o|X b| A
Men 1/2 chain up and down the set, ladies give their new neighbor a courtesy turn (8)
M |l G|x X| a
w |O o|B b| A
B1: Right hand star 3 places (8)
M |G o|X b| a
w |l O|x B| A
Ladies chain across the star (to their partners on the side,) courtesy turn(8)
M |l G|x X| a
w |O o|B b| A
B2: Partners left shoulder gypsy, meltdown into a quick swing (16)
Notes: Couples will go out and come in at the middle of A2.
While the dance starts off in Becket position, dancers should switch on the ends to
come back into the dance indecent, i.e. ladies on the men's left side.
(In the A1 I'm not sure what to call the little courtesy turn, and I am probably giving a bit too much time for it, but if folks come in early on the A2 I'm thinking that will just give them a little more leeway to make the cozy little shoulder bumping turn alone thingy with their partner.)
****
Just a Dream?
4/14/07
duple improper
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A1: active/#1 partners gypsy meltdown (16)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A2: 4 in a line, down the hall, (4)
w o b
G X A
l x a
M O B
#1's arch, 2's dive through, up the hall (6)
G X A
w o b
M O B
l x a
bend the line (2)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
inactive/#2 partners balance and (4)
B1: inactive/#2 partners swing (8)
hands four, balance the circle (4) circle L (1 & a) 1/2 (4)
M l O x B a
w G o X b A
B2: circle L 1 (& a 1/2) (8) balance the circle (4)
M l O x B a
w G o X b A
partners California twirl (4)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a
****
Screen Door Slam
4/14/07
duple improper 1 2 1 2 1 2
up G w X o A b down
l M x O a B
A1: Men chain across (right hands on left diagonal,)
Ladies give them a courtesy turn (8)
M w O o B b
l G x X a A
Men take right hands and balance, allemande right 1/2 (pull-by) (6)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A2: Neighbors swing (2 + 8)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a
Long lines dance forward and back (8)
B1: Ladies chain across, courtesy turn (8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
Partners gypsy & meltdown (8 + 8 in B2)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
B2: (Partners swing for first 8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
Ladies allemande right 1 ½ (8)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a
Castles Burning
September 2006
Becket
(1's) l G x X a A
(2's) M w O o B b
A1: Partners box the gnat (4) and swing (10) slide left (2)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
(couples are now out on the ends)
A2: Ladies chain across (8)
M |o G|b X| a
w |O l|B x| A
(couples on the end line up as for an improper dance to come back in)
Right hand star (with partner and new neighbors, come back in at the ends) once around (8)
M o|G b|X a
w O|l B|x A
B1: Men turn in over your left shoulder almost all the way around- (couples on the ends are back out) to find your old neighbor diagonally across the set,
men allemande left all the way, (8)
M |o G|b X| a
w |O l|B x| A
then scoop up your neighbor's wife
M| o-G b-X |a
| / / |
w| O-l B-x |A
and Star promenade 1 place with a butterfly whirl (8)
to end facing your partner up or down the set
M |G l|X x| a
w |o O|b B| A
B2: Pull by your partner with the right (4)
M l G x X a
w O o B b A
into a Left hand star all the way around (back in at the ends!) (8)
M l|G x|X a
w O|o B|b A
(unless you are coming in from the ends you should be in a different star than your partner)
Take your partner by the right and balance (4)
M l G x X a
w O o B b A
Note: see how couples on the end will slide around to the left at the end of A1:
w M l G x X
O o B b A a
-completing the progression.
A nice little dance- even if you are out, you will always come back in to swing your partner.
****
Come in and Shut the Door
4/14/07
Becket
(1's) l G x X a A
(2's) M w O o B b
A1: Ladies allemande right once around (8)
Men give your partner a little courtesy turn/butterfly whirl back home (8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
A2: Circle right 3 places, (6)
M l|O x|B a
w G|o X|b A
partners step in and turn away from each other, touching shoulders, to face a new couple (2)
(couples should be out on the ends)
M |l O|x B| a
w |G o|X b| A
Men 1/2 chain up and down the set, ladies give their new neighbor a courtesy turn (8)
M |l G|x X| a
w |O o|B b| A
B1: Right hand star 3 places (8)
M |G o|X b| a
w |l O|x B| A
Ladies chain across the star (to their partners on the side,) courtesy turn(8)
M |l G|x X| a
w |O o|B b| A
B2: Partners left shoulder gypsy, meltdown into a quick swing (16)
Notes: Couples will go out and come in at the middle of A2.
While the dance starts off in Becket position, dancers should switch on the ends to
come back into the dance indecent, i.e. ladies on the men's left side.
(In the A1 I'm not sure what to call the little courtesy turn, and I am probably giving a bit too much time for it, but if folks come in early on the A2 I'm thinking that will just give them a little more leeway to make the cozy little shoulder bumping turn alone thingy with their partner.)
****
Just a Dream?
4/14/07
duple improper
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A1: active/#1 partners gypsy meltdown (16)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A2: 4 in a line, down the hall, (4)
w o b
G X A
l x a
M O B
#1's arch, 2's dive through, up the hall (6)
G X A
w o b
M O B
l x a
bend the line (2)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
inactive/#2 partners balance and (4)
B1: inactive/#2 partners swing (8)
hands four, balance the circle (4) circle L (1 & a) 1/2 (4)
M l O x B a
w G o X b A
B2: circle L 1 (& a 1/2) (8) balance the circle (4)
M l O x B a
w G o X b A
partners California twirl (4)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a
****
Screen Door Slam
4/14/07
duple improper 1 2 1 2 1 2
up G w X o A b down
l M x O a B
A1: Men chain across (right hands on left diagonal,)
Ladies give them a courtesy turn (8)
M w O o B b
l G x X a A
Men take right hands and balance, allemande right 1/2 (pull-by) (6)
G w X o A b
l M x O a B
A2: Neighbors swing (2 + 8)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a
Long lines dance forward and back (8)
B1: Ladies chain across, courtesy turn (8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
Partners gypsy & meltdown (8 + 8 in B2)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
B2: (Partners swing for first 8)
l G x X a A
M w O o B b
Ladies allemande right 1 ½ (8)
w G o X b A
M l O x B a