Miscellaneous Contra 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 5:21 PM, 7 May 2012 - File size 16K - Count 2310

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Dances

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

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Berea Spring Gypsy workshop at Berea KY 4-2003

Improper contra

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).

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Joyride Variation Erik Weberg, et al

Improper contra

A1 - Neighbors gypsy 1+1/2 (8).
- Men step forward and right to start a mad robin (8).

A2 - Ladies pull to start a 1/2 pousette (6).
- Ladies pass left (2);
- Partners pass right to start a 1/2 hey(8).

B1 - Partners gypsy and swing (16).

B2 - Right and left through across (8).
- Circle left 3/4 and pass through up and down (8).

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Pigtown Pousette Janet Bertog, Rachel E. Bolles, Trish Finn, Janet Levatin, John Morgan, Cary Ravitz, Josiah Roberts, Seth Tepfer at Pigtown Fling, Cincinnati OH 3-2012

Becket

A1 - Circle left 3/4 (8).
- Men pull to start a 1/2 pousette (4).
- Men form a long wavy line in the middle and balance (4).

A2 - With a new neighbor man, men allemande left 3/4 (4).
- (New) neighbors swing (12).

B1 - Men step forward and right to start a mad robin (8).
- Ladies pull to start a 1/2 pousette (4).
- Ladies form a long wavy line in the middle and balance (4).

B2 - Ladies allemande right 1+1/4 (6).
- Partners swing (10).

While men or women are allemanding in the middle, those standing on the side should step sideways to align with the allemande.

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The Raeden Reel Variation Bob Isaacs, et al

Becket

A1 - Men allemande left 1+1/2 (8).
- Neighbors swing (8).

A2 - Right and left through across (8).
- Star left (8).

B1 - Look away from the star for a new neighbor to balance and box the gnat (8).
- Men step forward and right to start a mad robin (8).

B2 - Men take right hands and ladies take left hands to make a gypsy star.
- Men go forward and ladies back up to turn the star 3/4 (8).
- Partners swing (8).

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 12-2010

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

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).

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).

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).

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).

A1	-	Neighbors gypsy 1+1/2 (8).
	-	Men step forward and right to start a mad robin (8).

A2	-	Ladies pull to start a 1/2 pousette (6).
	-	Ladies pass left (2);
	-	Partners pass right to start a 1/2 hey(8).

B1	-	Partners gypsy and swing (16).

B2	-	Right and left through across (8).
	-	Circle left 3/4 and pass through up and down (8).

A1	-	Circle left 3/4 (8).
	-	Men pull to start a 1/2 pousette (4).
	-	Men form a long wavy line in the middle and balance (4).

A2	-	With a new neighbor man, men allemande left 3/4 (4).
	-	(New) neighbors swing (12).

B1	-	Men step forward and right to start a mad robin (8).
	-	Ladies pull to start a 1/2 pousette (4).
	-	Ladies form a long wavy line in the middle and balance (4).

B2	-	Ladies allemande right 1+1/4 (6).
	-	Partners swing (10).

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).

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).

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).