Joys of Quebec                

Contra, Duple, Proper
Chip Hendrickson
from Zesty Contras

A-1 No. 1s Down the Outside (8) and Return (8)

A-2 No. 1s Cross Set Passing Right Shoulders and Circle Left (8) and Back to Right (8)

B-1 Balance and Swing Neighbor (16)

B-2 Long Lines Forward and Back (8)

No. 1s Swing Partner (8)

Notes: A fine dance for newcomers. Reminders: No. 2s, keep sets evenly spaced and keep moving up. No. 2s can cheat and swing while 1s are going down and back, but be sure to be back in place for circles.

Here’s a youthful take on the tune. They provide a good build up to the top of the B1 where the balance and swing occurs.

Rock the Cradle Joe

Contra, Duple, Improper
Ridge Kennedy
Around 1998

(Start in a wave across; women join left hands, neighbors join right hands)

A-1 Balance right/left, shift right (8)

(form new wave, men joining right hands in the middle)

Balance left/right, shift left (reform original wave) (8)

A-2 Balance right/left (4); swing Neighbor (12)

(end swing facing across the set)

B-1 Give and take (see note) Partner swing (16)

B-2 Circle left 3/4 (8)

Balance circle (4); pass thru to make wave with new neighbors (4)

This tune is an old-time music standard, but old time musicians tend to flatten it out. Our musicians around Princeton and Philly give the tune a lot of “chunky” in the A parts that suits the Rory O’More balances, and they give the B a build-up, that suite the give and take well. This was the most acceptable recording I found on YouTube. The second time through, when the mandolin takes the lead, gives a cleaner listen to the tune. It’s not super-well phrased as you’d want for dancing, but you get the feeling.

Dance Notes: If you want to please Larry Jennings, originator of the give and take figure, you will encourage dances to end the neighbor swing with the woman’s left arm unentangled. All dancers will step forward toward partners two steps. Men will reach out with left hands, take partners right hand and retreat two steps to the side of the set where they started. Women will resist slightly to give weight to the movement, before crossing the set to swing. All of this will happen in four beats of the music to allow a 12-beat swing. In practice, many dancers will go forward and back, eight beats, and swing, but I encourage groups that include experienced dancers to take Larry’s recommended zesty approach to the swing.

This has been a very successful dance. It goes great with the title tune, but is also a great dance to call when the band wants to do jigs. Experienced dancers get into the Rory O’More whirls and enjoy the dance, but I’ve also called it for very inexperienced groups and it seems quite forgiving and they have done it quite nicely, too. I recommend keeping the dance short – two-tune medleys – when presenting it for experienced groups.

Maggie Brown’s Favorite

Contra, Duple, Becket, Clockwise
Ridge Kennedy
2001

A-1 Balance Partner (4) Pull by Right, Pull By Neighbor with Left (4)

Balance Partner (4) Pull by Right, Pull By Neighbor with Left (4)

A-2 Balance and Swing Your Partner (16)

B-1 Circle Left Three Quarters, Pass Thru (8) Swing Next New Neighbor (8)

B-2 Long Lines Forward and Back (8)

Women Allemande Left 1 1/2 while Men Promenade around One time (8)

Notes: Features an “orbit” and requires space along the lines. Goes very well with title tune or other bouncy/smooth jigs. Title honors band with same name that included Carl Friedman and Ralph Barthine of Baltimore area. Here’s a recording of the tune. I think it gives a good sense of the “chunky” A and smoother, swirling B.

Long Hot Shower

Contra, Becket, Clockwise

A-1 Circle left with current neighbors 1X (8)

Forward on left diagonal, fall back (8)

A-2 Pass thru to Allemande (ladies allemande left to come back) ((8)

Neighbor Swing (8)

B-1 Hey to an Allemande (18-20)

Ladies start passing Right

(LR/PL/GR/NL/LR/PL/ Gents Allemande Right

B-2 Long Swing (14-12)

Video of the dance at Glen Echo.

Blue Jig

Contra, Becket, CW
Ridge Kennedy 2010

A-1 Forward on Left Diagonal and Straight back (perpendicular to the walls) (8)

 Circle Left 3/4 (8)

A-2 Power Gypsy (8) Neighbor Swing (8)

B-1 Long Lines (8) Hey Halfway to an Allemande (8)

(Women star half a hey passing right shoulders, men allemande right back to partners)

B-2 Balance and Swing Partner (16)

Notes: Power gypsy -- coming out of circle women keep neighbor's left hand in their right hand. Dance a gypsy but stay connected. Woman decides when/if she wants to swing the guy. Timing in to get to Balance in B-2 is tight. If dancers are in a slow groove mood, they may not be in time for a balance, so just go ahead and make it a loooog swing. Blue Jig is a great oozey, bluesy tune I first heard played by Sarah Gowan and Bill Quern. Here is a recording by Rodney Miller played at a demo tempo. Change the recording playback to 1.25 in the YouTube settings for a feeling for the tune at proper (oozey, bluesy) dance tempo.

Calliope House

Contra, Duple, Improper
Ridge Kennedy 1997

A-1 Do Si Do Neighbor (8) Swing Neighbor (8)

A-2 Long Lines Forward and Back (8) Men Allemande Left Once and a Half (8)

B-1 Balance and Swing Partner (alt: Right shoulder round and swing) (16)

B-2 Women Chain Halfway (8)

Hey for Four Halfway (8)

(No. 1s look down, No. 2s look up for next neighbor)

Notes: Dance was created to be first in a A-B-A medley of the tunes Calliope House/Cowboy Jig/Calliope House. Inspired by a recording on The Road North by Alasdair Fraser. (Note: this dance undoubtedly exists with another name elsewhere. It’s standard glossary stuff and could have been composed by a random contra generator program, but still, it suits the tune.)

Cowboy Jig

Contra, Duple, Improper
Ridge Kennedy ‘97

A-1 Balance and Swing Neighbor (16)

A-2 face across, join hands in a ring Balance (4)

Circle Left Halfway (4)

Balance (4) Women cross set passing right (4)

B-1 Partner Gypsy (8) Partner Swing (8)

B-2 Promenade Halfway (8) Circle Left 3/4, Pass Thru (8)

Notes: If calling as a standalone, emphasize ending neighbor swing in time to make ring – don’t twirl too long.

Golden Slippers

(The first dance I ever made up. This write-up is from the Ralph Rage Legacy Weekend syllabus of 1995. I had a chant/lyrics that went along with it so it was, first time through, a singing contra. It was a long time ago, and I was trying way too hard.)

GOLDEN SLIPPERS 

by Ridge Kennedy

Duple, improper & single progression

As called by the composer.

Al: Promenade neighbor in the man's direction of progression (cw around the entire set, so the woman's right shoulder is nearest the center;

turn as a couple and return

A2: Circle left once around; courtesy turn neighbor; women pass by right hands to approach partner these two actions may be called an " inside out ladies chain")

Bl: Balance and swing partner

B2: Circle left three - quarters; do-si- do neighbor once and a half.

I have no written record of the chant but it probably went something like this:

Take a little walk all around the town
Turn as a couple and you come back round
Look for the one who you know best
Join up hands and circle left

Turn that circle all the way round
And a courtesy turn with your neighbor now
Ladies by the right, come back to your own
Balance and you sing

Oh, them golden slippers
Oh them golden slippers
Golden slipper I gonna wear
Join up hands and circle to the left

Circle, three quarters round
Do si do your neighbor now
Once around a little more
and on to the next