Yankee Dutch Crossing

Adapted by Joseph Pimentel (Cardinal Collection, 2004) for contra dancers from the original English country dance, "Dutch Crossing," by Ernst van Brakel (1990).

Formation: For 8 couples, arranged as in two short improper contra lines, side by side.

Music: any lively reel; medleying two 32-bar tunes is once through the dance.

Description:

That fiendishly challenging yet ultimately satisfying dance "Yankee Dutch Crossing" is the contra-fied version by Joseph Pimentel (2004) of the Ernst van Brakel "Dutch Crossing" (1990), a four-part dance for sixteen dancers with the characteristic "Xs and Os" clockwork right-and-left stars.

Video of Yankee Dutch Crossing from Pinewoods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL1ulnHEuNY
Gaye's modification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_BZn92P11Q

 

Plan for 60 minute teach for new dancers, then 15 minutes to dance through twice.

Sign up with a partner in a 16-person set, show up on time.

Note significant people:

"Opposites/Buddies," standing across from each other in original hands four

"Hey friends," standing along line across hall

Note:  Dancer orientation is tricky.  During walkthrough, it is often helpful to walk a move or two and say “freeze”, then explain where they are, how they should be oriented, and what will happen next (with whom, ending where).  Then call the next move or two as they walk it.  Repeat.

1st & 3rd time through: Hey Across the hall

2nd & 4th time through: Hey Up-and-down the hall

Dancers will hey with their hey friends along the line in front of where they start.

A1 ----------

Bal & square-thru:

(4) Opposite/Buddy, Right-hand balance

(2) Buddy pull-by R, turn to face P

(2) P pull straight by L

(8) 1/2 Hey with P and hey buddies

those facing in center pass R to start

those facing out turn over L-sh to start

end by passing your partner by Left and connecting hands,

person approaching from the end feels like

they roll to follow their partner in the circle

"Pass your partner, circle right"

"As pass partner by left, take both hands with partner and Lady roll away from right to left to face Buddies up and down (across).     Circle right with the Gent in the lead of partner."

A2 ----------

(4) Circle Right 1/2 way w/original Opps (Gent in lead, L on P's left)

(4) face Opp, with P fall back (moving away from Opp)

Alt: Gaye Fifer: (4) Balance -- I prefer original.

(orientation: facing original direction with same Opposites, but your original line has been inverted so that Gents are on the right)

(8) Opp DSD

B12 ----------

Repeat A1 & A2 to return to place

Difference:

B2 (4) Circle Right 1/2 way w/original Opps (Lady in lead, G on P's left)

Words to use:

Same neighbor, balance right, hey up and down (across)

"As pass partner by left, take both hands with partner and Gent roll away from right to left to face Buddies up and down (across).   Circle right with the Lady in the lead of partner."

(orientation: Back to original position)

Face up and down (across)

Buddy right-hand balance, pull by right, partner left

Hey across (up and down), right in center, left on outside, right in center, roll with partner

Circle right with Gent in the lead half way, fall back (facing up and down/across) in original lines

Buddy do-si-do.

Face up and down (across)

Buddy right-hand balance, pull by right, partner left

Hey across (up and down), right in center, left on outside, right in center, roll with partner

Circle right with Lady in the lead half way, fall back (facing up and down/across) at home

Buddy do-si-do.

Part II, Dutch Crossing

reminder: Xs and Os change each time through

"Am I an X or am I an O, right-hand star, here we go!"

"Am I an X or am I an O, shake right hands, ready, go!"

Note two different "teams"

"X team" on two intersecting diagonals from opposite corners

"O team" made up of the 2 middle people on each side of whole set

X team follows the path of a diagonal hey, using hands

O team does a R&L grand around their large circle

A3 ----------

(4) with Opps: star R

(4) X team star L 1/2 in center or balance on ends

WHILE O-team pull by L around circle (Os on the outside, nice and slow)

(4) in 4-somes: star R 1/2

(4) X team star L 1/2 in center or balance on ends

WHILE O-team pull by L around circle (Os on the outside, nice and slow)

A4 ----------

repeat A3 to home places

B3 ----------

(16) P B&S

B4 ----------

(10) with Opps, circle L 1-1/4 to face a new wall

"move that circle, you've got to face a new wall"

(6) Opp DSD

(orientation: you're looking "up and down" or "at the side wall")

Alt: B4 Gaye Fifer: (4) Bal ring, (4) Cir L 1/4, (8) Opp DSD

Am I an X or am I an O? Right-hand star, here we go!

(Diagonal buddy) Right, 2, 3, and Left

1, 2, 3, and Right

1, 2, 3, and Left

buddies in opposite corner, Right

1, 2, 3, and Left

1, 2, 3, and Right

1, 2, 3, and Left

Find your partner, balance and swing

Face your buddies , Balance the ring, circle left 1/4 to face across (up and down)

Buddy do-si-do

You’ve changed orientations, buddy right-hand balance…

"And thank your square, right there."

Repeat the entire dance three times, facing a new wall each time. Each time

through, everyone will experience a different dance position.

Teaching Notes

Plan for extra teaching time. With one or two sets, teaching and dancing can take 45-60 minutes. For more sets, plan on 60-75 minutes.

A1/B1. The 1/2-hey includes a total of 4 passes. The final pass is by the L-sh with partner. The transition from that pass into the circle can cause confusion for a couple of reasons. First, people feel like they are on the wrong side of their partner leading into the circle; man on the right and woman on the left. Second, the person moving toward the outside of the set in the last pass of the hey (the woman in Al, the man in B1) has to change their direction to get into the circle. Encourage people to keep their eye on their partner in that last pass to help draw them into the circle.

A3/B4. This figure has the exhilarating feel of a carnival ride and people feel great satisfaction when it all comes together. Notice that the positioning is different each time through the dance. In the R&L grand, for example, one time through, you go clockwise around the "O" and the other time you go counterclockwise. When people in the X-team reach the end of their diagonal, they should make a point to do the balance, which helps them keep the correct timing. They will resist this, because it feels awkward. Their incentive to overcome the awkwardness is great, though, because if they stick their hand into a "star" too early, the consequences are dire. Making such a warning usually elicits laughter, which helps both to relax people and to reinforce the point.

Each time through the dance, Buddies remain the same. Hey friends alternate depending on the orientation of the lines.