Hi All,

A few years ago I was playing with what I called a “Slingshot Hey.” The effect is almost the same as Ricochet Hey in that it reverses the direction of a pair of dancers, but with an allemande instead of a push off. When the Ricochet Hey gained popularity, I tabled it until a couple days ago.

We choreographers have recognized if you want a Ricochet segue into a swing the hey better be passing left in the middle and passing right at the edges. Passing left at the edges the ricochet when meeting in the middle leading to a swing just doesn’t flow.

In the dance I came up with having a half hey with a “reversal” to a swing and demanding the ladies/robins start the hey passing right shoulders a Ricochet Hey goes:

ladies/robins pass right

partners pass left

gents/larks ricochet into a partner swing

—An Ugly Flow, Forget About It!…

But having the gents/larks “slingshot”—allemande left—back the their partner to swing worked fine.

Now we choreographers can create dances using the “Slingshot” version when a hey needs to start with dancers passing right in the center.

December 24

Erik Hoffman

Becket but Robin on Left, Lark on Right

A1    with Neighbor’s Right Hand: Balance, Box the Gnat

        Right & Left Thru  (A1 is All Across, then Back)

A2    Half “Slingshot” Hey

(Robins pass Right, Partners pass Left, Lark Allemande Right once to:

        Neighbor Swing

B1    Give & Take—Larks bring Partner to Lark’s side

        Partner Swing

B2    Facing across: Petronella Balance and Spin with an Over Spin to

        Face Next Neighbors Up and Down (Progression) to:

        Petronella Balance & Spin, end facing across

First danced on Christmas Night and the annual Christmas Night Dance in Santa Barbara, 2022

Note: the Balance, Box Gnat, Right & Left Thru is borrowed from Square Dancing.

Erik Hoffman

Oakland, CA