It actually starts with a left hand star and finishes with a wheel left:_______________________________________________
Still No Name
becket, progressing right
A1 Star left, star right
A2 pass through and swing partner, finish facing down
B1 Down the hall 4 in line, turn as a couple, return and face across
B2 Long lines F&B, promenade across and, in the courtesy
turn, progress to the next couple, ready to restart
with the star left
So the final promenade has the men passing left shoulder, then
wheel to the left to face a new couple.
Although the version you posted is also useable, and progresses
in the more usual clockwise direction.
Peter Foster
On 13/01/2025 11:18 pm, barrie bullimore via Contra Callers wrote:
Peter Foster (Australia!) has a good Becket dance for beginners although I'm not sure he's named it.
A1 Star Right; star leftA2 Pass thru across the set and swing partners to face downB1 Down the hall as couples (4 in line) turn as couple and return to face acrossB2 Long lines forward and back; half promenade and wheel right to face new couple (J-promenade)
Barrie bullimore
On Sun, Jan 12, 2025 at 9:59 AM Michael Fuerst via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Here is a dance of mine that would work with teenagers after several dances
On could replace the partner B&S with partner dsd, then neighbor dsd across
Positional Thinking Becket Left
A1
Balance the ring. Pass to a wave by gents turning right
1/2, ladies crossing set to take partner's left hand
Balance left and right; allemande left 3/4 to long wavy
lines, gents facing in
A2
Balance forward and back, box circulate to long waves,
with gents facing out, current neighbors left and next neighbors right hands joined.
Balance right and left; ladies cross set while
gents turn over right shoulder to next neighbor's place.
B1
Partners balance and swing, end facing new neighbors across
B2
Long lines forward and back.
Circle right
_______________________________________________On Sat, Jan 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM Rick Mohr via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I love that we're thinking about contra choreography for groups of mostly newcomers -- so different from writing for experienced or mixed groups. A contra doesn't need a swing to be fun, or a chain requiring roles, or caring which side of the set you're on. Great to have some good minds on the topic!
Here are two reliably good ones from our teen dance:
On the Ball (Rick Mohr) duple improperA1: Circle left, dosido neighbor
A2: Circle right, see-saw partner
B1: Balance the ring and Petronella turnBalance the ring and Petronella turn
B2: Balance the ring, two-hand turn partner 1 1/2
Andy White's (Amy Cann) duple improper
A1: Circle left, dosido as couples
A2: Dosido neighbor, two-hand turn neighbor
B1: Clap with neighbor / partner / neighbor / partner – self, rights, self, lefts
B2: Twos arch and move forward as ones duck throughOnes arch and move backward as twos duck through backwardTwos arch and move forward as ones duck through
See also some others here.
Rick
_______________________________________________On Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 10:41 AM Lisa Sieverts via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
_______________________________________________Riffing on Luke’s dance Star Trek Phraser, I’ve written this one. It’s essentially role-free, in that it doesn’t matter who ends up on the left or the right after the swing. Yes, there are 3 stars in a row.
Stars are Aligned
by Lisa Sieverts
BECKET, CCW
LH Star
RH Star
P Do Si Do (on side)
P Swing
Whole Set Oval Left
Whole set Oval Right
F&B
LH Star, on to the next, partners moving along the line
Lisa Sieverts
603-762-0235
lisa@lisasieverts.comOn 9 Sep 2024, at 20:08, Luke Donforth via Contra Callers wrote:
Thanks all.
I continue to turn this one over in my head, and I think I've got a new one (borrowing heavily from Bob Isaac's To Turn a Phrase and the star-to-star transition of Mick Richardson's Star Trek)
Star Trek Phraser
by Luke Donforth
Contra/Becket-CCW
A1 -----------
(8) Left hand Star
(8) Whole set oval right
A2 -----------
(8) whole set oval Left
(8) Groups of 4 Circle Left 1X
B1 -----------
(8) Partner Do-si-do
(8) Partner swing
B2 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Left hand Star 1x, walk on to next star
On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 7:55 PM <sjapartments@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 11:50 AM Luke Donforth via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
_______________________________________________Hello all,
Oftentimes at One Night Gigs, I'll do a mix of circle and longways set dances. With scatter mixers and specialty dances, I can fill an evening. But sometimes I get a group that "wants contras" or is looking to grow their familiarity with the dance form.
I think Becket dances without lark/robin distinctions and no neighbor swing are AN easy option into "hands-four" contras. There are other ways in, but I'm looking for more Beckets that match that description. For a while I've had "Pluck It" in my box as a friendly option:
Pluck It
Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(8) Circle Left
(8) Circle Right
A2 -----------
(8) Left hand Star
(8) Right hand Star
B1 -----------
(8) Partner Do-si-do
(8) Partner swing
B2 -----------
(8) Neighbor Do-si-do across set
(8) Long lines, yearn left
This is, in my opinion, pretty close to the traditional mixer Scatter Shot but done as a keeper in Becket. (It does have a DSD across the set, which in a recent thread was listed as a no-no for some callers. While I wouldn't use that move at a dance weekend, for One Night gigs I think it's accessible and acceptable). You don't have to teach ballroom swing, and if folks want to elbow swing and swap roles with their partner it doesn't really impact the dance (this is a small advantage of Becket over improper for this type of dance; different position on the side is less disorienting than different side of the set).
What other Becket dances do folks have that don't rely on roles? No larks allemande or robins chain, etc.
On the drive home from my gig last night I came up with this one (which may already exist), written for Naomi who organizes the community dance I was at:
A Pillar of Weathersfield
Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella)
(8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella)
A2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing, end facing down the hall
B1 -----------
(8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples)
(8) Return and face across
B2 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Promenade across the Set, turn as a couple and progress
(Go between the ones you danced with, passing by left shoulder, and the new couple on your right, turn to take hands with new couple)
I'd be curious what else folks have that they use for entry-level contras when you don't have a critical mass of experience for improper dances with neighbor swings.
Thanks!Luke DonforthBurlington, VT
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
--
_______________________________________________
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.netTo unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
_______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net