It's a Scottish figure called 'Gay Gorden'. I know it's in other dances but not sure about Contras outside of Handsome Young Maids'. One of my favorites.

On January 16, 2017 5:20:15 PM EST, Tavi Merrill via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Dance genealogy question: The figure first appearing in "Dublin Bay" (aka "We'll Wed and We'll Bed," its title in Playford) morphed in contra into a modified "lines of four down the hall."

I know a version of it from Sue Rosen's dance "Handsome Young Maids," where dancers facing down take four steps forwards, turn alone, and continue down the hall with four backward steps, then repeat the figure to return up the hall.

I'm curious how many other contras this figure, or a version of it, appears in. Does anyone know of other dances? And any astute dance historians out there know what the first contra to use this figure is?

Tavi
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