Andrea kindly pointed out that half hey where you're about to pass by the left into a swing isn't the smoothest transition (without a balance); something I missed.

I see a couple ways of shifting that, like replacing the chain with a women allemande left 1.5; which is unfortunately their "non-standard" hand for that. Another way to avoid a left shoulder to swing would be ditch the lines of four and go straight into chain to facing neighbor then half hey, with a balance and swing neighbor in A2.

My sense is that accessible 4x4s really benefit from the lines of 4 to establish the set every time. Do folks have 4x4s that succeed smoothly without that? 

Thank you all for sharing thoughts and dances.

Revised version, with allemande:

A1 -----------
(8) Lines of four, forward and back
(8) Women left allemande 1.5x (with one on slight left in facing couple)
A2 -----------
(8) 1/2 Hey up & down, women passing right shoulders
(8) Neighbor swing (end facing partner, Women's line of direction; men opposite initial facing.)
B1 -----------
(8) Women's Chain up and down to partner, power turn to face trail buddy couple
(8) 1/2 Hey across, women passing right shoulders
B2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing

On Sat, Jan 7, 2017 at 10:01 PM, Luke Donforth <luke.donev@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello all.

It's been a while since I've had enough folks at a house party to really walk through a 4x4 dance, so I'm sending this out for comment: I'm trying to increase my repertoire of accessible and entertaining 4x4s (my double reverse progression 4x4, etc, not qualifying)

This one is in the "Midwestern Folklore" and "Will You Mary Me?" tradition of being two nearly identical halves.

Plow and Cross Stitch
by Luke Donforth
Contra/Four Facing Four

A1 -----------
(8) Lines of four, forward and back
(8) Women's Chain up & down to facing neighbor
A2 -----------
(8) 1/2 Hey up & down, women passing right shoulders
(8) Neighbor swing (end facing partner, Women's line of direction; men opposite initial facing.)
B1 -----------
(8) Women's Chain up and down to partner, power turn to face trail buddy couple
(8) 1/2 Hey across, women passing right shoulders
B2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing

It could go lines of four again in B1, then the chain and power turn, with B2 being half hey and just a swing; but I figured try for the partner balance and longer swing.

I'd appreciate hearing folks thoughts (too repetitive? too disorienting? basically X's dance Y), as well as your own favorite 4x4s; and why. My personal favorite is Rick Mohr's "Dance All Night", because you get a grand right and left in a contra.

Take care,

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Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth@gmail.com