I’d like to find more easy-going contras for newcomers that still have
unimpeachable choreography and something of interest. By easy-going I mean:
-
Straightforward transitions
-
Stays in minor set (but OK to progress somewhere besides A1)
-
A catch-up point like a balance or long lines forward & back
Here are some I think fit the bill:
Black Bird in the Night
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=5> (rory
o’mohr)
Give the Scout a Hand
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=1735> (half
hey with hands)
Harmony Hey
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=936> (half
hey with hands, star progression)
Kinematic Vorticity
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=1537> (gate)
Rock Creek Reel
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=11685>
(larks/robins balance in central wave)
Simplicity Swing
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=10732>
(star progression)
Spoot the Dog
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=168>
(balance+dosido+allemande)
I don’t count dances like The Baby Rose
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=10273>
where you balance & swing both neighbor and partner. Those don’t seem
newcomer-friendly to me because there’s so much swinging.
What are some that you like?
Rick