Hi Erik and all. This is my "tunnel dance"

The Loon Dance, Bill Olson,    longways, "whole set" dance

A1 LLF&B, DSD partner
A2 Head couple sashay to bottom of set, NEW head couple make arch with 2 hands*, remaining couples face UP the set
B1 couples (who are separated) walk up the set single file, go past the arch (one line on each side), couples meet and dive through arch with partner (moving down the set as they go through the arch(s)), immediately making new arch when they pop out to form long "tunnel"**
B2 as last couple passes through arch, partners swing and swing 'til dance begins again.

*move up a little but leave a little room at the top
** tell dancers not to pack too tightly

The inspiration for this dance came from a YouTube video which showed a school cafeteria space FULL of high school kids in Quebec having a really great time!! A little analysis showed me the dance actually didn't progress, but I thought the "tunnel part" was pretty cool!! The swing propagates down the set in B2 so the top couples get more swing than bottom couples, but everyone gets their turn. 7-9 couples seems about optimum if you want to stay on the phrase of the music. This dance has been through a few changes but has pretty much ended up here. First premiered at Maine Fiddle Camp where the loons call quite persistantly! 


From: Erik Hoffman via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 9:38 PM
To: Shared Weight - Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Favorite One Night Stand Dances
 

I’d love to collect a few more whole set dances for one night stands.

 

I have done my version of the Virginia Reel, of course. Some Running Set figures (though not in a big circle, but, “find another couple and circle left), Sasha, the Broom Dance and/or the Fan Dance, Blobs, and possibly teach Jefferson & Liberty, or a slightly simplified version of Haste to the Wedding and the first “Hands Four” dance. So, I’ve been collecting the Simple Contra Dances, and adding them to my repertoire with thanks to all sharing them! I am looking for Whole Set Dances.

 

Here’s one from me:

 

Building a Tunnel

I put some figures together after looking at dancing in Douglastown, Quebec, that I found from Laura Risk’s wonderful collection of music and notes she coproduced with Brian Morris, the Douglastown cd (https://www.laurarisk.com/recordings.html). I call this Building a Tunnel. Then I stole part of what I think is The Flying Scottsman (which I learned from the wonderful Sandy Bradley) or is it Kingston Flyer as Tony Parkes mentioned.

 

Building a Tunnel

Longways set a Whole Set dance

Not too phrased to the music

 

In long lines, Head Person of Line One leads their line all the way around Line Two

Then Head of Line Two leads line around Line One

All Partner Do Si Do, Swing (any way: elbow, 2-hand, ballroom)

Top Couple arch over one line to the bottom—Mow The Lawn…

Top Couple arch over the other line back to the top—Cut Their Hair…

Top Couple Sashay to Bottom, Make an Arch

The two lines face down, go down and around the Top (soon to be Bottom) Couple

Through the arch, and, as the line goes under, make an Arch when couples go through the last arch (made by the couple they’ve been following).

In other words, Building a Tunnel.

 

When teaching the Top Couple to make an arch I teach taking one hand as they face the line. By the second or third time, couple start doing the arch with two hands, thus, I don’t know why I bother…

 

Like other dances as the Virginia Reel, sets can easily get out of sync. If they do, I watch and stop calling except to remind un-sync-ed if they forgot something.

 

So many times when teaching the Virginia Reel, dancers want to do the “build a tunnel” and I (and most likely most of you) have to teach promenading up and not passing anyone. Now they get to build it!

 

Thinking of making the first Hands Four dance Easier

 

For years I’ve called the dance at the Full Belly Farm’s “Hoes Down” where they put their hoes down and dance. I’ve used Jefferson & Liberty, but, in sets on an empty field where sets can easily get 20-couples long or longer, and not wanting to take even more time bi and trifurcating sets into shorter sets. I think I presented Barbarella earlier, and it got me thinking: would it be easier to teach a phrased progressive dance in Becket Formation ending by sliding left to a new couple? So, I’m going to try a couple of ideas at my next One Night Stand:

 

Start getting lines in becket formation. My first thought is to star with Long Lines going forward and back, to reinforce that we are dancing with everyone, but I can also starting by teaching a slice and then putting that slice as B2.

 

That said, these just thinking right now:

 

My First Try:

 

A1 LLF&B;  Neighbor across Do Si Do

A2 Partner Do Si Do, Swing (any way)

B1 Face Down for Line of Four Down the Hall, Turn as a Couple (or, uh, not), Return

B2 Circle Left, Circle Right, Slide Right to next couple to A1 LLF&B

 

Or

 

A1 w/ Couple Across: Circle Left, then Right

A2 w/ Neighbor Across: DSD, Two Hand Turn

B1 Back on Own Side: Ptnr DSD, Two Hand Turn (or Swing any kind)

B2 Looking to the Left: Long Lines go Forward to a New Couple, then Straight Back, to A1 with New Nbr

 

I think these might be easier to explain to complete novices. Any thoughts?

 

~Erik Hoffman

        Oakland, CA