I lead an annual dance for 200+ 18-year olds in a hall with terrible acoustics.  Been doing it for 15+ years.  If they all whispered at the same time, it would sound like a roar in that room.  I can only do the most basic stuff most of the time...simple circles, longways with lots of sashaying, an easy folk dance.  But I experiment every now and then, which lead me to come up with the following dances which, for the most part, worked.  Am I stealing them from somebody?  (I like to give credit where credit is due.)

They call their dance "Swat the Flea".  I searched for a long time for a very easy dance that had a Swat the Flea and finally wrote this one --

BOX'NSWAT (Circle)

A1  Women into the middle and back; Gents into the middle & back

A2  All make a quarter turn to the right and walk single file to the right

B1  Women turn back to face partner -- all shake R hands with Partner & Box the Gnat; change hands, Balance & Swat the Flea

B2  DSD Partner; Allemande R w/partner 1-1/2 to progress (women end facing into the center ready to go F&B)

Since contra dances are almost impossible to teach to a loud, boisterous, energetic bunch of 18-year olds who have never heard of or seen a contra dance, I decided to give this a whirl -- and it worked -- mostly!  It would probably be better with a smaller more sedate crowd.

GREASE & GLUE (Contra formation -- Gender free -- all you need is a partner)

A1  Couple 1 split Couple 2, return to places; Couple 1 DSD

A2  Couple 2 split Couple 1, return to places; Couple 2 DSD

B1  Star R; Star L (w/hands)

B2  Couples face each other -- Couples DSD 1-1/2 ending back-to-back, facing next couple

As an aside -- how do you quiet a room with terrible acoustics full of loud people?  Thanks!