Happy New Year!

Over the course of 2024 I added lots of new videos to my “Ceilidh & Country Dance” YouTube Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLITfllSO9aV0DNCtcgAQdCDctl2rn6OZg

Although not primarily about Contra Dance, you may find dances such as “Sun Skip” and “May The Serpent Be With You” good for contra communities.

There are now over 70 videos covering a wide range of dances, all with links to instructions.  The three main themes are:

1) Dances that are suitable for Barn Dances/Ceilidhs/One Night Stands/Community Dances.

2) More complex Country Dances suitable for English Folk Dance Clubs and American ECD sessions.

3) Tutorials on key elements such as Swinging and Stepping.

I hope you find some of them useful.  If you like them then “Likes” are always appreciated, and if you want to see my new videos as I post them then please “Subscribe”.  There is a button beneath each video and also at my Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnthesweeney. Please feel free to Share any of this material with anyone else who might be interested.

My Channel also includes tutorial videos on Morris Dancing and Modern Jive/Ceroc/LeRoc.

Here are a few samples; there are lots more to see.

For Barn Dances/Ceilidhs you will find old favourites such as:

The Russian Ballet: https://youtu.be/1t_TO8wZywg?si=ysqSZlfN7Ldo_MpX

Quarndon Hill: https://youtu.be/0zZdNjyXiG0?si=aUiYqxWC7ZzdNVMm

Circle Waltz: https://youtu.be/pUjGzhDc9m0?si=TC_dTml17jHt37aY

The Swedish Masquerade: https://youtu.be/x3eqLRIu9j0?si=aKsawz994sSbsc6T

La Russe: https://youtu.be/SyVtA9ftJ5U?si=urJ9qTXfppcvcNHm

Plus new dances, composed by me, such as:

Big Wheel: https://youtu.be/gbeXWYMFCJo?si=_owTfK8F7DNF41Ru

Serendipitous Seven: https://youtu.be/bPQoML3h5No?si=2JXM_M2lT8COZL5Z

Diver’s Delight: https://youtu.be/uHqiFTn-3LA?si=fB4zhm7ALskg3rQU

Tutorials such as:

Twenty Swing Variations – including all the basics of good Swinging: https://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html

Stepping & Footwork for Country Dance & English Ceilidh: https://contrafusion.co.uk/Stepping.html

New, more complex, Country Dances that are proving popular, composed by me, such as:

Ovalflow: https://youtu.be/4K6IYIf-1no?si=2VKjz_oujO4KmHBz

Four Light Winds: https://youtu.be/uUZzDWi73X0?si=XVxdgbu_EF_9lwy1

Quintilinear: https://youtu.be/lDIy_Cyp6aU?si=ejj6fBb9cBjTdAie

Little Boxes: https://youtu.be/8dUB_6rIBwc?si=CCYLWptPcSM61I1j

Sun Skip: https://youtu.be/nIUpxzeh4lw?si=Z65g948ZPA4zxfnW

Plus lots more including some Contra Dances and Square Dances and the Competition Winning Mescolanza:

May The Serpent Be With You: https://youtu.be/dDDEibr3qKE?si=tTr9g-6yc0LBJp7j

If you want even more interesting dance material see: https://contrafusion.co.uk/DanceNotes.html

Have fun!

            Happy dancing,

                   John                      

John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent