Hi Rachel,

              Some of the moves that have been mentioned are actually English country dance moves that have been used in squares.

Grand Square:

1648: http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/~praetzel/sca/lansdowne.html

And a few years later in Playford’s Hunsdon House.  This is, of course, a Square Dance, and, yes, they were called Square Dances back then!

Right Hand High, Left Hand Low:

This is the third figure of Pepper’s Black (1650): http://www.izaak.unh.edu/nhltmd/indexes/dancingmaster/Dance/Play0944.htm

Square Through N:

This is “N Changes”, a very common figure from the 17th century onwards.  MWSD’s contribution was to give it a new name and specify that when that name is used the dancers must NOT turn after the last change, finishing back to back with the last person you passed (as happens in many country dances).  The term ”Square Through” is often misused in contra dancing, as there are many contra dances with “Square Through” where you turn after the last change.  The term “N Changes” would be better used in those circumstances.  But people use words to mean what they want them to mean, so I doubt we will ever get any standardisation on that! :-)

Some other “square dance” figures come from Appalachian Big Set.  Cecil Sharp published these dances as Running Set (a name he made up) and he says, “The Running Set is most effective when the number of couples is limited to four couples, although, if certain Figures by omitted, that number may be exceeded.”  Because of this decision by Sharp to publish Running Set as dances for four couples in a circle, i.e. a square dance, it has come to be believed that these are square dances and therefore the figures are square dance figures.  Sharp also believed that these dances were ”the sole survival of a type of Country-dance which, in order of development, preceded the Playford dance”.  So, many of the figures did not really originate in square dancing.

Anyway, enough about history.  Here are some dances that probably meet your criteria:

Box Circulate:

Chris Page’s Chinese New Year

My Irish New Year – with a different ending: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/IrishNewYear.html

Pass the Ocean, Extend, Swing Through:

Balancing Act: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/BalancingAct.html

Figures from the traditional English Square Dance Cumberland Square Eight:

Cumberland Contra: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/CumberlandContra.html

Mountain Dosido and Georgia Rang Tang:

DosiWhat? http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/DosiWhat.html

Flutterwheel:

FlutterRing: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/FlutterRing.html

Flutterwheel and Sweep a Quarter:

Hothfield Hey: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/HothfieldHey.html

Note: many of my dances are designed for beginners or for dancers in England who don’t demand multiple swings in every dance, so there may not be enough swings for you in some of the dances above.

              I hope that helps.

            Happy dancing,                         

                   John                                  

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

http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs                               

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

From: Callers <callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net> On Behalf Of Rachel Shapiro via Callers
Sent: 04 August 2018 20:51
To: callers@lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Contras with square dance figures

Hi all,

I'm in search of contras that have borrowed interesting figures from traditional and modern western square dances. Do you have any favorites you're willing to share? I've got Rang Tang Contra and some dances with Dixie Twirls. Lots with Box the Gnat and Swat the Flea. Any others you love?

Thank you!

Rachel Shapiro Wallace