These dances are more complex than would be used for a wedding or a community dance, but are less than the usual modern urban contra dance.They are in that liminal space between. They are good for new dance series where the vision is to grow into an on-going contra and variety is needed, though not necessarily adding in a right hand chain or more complex moves. Many of these dances came out of the Paris contra dance written by Will Mentor and from the Atlanta Trolley Barn dance written by Seth Tepfer.

From: Emily Addison via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 1:22 PM
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [External] [Callers] Easy contras for beginners

Sorry that I'm late to the game on this email thread... summertime with a kiddo around means a lot less time for fun emails. :)

I wanted to chime in on a few easy contras for when you have a loooot of beginners.

Apologies if they've been mentioned already.

Emily in Ottawa

Festival Reel by Will Mentor

Becket

A1: Slice L --- LLFB

A2: LH Star --- RH Star

B1: Larks DSD --- Robins DSD

B2: P Bal & Swing

Quandranella by Claire Takimori

Becket

A1: Bal & petronella --- Bal & petronella
A2: Bal & petronella --- Bal & petronella
B1: Partner Bal & Swing
B2: LLFB ---- (Call early!) Slide L and Circle L with new Ns (ORRRRR just slide left take hands and be ready to start again... depending on the crowd)

F&T Reel by Chris Ricciotti
A1: Circle LEFT--- Circle RIGHT (end this with 2s break hands to all face down)

A2 Down the hall (1s in middle). 1s arch/2s through… come up 2X2 with 2s in lead.
B1 P DSD –- LLFB
B2 2s swing ---1s swing

My Becket for Beginners
Lisa Sieverts as modified by Emily Addison
BECKET
A1: Circle LEFT ---Circle RIGHT
A2: Bal & petronella turn --- Bal & petronella turn
B1: Bal, pass thru ACROSS the set & P swing on the side
B2: Forward and Back ---- Slice Left Forward and Back to new neighbors