[Callers] Re: Any ideas for contras to include in a Halloween Program?

Witches' Switches by Al Olson. It's triple progression, so a bit challenging, but can be fun. ----- When The Stars Are Right Jonathan Sivier duple improper; beginner-intermediate written: 2/2/2000 1 - allemande left 1 1/2 with neighbor 2 - ladies chain (to partner) 3 - hey for four halfway (ladies start passing right shoulders) 4 - swing partners (on ladies' original side) 5 - gents allemande left 1 1/2 in the center 6 - swing neighbors on the other side 7 - star left 1 time 8 - star right 1 time (look for new neighbors) Notes 7 - the transition from a swing to a left hand star may be a little awkward, but I think the satisfying transition to a right hand star makes up for that History This dance was inspired by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. Many of his stories take place in small towns and back-woods areas in New England in the early part of the 20th century and that was where contra dancing was being done at that time. While he never mentions dancing in his writing, and I have no reason to think he even knew what contra dancing was, I like to think that his characters occasionally went contra dancing for recreation. Lovecraft was an anglophile and more interested in things of the past than in the present and I think he would have approved of contra dance's roots in the past and the dances from England. In many of his stories reference is made to the Great Old Ones and how they will rise up "when the stars are right" so I wanted to create a dance where you progress on to your next neighbor when the stars become right. Jonathan On 10/24/2024 10:23 PM, Cheryl Joyal via Contra Callers wrote: