[Callers] Joyride

I danced this at Ralph Page weekend this year and really enjoyed it. Rickey, you have the choreography correct except for the hey, which is five changes, rather than three: A1- Gypsy with neighbor, then shift eyes to partner "Mad Robin" chase A2- Half poussette (women forward first) Five changes of a hey-for-4 (start and end with men passing left shoulders) B1- Swing partner B2- Ladies chain across Left-hand star NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO DO I'd say the fault here lies not in the dance itself but in the dancers. The distinctive figure in the dance (the pousette into the left shoulder hey) was lifted from an English country dance, Victor Skowronski's "Companions." And yes, dancers accustomed to doing tight, contra-style gypsies could get through the A1 more quickly than is intended. Either with appropriate wording or with a quick demonstration, the caller might encourage folks to make wider loops in this part. When I wrote Erik Weberg after the RPDLW to clarify my recollection about how the dance works, he mentioned in his reply, "I initially intended the timing to bring four changes of the hey to the end of the A2 and the B1 begins with the men passing left and swing partners. But dancers seem more comfortable arriving for the swing at the top of the B1. It's easy for dancers to rush through the figures and I try to encourage folks to relax and enjoy the ride." As Carol Ormand said on several occasions at the weekend, though not necessarily in connection with this dance, "That's a feature, not a bug." Both in Companions and in this dance, I find the transition to be very smooth. Others might not agree. De gustibus non est disputandum. Hope this helps. David Millstone