There's a fun "square" for five couples, I'm not sure of its name or
origin. Nice if you have 10 people, so everyone gets to dance. You
might need a good-sized kitchen. It's a good dance for kids,
weddings, and "one-night-stands", too:
Number the couples 1-5 in a circle to start.
All couples circle left.
Number 1 couple into the center and swing, others circle right.
Number 1 couple face the "sides" (all couples stop, square up on the
outside, #1s choose to face a couple - they are now facing one couple
in the square with another behind them)
Dip and dive across the set (Number one's make an arch and the couple
they are facing dives under it, dip and dive across the set)
All back home, face the other sides (Number one's dip and dive with
the couples they didn't yet)
Number 1s swing, all forward and back (Outer couples form a circle
and go forward and back while the 1s swing)
Into the middle and make them stop! (Outer couples go forward and
mash the 1s so that they stop swinging- this is not as dangerous as
it might sound, I've never seen any problem, just a lot of laughter
as everyone presses in)
All join hands and circle left. (The 1s join in the circle - it
really doesn't matter where as long as everyone remembers their number)
Dance repeats with the 2s etc.
Can end with an everyone circle left, and everyone swing.
You could throw in a grand right and left break at some point if you
wanted, but the dance is usually long enough as is.
If anyone knows its name or origin, I'd be interested.
Martha
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