How many dancers are you going be fitting into the space?  I remember a time some years ago when we danced in a smaller venue than our usual and had a good turnout.  The visiting caller urged us to take turns sitting out.  We responded by squeezing every last one of us onto the floor and dancing compactly. I would suggest that contras are tighter than squares.  The two lines of a contra set do not have to be very far apart from each other.  On the other hand, squares have that big empty space in the middle.  If you do call squares, avoid dances where there is action outside the square's boundaries, such as #1 couple split #3 and come back to place by walking behind the #2 and #4.  Very alert 2's and 4's will know to step in to make room and shorten the return path, but I find that's rare. If the number of dancers is well-matched, you can make a single contra line on the diagonal.  That can avoid have two lines that are too short. You could look at triplets to maximize space usage. -Dave On 11/4/2025 3:35 PM, Angela DeCarlis via Contra Callers wrote:

Ang -- I'm sharing notes in the form I have them, which sometimes has gender reference - I call without gender reference nowadays. I think you may have the flexibility to have things that aren't necessarily recognizable as contras, don't have swings, etc. So heres some unusual formations: Square of Threesomes: TWELVE MEET Threesomes in a square Tune is the band's favorite 32-bar bright jig or reel A1: Threesomes link arms Heads forward and back Heads forward, end people pass right shoulder, go back with other middle. A2: Sides the same B1: middles and right-hand end arm right at least twice middles and left-hand end arm left at least twice B2: middles start right shoulder hey for three with right hand end person; on last beat leap into the middle place that's one to the right (heads become sides, sides become heads) Middles may not emerge as middles from the hey. FIVE COUPLE SQUARE, one couple in the middle: Winter Solstice (Wendy Crouch) to the tune Early One Morning - but flexibility on tune (Barnes, but different repeats, so tell the band it's AABB!) 5 couple square, 5th couple in middle facing 1st couple A1 1-8 3 head couples hey, middles bulge while sides SWIRL siding, set and turn single A2 1-8 5M 3 person hey with 2nd couple, 5W 3 person hey with 4th couple, each 5s start by passing between the sides while heads SIDE, set, and turn single. (EG, "middles split the nearest side couple to start the hey.") B1 1-8 Grand square (cue sides face, 5s (in middle begin by backing to side; then down to foot.)) B2 1-8 Promenade progression (each couple starting 2 bars later) actives (5s) replace 1s, etc around the square. THREESOME SICILIANS (better space utilization than regular Sicilians) THE DASHING WHITE SERGEANT (3 face 3 Sicilian) People facing clockwise are 1s, others are 2s. 1-8: Circle six around and back. 9-12: Middle people, face your right-hand partner; set and brisk RH turn all the way. 13-16: Middles, face your left-hand partner; set and brisk LH turn all the way. 17-24: Middles pass left hand partner RSH to start reel of 3 all the way over and back 25-28: Face in original direction; lines of three go forward and back. 29-32: 2s raise their joined hands to make arches; all go forward, 1s give 2s right shoulder to go under arches (left-hand 1 gets no arch) and go all the way to next threesome. ---------- WALPOLE COTTAGE, Pat Shaw 1963 (music in Barnes) CDM7 Sicilian Circle threesomes, three facing three. Blue 134, 2/2, D Intro: Lines forward and back. A: Middles initiate super-contra corners, turning right with each other ("short arm hold" which sounds like allemande grip to me), left to right-hand opposite, etc. Turn partners in their turn as well. B: Ends right hand star, left hands back. Right-shoulder heys for three in own lines; middle passes first with right-hand end. C: Lines forward and back, circle six half-way. Forward and back; basket, open up to face new couple (with, perhaps, a new middle). --------------- THREE MEET (CDM-3) Sicilian circle for threesomes. (Collected in England, where they also call it "The Swedish", which is a mid-Victorian dance. "Any bright jig") A1: Forward and back in lines, then forward and promenade by threes around each other, trios staying face to face. A2: Repeat back to place. B1: Circle six left, then right (or elbow swing each partner) B2: Progress via a basket with pivot step. ---------------------------------------------------------------- X MARKS THE SPOT Antony Heywood, 1992 (in "An Enchanted Place") Possible ceilidh use. NIB: 4x32-bar American reels Two couple set, partners side-by-side facing across A1: 1-4: Right-hand star once round 5-8: Ladies chain over, not back (men cast L out of the star) A2: 1-8: Women coming back pass right shoulder to start a straight hey for 4. B1: 1-4: Opposites swing 5-8: Partners back-to-back by right shoulder B2: 1-4: Partners swing (progressive) 5-8: Left hand star once round. (Everybody's progressed one place clockwise; repeat 3x until all are home.) ------------------------------------------------------------------- (Basically a two-couple Becket contra where you rotate aroudn 4 sides of a set.) Five-person dances: Polka Dots (? author) (4/4 G Green Mountain Petronella - in several tune books, and I have music as well - but works with anything bounchy) 5 people - a diamond with #1 in middle, #2 with back to the music) via Mary Devlin A1 1 & 2 start hey for 3, R sh (up & down hall) A2 1 flow into hey for 3 (L sh) across with #3 & #5 B1 1 & 2 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places 2 & 3 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places B2 3 & 4 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places 4 & 5 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places (and 5 is now #1) --------------------------- Here's some small-number-of-people dances; you can scatter separate sets around the floor. (These are mostly mine) FOWL PLAY Dance for three people in a circle Lark Camp 2017 Tune possibilities: Dover Pier (super legible), Shandy Hall (really fun) Appoint a number 1 to start. A1: 1-2: Tight circle left 3-4: Turn single left (finish wide) 5-8: Into the center and back A2: 1-8: As above, to the right B1: 1-8: #1 cuts through the others to start a left-shulder hey for three. B2: 1-2: #1 and first hey partner arm left 3-4: #1 turns single to face other hey partner 5-6: On the other end, right arm turn 7-8: #1 turn single, ready to start Next person is #1 About six times. Named by Michelle Levy. LARK DUO Two-person dance, 32-bar tune, 4x Symmetrical Sprigs of Laurel works really well Figures are: USSA (eg, shoulder siding AND swirl siding) A1: 1-4: up a double and back / rsh side / lsh swirl side / arm R 5-8: set and turn single A2: 1-4: down a double and back / lsh side / rsh swirl side / arm l 5-8: set and turn single B1: 1-2: RH turn halfway (changing sides) 3-4: L turn single 5-6: LH turn halfway (back to own side) 7-8: R turn single, face partner B2: 1-4: Partners back to back 5-8: Partners two-hand turn. LARK TRIO Three people abreast facing up Tune: Bare Necessities Lark Camp, 2016 A1: 1-2: Lead up 3-4: Fall back 5-6: Middle person raises right hand; ends swap with left-hand end going under the arch. (Right hand high, left hand low) 7-8: All facing down, set right and left in waltz time A2: 1-2: Lead down 3-4: Fall back 5-6: Right hand high, left hand low 7-8: Fold into a ring with middle facing up B1: 1-2: Balance the ring (forward and back) 3-4: Ends face down and switch hands, balance f&b in a wavy line 5-6: Those holding right hands, turn right hands halfway 7-8: new middle and other end, left hand turn half (putting left hand end in the middle) B2: 1-8: New new middle and new right hand end pass right shoulder to start expansive hey for three; all face up in line for next round. LARK'S HEALTH Trio, three people in circle/triangle, #1 is closest to band "Jack's Health / Bolt the Door" about 90bpm. Lark Camp, 2016 vetted at Woodshed September 2016 1 2 3 (The As are sort of a canon - 1 2 and 3 do the same sequence starting two bars apart, and do as much as fits before the end of the strain.) A1: 1-4 #1 sets and turns single into 5-8 orbit 3-6 #2 sets and turns single into 7-8 orbit (following 1) 5-8 #3 sets and turns single (along line of circle) A2: 1-8: Same thing left shoulder, so they finish in original order. B1: 1-4: Into the center and back (no hands) 5-8: #1 and #2 RH turn 1.5 B2: 1-4: Into the center and back (no hands) 5-8: #1 and #3 LH turn 1.5 #2 is now #1, #3 is #2, #1 ia #3. TEACHING POINTS 1 and 2 will be swapped at the end of A1 and back in order at end of A2. Those hand turns are ONE AND A HALF! MIDNIGHT AMBLE Lark 2016 Trio; three people in largish no-hands ring "Midnight Ramble" or "Hop Ground" Six times through is plenty #1 is at top (closest to band). Number clockwise. A1: 1-2: Set forward R&L 3-4: Turn single R back to place 5-8: Right-hand star, letting go after six steps and retreating to sideline and closing feet. A2: 1-2: Set forward L&R 3-4: Turn single L back to palce 5-8: Left-hand star. B1: #1, solo figure 8 between the others. (Doesn't matter which one first, but if you care, go left first.) B2: 1: With hands in a ring, balance in 2: and out to the left ( like "Come Let's Be merry", but in duple time) 3-4: And that again, having traveled 2/3 of the way around the ring 5-8: Circle L and settle with old #3 in first place. SELLENGER'S WHEEL Alan Winston, 11/16/2003 cut-down version of Sellenger's Round for 3-7 people, no partners needed. Formation: circle of people facing in Tune in Barnes, 5x. I: A: Slipping circle (*really* slipping) left and back to the right. B: Chorus (same each time). Set forward right and left fall back straight still facing in, set right and left turn single Repeat II: A: Lead into the center and back Repeat B: As above III: A: right hand star (contra style wrist grip keeps you from having a mess) left hands back B: As above IV: A: Basket left and _keep going_, not back to the right. B: As above (Finish with slipping circle again, but if you're repeating don't do slipping circle twice in a row - it's lame). PROMENADE FOUR Two couples facing, improper, up and down. duple-meter 32 bar music Alan Winston, 9.10.2016 (Came up with at Civil War Dance when I had only two couples left.) Beginner-ish. A1: forward to meet the other couple and retire 1s cast down, 2s lead up, face other couple again (now indecent) A2: Repeat with the 2s casting down. B1: Ladies chain up and down the set B2: From courtesy turn with partner continue into a promenade and wheel to face the other couple from new places, improper. If time, swing partner. I hope this is of some help. -- Alan ________________________________________ From: Angela DeCarlis via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 1:35 PM To: Shared Weight Contra Callers Subject: [Callers] Space-Efficient Dances (a PS to Ceilidhs, Barn Dances, etc, Oh My!) BEWARE: This email originated outside of our organization. DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello again all! Thank you to those who've already shared their favorite barn and ceilidh dances with me! I'm having trouble searching the Shared Weight archives, so apologies if this has been asked before. After discovering that the space allotted to my dance event this Sunday is fairly small, I'm now looking for dances in space-efficient formations. The dance floor is about 10 paces wide and deep, so about the right size for four 8-person squares. It's not a great size for longways sets, so I'm thinking scatter mixers and concentric circles might be good — maybe some triplets?? "Squares" four more than 8, Like Monkey in the Middle? What miniature dances do you brilliant people have up your sleeves? 🙂 Ang