Hi Rick,
On the "longways dances" front, I've written a couple that I use regularly, and few that I wrote, but seem too challenging for the regular longways crowds of weddings and fall festivals. Possibly these would suit your teens. If you do give them a try, please let me know how they go and what you think.
Longways I've used a fair bit:
Charge and Drag
Luke Donforth
Type: Longways
Formation: Other
Level: Beginner
A1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Partner Do-si-do
A2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing (or two hand turn), end facing up the set and separate
B1 -----------
(16) Top & Bottom couple make arches
Top couple go down over left line; Bottom couple go up over right line
B2 -----------
(8) bottom & top couples charge (sashay) the middle of the set, meet in the middle
(8) couple below drag couple above to bottom of the set
Notes: In B1, both couples are going over the line that’s on their left as they face the set. It’s the caller’s left for the folks at the top, and the callers right for the folks on the bottom
Green Mountain Ski Wedding
by Luke Donforth
Longways/Proper/Beginner
(this almost never stays square to the tune)
A1 -----------
Whole Group Oval Left until across from partner again
Partner Do-si-do
A2 -----------
Bottom (was top) couple slalom (weave) back and forth up the set
B1 -----------
Whole group oval right until across from partner again
B2 -----------
Partner allemande Left
Partner allemande Right
Revive the High Five
by Luke Donforth
Longways/Proper
A1 -----------
(4) Long lines slide left
(4) long lines slide right
8) Partner allemande Left 1x
A2 -----------
(4) Long lines slide right
(4) long lines slide left
(8) Partner allemande Right 1x
B1 -----------
(8) Partner Do-si-do
(8) Partner swing
B2 -----------
(16) Shuffle the set
(Promenade randomly around the room, then come back to a different place to reform the long set; if you have more than one set, they can set jump)
More challenging longways dances (I've tried these at house-parties with experienced dancers, but not really in the field):
The Fountain
Type: Longways
Progression 1,2,3,4,5 -> 2,3,4,5,1
Top couple makes an arch and goes over the other two lines
The rest move up, and when the reach the top, they make an arch and go down over the rest of the line
When the bottom couple reaches the top, they separate (peel the banana style) and lead their line down the outside (no hands). Everyone except the original top couple (now at the bottom) follows.
(note, leading to the bottom, not coming back up through)
The couple at the bottom swings, and as other folks get back to line; they can swing their partner.
Long lines forward and back
(optional:
Allemande your partner
Other hand Allemande your partner
)
Long Corners
Type: Longways
Progression: 1 2 3 4 5 => 5 1 2 3 4
top in left line trade with bottom in right line, giving a high five with the left hand in the middle
then next trade and high five, and the next, until both lines have swapped and you're across from partner again
the pair at the top of the line (was bottom couple) stays put and swings each other around, while two lines go around the mountain - giving your partner a high five with your right when you pass
head of each line leads back down to bottom of their original side of the set and stays there. Everyone else follows in their line
DSD partner straight across
long lines forward and back
Notes:
go around the mountain is a cross trail through: up, over, and back down
Mirror Match
Longways/Other
Progression: 1 2 3 4 5 => 2 3 4 5 1
Head couple goes down the hall
One of the head couple comes back up the hall, interacting with three people on the way (DSD, allemande, swing, etc). Head person picks the people, they pick the move
Long lines, forward and back
Partner Do-si-do
Other head person comes up the hall, and has to interact with the partner of the ones their partner picked, and do the same move.
IF the set agrees that the head couple matched, they can walk down the middle,
ELSE the set takes hands with partner, and the head couple separates and goes down outside
(optional:
Allemande your partner
Other hand Allemande your partner
)
Have fun!