15 Apr
2018
15 Apr
'18
12:01 a.m.
Last night I ran a version of Tamlin's Cross at the local monthly dance.
Many dancers found it challenging, but folks seemed to enjoy it.
The version I ran:
Tamlin's Cross (variation)
4x4
A1
(4) All 8 go into the middle
(4) Ladies roll partners away on the way out
(8) Corner Swing, square set
A2
(8) Gents left hands star 1x; gents drop out
(8) Ladies left hands across star 1x;
ladies keep hands, and take right hand with corner (making crossed wavy
lines of 4)
B1
(4) Balance the wavy lines of four
(12) half grand hey, start passing corner you swung by right
then turn away from corner you swung
B2
(16) Partner Balance and Swing
End the swing facing new couple, having swapped sides with your trail-buddy
couple
Two notes on calling:
I ran it with a gents hands-across star; but I think it may work better
with a mill-grip star for the gents, to get them all the way around faster
(ladies still want hands across for the balance).
One caller who got to dance it suggested describing the grand hey in the
middle as a traffic circle, that everyone merges in and out of, rather than
as a hands-free star. I'll try that next time.
Note on the name:
As some of you may know, my wife and I just had our second child a month
ago; and she's named Tamlin. I was spending some time at 2 am bouncing her
while she was fussy; and thought "Tamlin's cross... that's got to be the
name of a dance". It's one of the few instances of a dance title coming to
me before the choreography. And although she's a remarkably chill baby,
I've still had plenty of early hours awake time to mull over choreography
and this bubbled up.
Thank you all for your feedback and insights!
Luke