Dugan --
Over in English-country-dance land there are a zillion longways duple minor waltz-time dances. Some of them have contra figures.
Gary Roodman's "Winter Dreams Waltz" to Jonathan Jensen's tune starts off with a leisurely unassisted 1s cast down and face up while 2s lead up and face down which will require a demonstration, but after that it's mirror gypsy, pass through across, courtesy turn, left -had-star, long lines fall back/come forward, circle left 1x,square-thru 2 (no balances), partner two-hand-turn once round, whch should all be pretty accessible for contra dancers, and it's a gorgeous dance. (There's a couple of videos up of it which each show people who don't have hold of it yet.)
I wrote this one which has English figures that have already
infiltrated contra dance (poussette, dolphin hey); even though
it's not standard contra figures (and the right hand turn halfway
isn't an allemande) I think contra dancers will like it.
MOVEMENT AFOOT
Alan Winston - thought of it at AmWeek, Jul 3, 2013
longways duple minor
Tune: "Steciaks" in waltz book II, by Larry Unger
A1: 1-2: Men set forward to women (boureeish, stamping optional)
3-4: Men fall back as women come forward
5-6: All turn single R
7-8: All RH turn halfway
A2: As above, with women leading. Keep right hands ...
B1: 1-4: ... take left hands as well for Clockwise half poussette
(progressed)
5-8: contra-style Mad Robin (W1 and M2 through the middle
first)
B2: 1-8: 1s acting as a unit, dolphin hey for three
(M1 turns round coming out of the mad robin to give Left
shoulder
to M2, W1 takes the lead, giving right to M2 on the other
side,
M1 takes the lead to arrive progressed and proper.)
NOTE: Alan is agreeable to couple-dance style variations in the
half-poussette,
and in general hopes for a spirit of flirtatious play.
Here's a video into which I had no input, where some of the
dancers have the spirit. (They don't seem to understand that in
A1 1-2 the women should stand their ground rather than falling
back, but it's an acceptable variation.)
Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune? I danced one once many years ago and haven't thought much about it since, though it was pretty special.
Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!
Dugan Murphy
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