Ridge wrote:
I've noted before that I do this dance every year for a lakeside community
(dancers arrive in boats) where we do dances from the 40s and 50s…
I've thought I should come up with a good Pistol Packin Mamma figure but
have not found one I like.
Ridge, do you know the Jitterbug Square? I believe it was the “standard” figure to Pistol Packin’ Mama in some communities.
First old couple out to the right and circle four hands round;
Swing your opposite lady, swing her up and down.
Push her away and pull her in and give her a great big hug;
Push her away and pull her in just like a jitterbug.
Take *that* lady on to the next/last and circle four hands round…
So Gent 1 takes Lady 2 to Couple 3, then he takes Lady 3 to Couple 4, then he takes Lady 4 home with him, so each lady has moved one place to the right and everyone has their corner.
Normally it’s not good practice to combine a partner change with a one-couple-active figure. Uptown, Downtown is a prime example: If each couple is called out once, the same lady is active four times and no other lady is active at all.
But in the Jitterbug figure, the “active” and “passive” couples do basically the same thing, so it doesn’t matter as much who is officially active.
The “push her away” action is the same as the patter figure “Step right back and watch her smile, step right up and swing her awhile.” From a swing in closed (waltz) position, the couple retain their “pointy” joined hands (lady’s right,
gent’s left) and separate to arms’ length, then move in and resume closed position.
I used Jitterbug to Pistol Packin’ at the huge DC Square Dance (200 noisy people on the floor). They got it right away and loved it.
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(to be published Summer 2017)