Rich Sbardella wrote:

<< I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some easy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners and/or club square dancers.>>

Let me mention two of mine: Flirtation Reel and Hey Fever.

In Flirtation Reel, the hey is done from an uncommon setup (ones in center back to back, facing neighbor) and it starts with a right shoulder on the side rather than in the center. But it’s a very forgiving dance: with a hey into a gypsy into a swing, there’s lots of catch-up time if a dancer is late completing the hey.

Hey Fever goes from a hey to a balance with new neighbor to begin the next round. When I’m working with people (e.g. club square dancers) who aren’t used to balances, I sometimes change a balance to a do-si-do (dos-a-dos).

Tony Parkes

Billerica, Mass.