[Callers] Contras for One Nighters

[Kalia Kliban via Callers]

On 3/5/2016 10:44 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
> I rarely call a contra at a One Night Party Dance, but occasionally I am
> asked to.  I have a few in my cards, but can anyone make some sure fire
> recommendations.
>
> Assume 95%-100% non dancers.

Just getting to the duple minor progression can be quite a process.  The 
simplest duple minor I've got is not technically a contra (it's an 
English ceilidh dance), but works well as a mine-sweeper to see whether 
more complex duples will work.  It's called the Itchington Long Dance 
(Hugh Rippon, 1990).  Star L/R; cnrs dosido; 1s down/bk/cast; 1s swing 
and look down for new Ns.  If your crowd is up for it and you've got 
room, the B2 can be a general P swing, but I like to do it just for the 
1s to make the progression clearer.

Washington Quickstep (a contra chestnut) is good too, and if the 1s lose 
track of who needs to be on the right after the swing, nothing terrible 
happens.  Star R/L, 1s dn/bk/cast; R&L thru over/bk; LLFB, 1s sw.

Kalia