The instructions given here are meant as an aide memoire to help experienced dancers familiarize themselves with the dances we will be doing. They will probably be inadequate to get you dancing if you have not done country dancing before. However you need not have these dances memorized as all dances will be taught at the Ball.
Duple Proper Longways Waltz
| A1 | First corners set in place, not moving forward (1-2), The same two right-hand turn halfway (3-4) |
| A2 | Second corners the same (1-4) |
| B | Facing partner, all fall back taking 2 single steps (1-2), Partners cross by right shoulder (3-4), Same 2 couples single file circle clockwise once around (5-8), Partners two-hand turn (9-12) |
| A1 | 1's lead down through 2's and cast back to place (1-4), 1's two-hand turn (5-8) |
| A2 | 2's lead up through 1's and cast back to place (1-4), 2's two-hand turn (5-8) |
| B1 | 1st corners two-hand turn (1-4), 2nd corners two-hand turn (5-8) |
| B2 | All face partners, take hands along the side, and set twice (1-4), 3 changes of rights and lefts, right to partner to start (5-8) |
| A1 | Circle left halfway (1-2), 1's cast up (3-4) |
| A2 | Repeat A1 (1-4) |
| B1 | Gents figure 8 through the ladies (1-4), 4 changes of a circular hey, start by passing neighbor by right shoulder (5-8) |
| B2 | Ladies figure 8 through the gents (1-4), Neighbors lead out and back (5-6), 1's cast down while 2's lead up (7-8) |
Duple Proper Longways Waltz
| A1 | 1's dance assisted half figure 8 down through 2's (1-4), 1st gent and 2nd lady dance assisted half figure 8 across the set (5-8) |
| A2 | 2nd gent and 1st lady dance assisted half figure 8 across the set (1-4), 2's dance assisted half figure 8 down through 1's (5-8) |
| B | Mirror back-to-back, 2's down the center between the 1's to start (1-4), Circle left once around (5-8), Mirror back-to-back, 1's up the center between the 2's to start (9-12), All gypsy partners 1 1/2 to end proper (13-16) |
Duple Proper Longways Waltz
| A | 1's set to each other, then two-hand turn halfway (1-4), Neighbors set, then two-hand turn halfway (5-8) |
| B | Partners back to back (1-4), Circle left halfway, balance the circle, fall back with neighbor (5-8) |
| C | Gents lead ladies into an open ladies chain; gents cast left while
ladies turn by right halfway, meet partners by left and turn once
around (1-4), Repeat to finish the chain (5-8) |
| D | 1's pass through across by right shuolders and cast down,
2's wait and then start half figure 8 above as soon as the 1's are
clear (1-4), 1's do half figure 8 above while 2's meet in the center and lead up (5-8) |
| A1 | 1's lead up through the couple above and cast down to place (1-4), 1's lead down through the 2's and cast up to place (5-8) |
| A2 | 1's half figure 8 through the 2's (1-4), 1's right-hand turn once around, end improper and facing down (5-8) |
| B1 | All back-to-back with neighbors (1-4), All two-hand turn with neighbors (5-8) |
| B2 | All back-to-back with partners (1-4), 1's two-hand turn halfway and cast down one place while 2's two-hand turn, moving up the center one place (5-8) |
Part 1:
| A | Forward a double and back (1-4), That again (5-8) |
| B1 | With opposite fall back a double and come forward a double (1-4), Turn opposite by the right (5-8) |
| B2 | With partner fall back a double and come forward a double (1-4), Turn partner by the left (5-8) |
Part 2:
| A | Side right with partner (1-4), Side left with opposite (5-8) |
| B1&2 | Chorus |
Part 3:
| A | Arm right with partner (1-4), Arm left with opposite (5-8) |
| B1&2 | Chorus |
| A1 | Up a double and back (1-4), Set to partner (5-6), Two-hand turn halfway (7-8) |
| A2 | Down a double and back (1-4), Set to partner (5-6), Two-hand turn halfway (7-8) |
| B1 | Middle couples half figure 8 through the nearest end couple (1-4), Circle left in fours halfway (5-6), Fall back with neighbor (7-8) |
| B2 | Face this neighbor: 3 changes of a grand chain, so that
you cross to your own side at the ends of the set (1-4), Two-hand turn partner (5-8) |
| A | 1's lead down through 2's and cast back to place (1-4), 2's lead up through 1's and cast back to place (5-8) |
| B1 | 1st corners trade places (1-2), 2nd corners trade places (3-4), All fall back a double, then come forward a double turning single (5-8) |
| B2 | Partners trade places passing right shoulders (1-2),
[turn back on neighbor, 2's face up, 1's face down] Neighbors trade places, backing up and passing right shoulders (3-4), [end in original places facing partners across the set] 3 changes of a circular hey, skipping (5-8) |
Note:
As part of a continuing experiment we hope to dance this dance with no
teaching or prompting. If you know the dance, or feel you are experienced
enough to pick up a new dance easily, please join in. This is a fairly
straightforward dance so dancing with an experienced partner may be sufficient,
even if you don't know the dance. However, if you don't feel confident enough
to join in we hope you will enjoy the performance of the other dancers.
Videos of some people doing this dance. Be aware that our local styling may be a bit different than that seen in the videos. However, these should give you a feel for how the dance fits the music and some ideas for how to make your own dancing elegant and graceful.
| A1 | Hey for three on the side of the set, 1's and 2's start passing right shoulders (1-8) |
| A2 | All 6 slipping circle left (1-4), Then back to the right (5-8) |
| B1 | Set right, then left to partner (across the set) and cross the set
[pass right, turn right] (1-4), Set left, then right to partner (across the set) and cross the set [pass left, turn left] (5-8) |
| B2 | 1st corners change [cross left, turn left] (1-2), Second corners change [cross right, turn right] (3-4), 1's and 2's end facing neighbors (1's face up, 2's face down), 1's and 2's do three changes of a circular hey (start passing neighbor by right) to progress (5-8) |
| A | 1st corners turn by the right about 3/4, then return to places,
1st gent moving below and around behind the 2nd gent (1-4), 2nd corners turn by the left about 3/4, then return to places, 1st lady moving below and around behind the 2nd lady (5-8) |
| B | Take inside hands with neighbor and fall back 6 steps (1-2), Come forward 3 steps (3), turn single to the right (4), Face partners and dance 3 changes of a circular hey, ending in a line of 4 facing up with the 1's in the center (5-8), Lines of 4 lead up 3 steps (9), and fall back 3 steps (10), 2's gate the 1's around to progressed place (11-12) |
| A1 | Lady 1 leads the other two ladies around the line of gents and back to place (1-8) |
| A2 | Gent 1 leads the other two gents around the line of ladies and back to place (1-8) |
| B1 | 1’s and 2’s poussette CCW once and a half to change places (1-6), 1’s advance to their 1st corners (7-8) |
| B2 | 1st corners set (1-2), 1’s dance round each other CW, maintaining their back to back position, to face 2nd corners (3-4), 2nd corners set (5-6), 1’s dance round each other CW, maintaining their back to back position, to end in 2nd position on their proper side (7-8) |
| C1 | All circle left (1-4), All circle back to the right (5-8) |
| C2 | 1’s dance parallel figure eights on opposite sides: 1’s cross by the left, cast up around the 2’s, meet and dance down between the 2’s, separate and dance down outside the 3’s (who move up), and cross at the bottom to their proper side (1-8) |
Here is a video of this dance illustrating a possible option for the stationary dancers in the A parts. This should give you a feel for how the dance fits the music and some ideas for how to make your own dancing elegant and graceful.
| A1 | Gent 1 slow set and honor, right, then left, to lady 2 (1-4), Same two two-hand turn and return to places (5-8) |
| A2 | Lady 1 the same to gent 2 (1-8) |
| B1 | 1's cast to 2nd place, 2's move up (1-2), 1's and 3's circle left one time (3-6), Gent skip up around top couple to end in partner's place while lady 1 skip down below bottom couple to end in partner's place (1's now improper) (7-10), 1's two-hand turn halfway (11-12) |
| B2 | 3's cast up to 2nd place, 1's move down (1-2), 2's and 3's circle left one time (at top) (3-6), Gent 3 skip up around top couple to end in partner's place while lady 3 skip down below bottom couple to end in partner's place (3's now improper) (7-10), 3's two-hand turn halfway (11-12) |
| A1 | 1st corners set forward and turn single back to place (1-4), 1st corners right-hand turn (5-8) |
| A2 | 2nd corners repeat A1; all finish close to partner (5-8) |
| B | Neighbors take inside hands and fall back a double (1-2), Partners cross by the right shoulder and turn right to face, finishing close to partner (3-4), Repeat all that again, ending in original places (5-8), 3 changes of a circular hey, start passing partner by right shoulder (9-12), Cast and Lead: 2's cast down, meet and lead up while the 1's lead up and cast down to progressed places (13-16) |
Double Circle Waltz Mixer: Face partners, gents with backs to middle of the circle, ladies with backs to the wall
| A1 | Cousin's siding: Partners advance to stand left shoulder to left shoulder (1), Turn left halfway so that right shoulders meet [gents facing in, ladies facing out] (2), Gypsy right shoulder 3/4 CW to partner's original place (3-4), Balance forward and back (5-6), Turn single (7-8) |
| A2 | Repeat A1 back to place (1-8) |
| B1 | All face CW, join inside hands with partner, dance around
the circle (1-3), Turn toward partner halfway round to face CCW (4), Dance CCW (5-6), Turn single away from partner (gents left, ladies right) to face CW (7-8) |
| B2 | Repeat B1, except on bars 7-8 gents turn single, while ladies cast back one place to meet new partner |