The Bay Area Country Dance Society Website

Home | Dance Series | Special Events and Projects | Dance Camps & Weekends | Performance Teams | Organization | Dance/Music Links | Online and Printable Calendars | Take Transit to Dances! | Buy Our CD! (Online Purchase Available) | For More Information |

This page is:

Program

2023 BACDS Playford Ball — The Dances

Astonished Archaeologist
Crinkle Crankle
Easter Thursday
Fandango (will not be talked through)
Hambleton's Round O
Highland Farewell
Lissome Lass
Marina
Michael and All Angels
Old Mill (Merry Salopians) (will not be talked through)
Potters Wheel
Prince William (will not be talked through)
Sister Jean
Smithy Hill
St. Martin's Lane
Take A Dance
Vivaldi in Paradise
Walpole Cottage

Glossary

Usage Explanation
California Twirl Starts from a pair holding inside hands facing the same direction. Raise joined hands in an arch, person on the right walk forward and to the left to go under the arch while the other one walks forward and to the right to go around, Result is that the pair are each where the other started and facing exactly opposite their starting direction. One kind of "Twirl to swap".
Swat-the-flea Is a twirl to change places, which starts with the two people involved facing and taking left hands, then twirling as described above. In "Smithy Hill" the inside people (first corner people) go under while outside people go around; they've swapped places and are still facing because they each turned 180 degrees.
Circular Hey/Rights and Lefts Here, "rights and lefts" means change across with partner by right hand, change with neighbor along the line by left hand. "Circular Hey" means the same figure done without hands.
Circle Hand The hand you'd take with your partner if you were forming a circle in your current foursome.
Dolphin Hey A dolphin hey is a hey for three with four people; the 1s, starting in the center, acting as a unit throughout. As the 1s go round at the ends each stays closer to the wall to which they started closer, so they alternate who is in the lead.)
Mirror Hey A weaving figure for three couples in which ends lead into the set and bulge out as they reach 2nd place, while those in 2nd place bulge out and curve in to meet at the ends. Each person stays on their original side of the center line, mirroring their partner to match their distance from the center line. In a crossover mirror hey, only the 1s cross the center line and only at home place; to cross, pass partner right shoulder and continue down the outside, to bulge out in middle place.
Morris Hey A variation on the mirror hey where the ends cast away from 'partner' to meet in 2nd place and those in second place lead up or down. Each person stays on the side of the center line they started on.
Right shoulder around Two people orbit around each other clockwise without touching while looking at each other's faces. Like a right-hand turn with no hands.
Right side (wall) / Left side (wall) Defined in relation to a person in the set facing up.
Corners The corners that have top left side and bottom right side are first corners. The others are second corners. "First corner people" is used for the people who started out on the first corners whereever they are now; "First corners" means whoever is in that spot.
Long corners In a three-couple longways set the top (#1) left side and the bottom (#3) right side are on the "first long corners". The other diagonal is "second long corners".
Contra Corners In a three-couple longways set with the 1s in second place, when each 1 turns the person found diagonally to their right (as they face partner), both turns happen on the first long corners, and the turns are with their first contra corners. Similarly the next corner turn (diagonally to your their left as they face partner) is on the long second corners. Contra corners can start with partner or with 1st contra corner. In Fandango and Prince William they are corner-partner turns; in Walpole Cottage the active people are opposites, and they turn each other first before turning first corner.

Astonished Archaeologist (click for video)

Dance: Philippe Callens, 1992
Formation: three-couple longways

A1 1-4
5-8		 All set to partner and turn RH half;
repeat (with same turn RH) back to place.
A2 1-4
5-8		 Those who can, R diagonals go back to back;
all two-hand turn partner three-quarters into line of six, then turn away over rsh so that partners are standing back to back.
B1 1-6
7-8		 Hey for six (ends start by looping L, others pass R) until partners meet;
partners left shoulder around three-quarters to end facing partner across.
B2 1-4
5-8		 Lines fall back a double and come forward;
top two couples circle L half and cross R with partner WHILE bottom couple two-hand turn once.
(progression 2-3-1)

Crinkle Crankle

Dance: Alan Winston, 2022
Tune: Twin Centers of the Universe by Susie Secco, played AB
Formation: longways duple minor

A "crinkle crankle" is a single wythe serpentine wall; a wythe is one front-to-back layer of bricks.

Dance starts with first corner people already in a wavy line down center of set, hands joined, hands low-ish as in a pousette, bodies a step back.
A 1 ALL balance forward toward partner
2 ALL balance back
3-4 Those in line right hand turn 1/4 and curve out to corner's home place on the sideline, facing across
5-8 Long oval right shoulder around with neighbor across the set; second corners go enough more to finish in wavy line, left hand with each other, as above
9-10 ALL balance forward and back
11-12 In the wavy line, left-hand turn 1/4 and curve out to sideline (facing partner)
13-16 Partners (progressed and crossed over) long oval left shoulder around and put left hands in for
B 1-4 Left hand star all the way into
5-8 Double mad robin CCW (walking forward rather than sliding sideways) [first corners go outside first, second corners go inside] first corners finish facing out
9-12 1st corners in lead, partners chase (going quite wide outside set lines) to home place, 1st corners turning left to face partner
13-16 half CCW poussette (progressed place), with first corners forming the line with new neighbors as partners finish in side lines.

Easter Thursday

Dance: Walsh, 1733 (Reconstruction by Carl Wittman)
Formation: Longways duple minor

A1 1-3
4-6		 Neighbors back to back,
partners back to back;
A2 1-3
4-6		 neighbors turn RH, (note this differs from the linked video)
partners turn LH.
B1 1-2
3-4
5-6		 Set advancing toward the center;
turn single back to place and clap [see note below]
circle L.
B2 1-2
3-4
5-6		 1s half figure eight down,
then cross and go below, 2s leading up
partners two-hand turn, open facing new neighbors.
NOTE: Clapping in B1:

Set R 1 - 2 - 3
Set L 1 - 2 - 3
Turn single 6 beats, clap falls on beat 4. Say "Turn 2 3 CLAP 5 6".

Fandango (will not be talked through)

Dance: Thompson 1774, reconstructed by Heffer & Porter
Formation: three-couple longways

A1 1-4
5-8		 1s RH turn all the way, finishing close;
1s long cast to second place
A2 1-8 1s LH turn, cast to bottom.
B1 1-8 Slipping circle left and right.
B2 1-6
7-8		 1s lead up center to top, cast down to middle as 3s
1s turn single down.
A3 1-4
5-8		 1s and their first corners turn two hands, opening up early so
1s two hands turn about 1 and a quarter to face first corners
A4 1-4
5-8		 1s with second corners 2 hand turn three-quarters
1s with partner, 2 hand turn, speeding up from walking to skipping.
B3 1-8 1s solo figure eight through couple on their left.
B4 1-8 1s pass each other by Lsh to start skipping heys for three on the other end; pass first corner left shoulder to start (all moving) 1s meet in middle and lead down as 3s come up outside to 2nd place.

Hambleton's Round O

Dance: Playford, 1710 Bentley reconstruction
Formation: triple minor

A 1s cast to center place, hey for three across the ends with the couple to their individual right. 1s end a little early and turn two hands, ending proper facing UP.
B The rest of the dance involves just the 1s and 2s. First corner places cross, others cross, circle four half, turn single R. Four changes of a circular hey.

Highland Farewell

Dance: Pat Petersen, 2010
Tune: Highlander's Farewell (trad)
Formation: Longways duple minor

A1 1-4
5-8		 partners right hand turn
All 4 circle left
A2 1-4
5-8		 All 4 circle right
partners left-hand turn
B1 1-4
5-8		 1s cross and go below, 2s leading up
1s half-figure eight up to own side
B2 1-8 Partners start four changes of rights and lefts (hands)

Lissome Lass

Dance: Sharon Green, 2016
Tune: Paulina by Patti Cobb, 2016
Formation: Longways duple minor

A1 1-4
5-8		 Second corners balance forward and back, turn single
Same people two-hand turn 1 and a half times, fall back in corners place
A2 1-8 First corners the same
B 1-4
5-8
9-10
11-12
13-16		 Partners back to back
Neighbors the same
Partners start 2 quick changes of a circular hey
Partners two-hand turn once round into
Double Mad Robin clockwise one and a half times to progress [slide sideways around neighbor, facing partner the whole time]

Marina

Dance: Elizabeth Zekley, 2004
Tune: Mickie Zekley, 1987 (for his daughter Marina)
Formation: Longways duple minor

NB: four steps to a measure

A 1 Right hand star half;
2 turn single left.
3-4 repeat exactly to home place.
B 1-2 1s lead down and cast up around 2s.
3-4 Neighbors mirror turns - 1s through the middle first- one and a half times to change places (1s finish facing out) continue that motion into ...
5-8 All double figure 8, 1s casting up, 2s crossing down to start. End in progressed place.

Michael and All Angels

Dance: Fried Herman
Formation: Longways duple minor

A1 1-2
3-4
5-8 		First corners right shoulder around.
Same people cast left/counter-clockwise around same-side neighbor; orbit to each other's place.
Same people meet and LH turn all the way around.
A2 1-8 Second corners left shoulder around, cast right, orbit, RH turn. [all now crossed over]
B 1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8		 Right hands across, half.
First corners change places passing face to face with with two chassez steps.
Left hands across, half.
Left hands across, half.
C 1-4
5-8		 Circle in single file (clockwise) until all on own side
Clockwise half pousette (to home place)
D 1-2
3-4		 Keeping hands, partners balance forward and back.
1s cast down, 2s move up.

Old Mill (Merry Salopians) (will not be talked through)

Formation: Three-couple longways

A1 1s CHASE WITH FIRST LONG CORNER TURN First corner top (leader) casts down between the 2 people on own side and turns right hand with corner WHILE partner balances back and follows the same track, overtaking the lead. Now in the lead, partner goes out between the two people on the other side, up the outside, and across the top, with the old lead following, so each comes to partner's place; new lead turns down to face back and 1s turn LH half to finish at home.
A2 As above with the 1s roles reversed, 2nd corners turn LH, lead turns down, is turn RH half, keep the hand, and face down.
B 1s lead down to middle place then turn left a quarter to face the same line side by side; Morris hey ACROSS the set, finishing by turning right hand three-quarters to finish improper in second place. (no cast at start)

1s cross right shoulder, go up outside to first place, turn single DOWN, then lead down the center, with 2s and 3s coming up the sides to follow them down. 1s, reaching third place, cast to second; 2s reaching third place stay there, 3s reaching first place stay there to start the dance again as 1s.

Potters Wheel

Dance: Brooke Friendly / Chris Sackett
Tune: The Snowy Path by Altan
Formation: Longways duple minor

1-4
5-8
9-12
13-14
15-16 		Partners start four changes of rights and lefts
1s turn right hands once and a half; original first corner person faces down, partner tucks in behind
Dolphin hey with 2s
All progress - 1s individually down to own spot, 2s curl up the outside.
partners right hand turn

Prince William (will not be talked through)

Dance: Walsh, 1731, Pat Shaw reconstruction
Formation: Three-couple longways

A1&2 double crossover mirror hey
B1 1s cross, go down outside to middle (2s moving up on 3&4), turn two hands once and a half to end proper and progressed.
B2 2s do what the 1s did.
A3&4 CORNER-PARTNER CONTRA CORNERS AS THOUGH FROM PROGRESSED PLACE [to enter, 2s up the outside to first place while 1s cross Lsh to their first corners, 1s are very briefly back to back along long first diagonal. From there, first corners RH, 1s LH, second corners RH, 1s turn LH more than once and finish facing the right side wall.
B3 1s lead out through the gap in the middle of the line, cast individually round the ends, turn two hands once and a quarter, and open facing the other line.
B4 As above with the other line; on the concluding two hand turn ones travel turning to third place while 3s come up the outside to starting place for the next round.

Sister Jean

Dance: Alan Winston, 2009
Tune: trad jig from Shetland
Formation: Improper longways duple minor

A1 1-2
3
4
5-6
7-8 		1s (starting outside foot) lead down through 2s for 4 steps,
1s balance away from partner and
1s California Twirl (right-side person goes under) to face up
1s lead up for 4 steps
1s cloverleaf turn single to finish in partner's place
A2 1-8 As in A1, but 2s start by leading up through 1s.
All now crossed over; facing neighbors
B1 1-4
5-8		 Mirror back-to-back, 1s split 2s first
1s cross down, 2s continue up the outside to start double half-figure-eight, face in.
B2 1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8		 1st corners cross
2nd corners cross
partners, facing, take circle hand and balance toward and away from partner
then twirl-to-swap (original 1st corners going under) to face new neighbors

Smithy Hill

Dance: Brian Jenkins in Hunter's Moon
Formation: Improper longways duple minor

A1 All four circle left half, step-set left; then right. Same again.
B1 1st corners change, second corners change; repeat and all end facing out.
A2 Neighbors lead out holding inside hand; California Twirl to face back in. [right-side person goes under, left-side person goes around] Right-side people turn each other RH half to give LH to partner; swat-the-flea (inside people go under, outside people around) to finish facing partner in a column of four, former outside people now have backs to each other in middle place, still holding left with partner.
B2 pull by left hand to start half of a hey for four. When partners meet again, take poussette position, then original second corners draw partner to progressed place, ending with a set left and right.

St. Martin's Lane

Dance: Playford, 1696
Tune: Purcell, reconstruction Christine Helwig 1995
Formation: triple minor

A1
 FIRST LONG CORNERS TURN
1-2 Top casts to middle place (neighbor moving up)
3-6 corner people two hand turn
7-8 opening out from the two-hand turn top continues up the outside to home (neighbor moving back to middle)
A2
 SECOND LONG CORNERS TURN
1-8 as above
B 1-2 1s lead down the center (2s up the outside); end facing 3s.
3-8 1s and 3s dance a full double figure of eight, 1s crossing down and casting up to start WHILE couple 3 cast up and cross down to start. [1s now facing up]
9-14 1s cross up, 2s cast down to start another full double figure 8 finishing all on own sides, 1s in second place.
15-19 Partners two-hand turn once round and fall back to sidelines in progressed places.

Take A Dance

Dance: Thompson, 1765. Reconstruction: Kathryn and David Wright
Formation: Longways duple minor

A1 1-4
5-8 		1s lead down between 2s & cast up to place
1s at home, two hand turn once around.
A2 1-8 2s do the same
B1 1-4
5-8		 1s cross and go below, 2s leading up
1s half figure eight up.
B2 1-8 Partners start four changes of rights and lefts.

Vivaldi in Paradise

Dance: Gary Roodman (Prime Calculated Figures, 2005)
Tune: Vivaldi and Van Kaynor
Formation: Improper Longways duple minor

A1 1-4
5-8 		1s lead down through 2s and cast back to place.
QUICK LEAD: 1s lead UP through 2s above and immediately turn and lead back to place.
A2 1-4
5-8 		2s lead UP through 1s and cast back to place.
2s QUICK LEAD down through next 1s and back to place.
B 1-8 OVERLAPPING HEYS FOR THREE ALONG THE LINE: With neighbor and the next person along the line, do a RSH hey for three (pass neighbor R, left shoulder around next one to face back to neighbor), right shoulder around with neighbor to progressed place. To put it another way, pass one, left shoulder around the next, right shoulder around the first.
C 1-4
5-8		 In original fours, corners cross, neighbors face
neighbors pass through by right and partners turn two-hands HALF, open up facing next neighbors

Walpole Cottage

Dance and tune: Pat Shaw 1963
Formation: Sicilian Circle threesomes, three facing three, each threesome has one middle and two ends.

Intro: Lines forward and back.
A Middles initiate super-contra corners, turning right with each other ("short arm hold" - ie, elbows bent), left to right-hand opposite, right to other middle, left to left-opposite, etc. Once started, all four corners are turned in counterclockwise order.
B Ends right hand star, left hands back. Middles face right to start right shoulder heys for three in own lines.
C Lines forward and back, circle six half. Forward and back; basket swing, open up to face new couple (with, peRHaps, a new middle).
Note: Trios may choose to negotiate other holds for the basket swing; one possibility is triangle swing: own hands crossed in front, hold the hands nearest your own.

 

Fragrance Free Policy

Unless otherwise noted, layout and content Copyright © 2002-2023, Bay Area Country Dance Society. All rights reserved.