Gretchen,
I have seen this dance called by Phil Jamison. In a big circle, this dance
goes on for a while, but many people can be dancing at one time. Once the
women have danced all the way around, the women can turn the men and the men
can do the visiting. This would indeed be a long dance, but back in the day,
this would have been extremely fun and not at all boring.
What I enjoy about this dance is the chance to turn smoothly with your partner,
and then turn the next person in the circle with the left, smoothly going
around into the allemande with your partner again. It can be really rhythmic
and did I mention smooth? You can get a nice groove going with it. It would
be a fun dance for newer dancers, especially with a driving old-time band.
It sounds as though you have the entire dance. Once you get the dancers going
("Turn your partner with a shoofly swing") there is no more calling necessary
until you want to bring that part of the dance to a close and perhaps finish
with a big circle or grand right and left.
Suzanne Girardot
Seattle, WA
-----Original Message-----
>From: Gretchen Caldwell <[email protected]>
>Sent: Apr 29, 2008 12:12 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Callers] Shoofly Swing
>
>I'm looking for a circle dance called, I believe, "Shoofly Swing". Cubby
>Whitehead used to end every evening with it in Bradenton Florida in the late
>1980s. It involves one couple starting with an allemande right, lady then
>allemandes next gent by left, then partner by right, next gent by left, and so
>on. After the allemanding partners have passed you by, you and your partner
>join until the whole circle is peeling off in one amazing mass of allemandes.
>Anyone have it?
>I've just joined the list, have been calling for two years, and appreciate the
>support of the community. I plan to try Microchasmic soon for our weekly
>Monday night dance, where the level of dancing is, surprise surprise,
>improving as we three local callers try more challenging dances. Not a lot of
>contracorners going on. This triplet might be just the thing.
>Gretchen Caldwell
>Charlotte NC
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