Hi All,
I've written several dances with variants of the Down the Hall business:
*Curly Cues*
Improper
Erik Hoffman
A1 Ones Split Twos (Twos moving up), with Next Couple Mirror Gypsy,
Ones heading Out - Twos in Center, Ones come Up the Outside past first
Twos (twos moving back down), Ones Cross All the Way Over to end of Line
with First Twos (WWMM, Ones on the ends, Twos in the center)
A2 Down Center Four in Line (4), Fold Line, Twos Back Out to Reform
Line (still WWMM, now Ones in center) (4), Ret (4), Hand Cast (4)
B1 Ones turn Contra Corners
B2 Ones Balance & Swing, end facing down.
An Alternate, simpler A1: Ones Down the Center past Two, Up the
outside to Place, Cross to Line as above. In this version, the Twos can
steal a Swing, end facing up, just in time to assist their Same-Sex
Neighbor into the WWomenM line.
And, I know, with the modern rage of alternating corners, this can
be done as an alternating corners dance, but I prefer it as an "Actives
& Inactives" dance.
Curly Cues is my variant of Chorus Jig...
==============
The next has what I call "The Big U Turn." I think Tony Parkes wrote a
dance with The Big U Turn in it, too.
*Train of Thought*
Improper
Erik Hoffman May 29, 1992
A1 Allemande Left Neighbor 1½; Half Hey, Women start, Right shoulder
(actually, 3/8: WR, PL, MR)
A2 (coming out of the Hey, form a Circle, Men backing out to put
Partner in Left) Circle Left ¾; Swing Partner
B1 Down Hall 4 in Line, with a Big U-Turn (four steps down, fold line
to face Acorss, Pass Thru, fold to face up - reforming line)
B2 Women Allemande Right 1½; Swing Neighbor
Written on a train to San Diego, while thinking about the dance,
"The Bluemont Reel."
================
There are several dances with the "Right Hand High, Left Hand Low"
idea. If I recall correctly, Don Flagherty wrote one with three people
doing the trad Right Hand High, Left Low, with one person turning
alone. This one has four people doing the Right Hand High, Left Hand
Low, with the center couple "acting as a unit":
*Emily and Jerry Tie the Knot*
Improper
Erik Hoffman June 17, '89 & May 16, '00
A1 Balance& Swing Neighbor
A2 Down Hall Four in Line, with the Centers acting as a "Unit," Right
Hand High, Left Hand Low, and invert the line, Return, Fold Line
B1 Circle Left ¾; Swing Partner
B2 Half Promenade; Circle Left ¾, Twos Arch and Pop the Ones Thru
In the original, after folding the line it was:
B1 All Box Gnat with Partner, All Swing Partner in Center (Ones
above the Twos), ending facing up and down (Facing the couple you've
been dancing with).
B2 Circle Left (once), Balance the Ring, Twos Arch, Ones Pop Thru.
======================
OK, the next doesn't have a down hall four in line, but three do go
down while one goes up, and, since the holiday season is getting closer,
it does have a "We Three Kings" story line, and is designed to go with
the tune "We Three Kings" played as a straight jig...:
*Follow That Star*
Improper
Erik Hoffman
A1 with New Neighbors: Star Left; with Old Neighbors: Star Right (if
you want to make it easy, have the initial minor sets do a left & right
star, without the neighbor Switching)
A2 Ones take Number Two Man Down Hall in Line of Three WHILE Number
Two Women come up the hall single file, Turn Alone, Return, Line of
Three Folds into a Circle around Number Two Women
B1 Circle Three around Number Two Women; Swing Neighbor on "Own" Side
B2 Long Lines Forward &Back; All Swing Partners (or just Ones if
space is tight)
After the (A1) Stars, Three "Kings" follow them on a journey to
find a (B1) Babe in a Manger. Then (B2) Everyone Celebrates! To be
danced to "We Three Kings" straightened out and as a Jig.
======================
I never liked the Dublin Bay variant where you did the down the
hall, back up going down, come up the hall, turn to back up, going up
the hall, then fold into a circle. That folding into a circle from
backing up never felt good to me. So I made up one that did something else:
*Happy Birthday, Susan*
Becket
Erik Hoffman
A1 Women "Chain the line"
(Women Allemande R ¾, then to next Women,
those Women Allemande Left ¾ to meet Neighbor
on the Right diagonal -- across from a Shadow);
Swing Neighbor
A2 Long Lines Forward &Back; Women Chain to Shadow
B1 Dublin Bay (variant) Down Hall 4 in Line (4), turn alone to back up
-- down hall (4); Come up hall (4), turn alone to back up the hall (4),
ends loop back (turning alone, away from the lines) WHILE centers step
forward to:
B2 Partner Balance & Swing
Note where partner is in B1: if you're in the center of the line of
4, your partner is on the end of the line in front of you. If you're on
the ends of the line, your partner is behind you.
Given to Susan Petrick on her birthday, while on tour with the
OpporTunists in 2010 (I think).
All for now,
~erik hoffman (oakland, ca)
