People have been trying adding flutterwheel for decades, but it's never stuck. I've only danced it at MWSD contra events.
Some people who've written flutterwheel contras: Cary Ravitz (Butterflies) Seth Tepfer (Swingin' on a Star, Split Tree Flutterwheel) Ken Bonner (several) Tom Hinds (Ova's Dance, Mixing Bowl, Double Take) along with a number of lesser known choreographers. Flutterwheel isn't quite the same as gent's chain, as the initial momentum need is different. And it's not a strongly connected figure. So maybe it's just that it's not really needed, and it's not that exciting a figure. Or it could be because it comes from MWSD. It also may appear more in British contras, where there's more cross-pollination of moves. -Chris Page San Diego On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 9:28 AM, rich sbardella <richsbarde...@snet.net>wrote: > I am curious, why isn't the Flutter Wheel being used in contras today. It > basically accomplishes what a men's chain does but generally has good > flow. I believe that Roget Whynot wrote several contras with a > flutterwheel many years ago. > > Basically flutterwheel is an 8 beat call where the right hand dancer, most > often the lady, go into the center and turn by the right. When they move > adjacent to the original opposite dancer they take that dancer and continue > together to the RH dancers original side and turn in to face the center. > > Rich > Stafford CT > > > ________________________________ > From: Bill Olson <callb...@hotmail.com> > To: Caller's discussion list <call...@sharedweight.net> > Sent: Saturday, February 8, 2014 12:05 PM > Subject: Re: [Callers] Flow & Glide Contras > > > In "sort of' a similar vein.. here's one I wrote that I think flows really > well.. (well once you get over the discomfort or unfamiliarity of a gent's > chain...) Here's the dance and the notes from the original posting on my > web page. PB&J, A duple improper contra by Bill Olson > A1 M allem R x 1.5 (8), Sw Partner (8) A2 Cir L 3/4, Sw N (16) > B1 1/2 MEN'S chain (8), Star R (hands across) (8) > B2 1/2 W chain (8), Star L (hands across) (8) (M look for new gent in next > star for R allem) > > This dance was written Aug 11, 1999, on the way to a gig at the Rock > Gardens Inn in Phippsburg, ME. It originally started with a Men's HALF > right allemand. I figured the dancers would get more partner swing that > way. In real life however it seemed confusing and the allemand once and a > half goes pretty quickly anyway so there is plenty of swing. The B1 B2 > figures are the "reason" for the dance. I like how a chain flows into a > star so I figured mirror image chains and stars would flow doubly well. > Since most dancers are used to coming out of a chain into a cloverleaf > star, it takes a little while for them to adjust to the hands across but it > flows really nicely after they do. For my band PB&J (now T-Acadie)! > > Here's a video that gives you some idea of the flow.. Ignore the part > where the dancers are confused and doing it improperly - hah hah.. > http://youtu.be/8utAPj7Gu_g > > bill > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > call...@sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > call...@sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >
