Yes Alan, you’re right. I was calling it circle once to make it clear folks are 
back on their home side. (As opposed to the original dance Kat had which was a 
circle half and larks ended up on NOT their home side.) 

You’d have to fudge the once bit. 

Alexandra Deis-lauby
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> On May 29, 2025, at 6:53 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Contra Callers 
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> I haven't been paying close attention to this, but dance directions looked 
> fun and like I
> could use them sometime.  Trying to work it out in detail I'm perhaps 
> confusing myself with wrong assumptions.  I think I've got something - is 
> this what was intended?
> 
> Here's the instrux again:
> 
> A1 Slice left, circle left once around
>   end in a line facing down the hall next to your partner on your home side 
> [* ]
> A2 Down the hall, turn alone come back, face partner on the side
> B1 Tug into a hey passing partner right shoulder to start
> B2 Partner balance and swing.
> 
> Q: How do you end in that line?
> 
> I'm thinking this is a circle-to-a-line situation, which I think means the 
> downward-bound lark lets go of neighbor robin as soon as they reach their own 
> side (partner still on oteher side) and draws the line out straight.  Which I 
> think means it's a circle 3/4, not a circle all the way.
>  Obviously a demo required to get that done.  I certainly see slice + CL3/4 
> as 8 beats; the other 8 beats seems (in my head) longish to draw out to a 
> line, but it does give people a chance to sort themselves out.
> 
> Q: Is CL 3/4 intended or is there some clear way to get to the line 
> otherwise?  (1x, Partners turn two hands 3/4 or 1 & 1/4, open facing down 
> next to each other?)
> 
> Observation: What I'm finding extra freaking cool about this is that it 
> absolutely doesn't matter what order partners come out in so long as they're 
> both on their home side; it absolutely doesn't matter if you turn alone or 
> turn as a couple.  Everything gets sorted out by the partner swing at the end 
> and nothing else makes any difference so long as you think of the hey in 
> terms of ends and middles and don't fuss about roles.  Anyway, that seems 
> like really robust error tolerance and correction, really really good for 
> beginners, and readily giving more sophisticated dancers harmless 
> opportunities to goof around.
> 
> -- Alan
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: Katherine Kitching via Contra Callers 
> <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]>>
> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2025 3:02 PM
> To: Shared Weight Contra Callers
> Subject: [Callers] Re: Looking for input on this dance I wrote
> 
> BEWARE: This email originated outside of our organization. DO NOT CLICK links 
> or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
> 
> Thanks again everyone for your help,
> 
> Evidently "number one Lark" was not a good choice of term in the end!!  :D
> 
> Good to know there is no standardized term like 1's and 2's for Beckets.
> 
> We used to dance only in improper formation, and I would do this "circle 
> right 1/2 and unfold" with the #1 Raven leading out the line.
> 
> I was trying to ensure this would still work in Becket and trying to figure 
> out the most logical person to initiate it ...
> Hopefully I am at least correct that it makes most sense for it to be the 
> "upward bound" Lark?
> It always worked well, in improper, with the number 1 Raven.... I would 
> demonstrate it to the group and after 1 or 2 tries, everyone nailed it like 
> clockwork...
> 
> Anyhow, this dance you suggested Alexandra is perfect for my needs, and I 
> will go with it, thank you!!
> 
> Becket
> A1 Slice left, circle left once around end in a line facing down the hall 
> next to your partner on your home side
> A2 Down the hall, turn alone come back, face partner on the side
> B1 Tug into a hey passing partner right shoulder to start
> B2 Partner balance and swing.
> 
> Lots of recovery time, things take 8 or 16 counts, lots of time on one’s 
> “home" side, hard to get lost.
> 
> KK
> 
> 
> May 29, 2025 12:16:30 PM Alex Burka via Contra Callers 
> <[email protected]>:
> 
> The way I read Katherine's dance, the "1s" (the couple who was facing down 
> the hall before circling left 1/4, if you were to get into becket that way) 
> are in fact progressing down the hall, so is there actually an issue here?
> 
> Playing out the dance in my head, the circle R is essentially a circle 1/2 
> and then unfold, so lark 1 is facing down and has their right hand free. Then 
> after the allemande 1 1/2 they're back on original side facing partner. Full 
> hey brings them back to that point again and then they progress down the 
> hall. No?
> 
> On Thu, May 29, 2025, 10:42 AM Alexandra Deis-Lauby via Contra Callers 
> <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]
>  <mailto:[email protected]>>> wrote:
> John, the question at the moment is how to define them for dance writing 
> purposes.  In her original dance, there is “Lark 1“ referenced. If you don’t 
> define which side lark one starts on you get two very different dances.
> 
> In my mind, the 1s are defined as the right-file couple because they used to 
> be the ones facing down the hall in improper formation assuming everyone 
> moves one place to the left around the circle instead of right.
> 
> I would argue that the dancers know it too. When I call a becket dance that 
> progresses backwards and don’t tell them, invariably someone waves their arms 
> and hollers from the floor that it’s broken and they progressed the wrong 
> direction.
> 
> 
> Alex
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On May 29, 2025, at 6:59 AM, John Sweeney via Contra Callers 
> <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]
>  <mailto:[email protected]>>> wrote:
> 
> 
> HI Katherine,
>              Numbers in Becket formation are not defined.  Some callers may 
> number them, I have never seen a reason to.  The progression is normally just 
> clockwise or counter-clockwise.  Just tell the dancers which way to look 
> (left or right diagonal) when they are progressing.
> 
>              If you need to identify someone then I would point to one side 
> of the hall (or give it a name) and tell the person on that side what to do.  
> If you give them numbers then the numbers will change when they are out at 
> the top or the bottom.  But that side of the hall is always that side of the 
> hall.
> 
>              Flirtation Reel is a great dance, but does have a Swing.
> 
>            Happy dancing,
>                   John
> 
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England   [email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]>> 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/> for Dancing in 
> Kent
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