Glossary

(reprinted from Twirling Dervish Returns)

1s and 2s

Names for couple #1 and couple #2 in a duple improper formation. These positions are also called active and inactive, respectively. We favor the terms 1s and 2s so that dancers can easily distinguish the names.

Allemande left or right

Two people take a “thumbs up” grip, giving weight so they can walk around quickly. Eye contact is nice.

Balance

Step with the right foot, and swing the left leg to the right (2 beats). Step left, and swing the right foot to the left (2 beats). This can be abridged for beginners by stepping forward on the right foot (2), and back on the left (2). In a circle formation, a balance moves forward (in to the center) and back, without the foot swings. From a wave, a balance usually moves to the right, then the left.

Becket formation

Partners will stand next to each other on one side of the set facing another couple who is on the other side. To set up this formation, the dancers form on in duple improper formation and circle to the left either one quarter or three quarters around the minor set.

Box the gnat

The man takes right hands with the woman, and makes an arch with the joined hands. The woman walks underneath the arch, while the man walks clockwise around her to exchange places. California twirl A couple takes inside hands, making an arch. The woman walks underneath the arch, while the man walks around the woman, exchanging places to face the opposite direction from where they started.

Cross trail across a contra set

This figure starts with two couples facing. Pass through. The woman turns to her left, and walks in front of the man (the man can assist by leading her across). The man turns to his right, and walks to his right. In a contra line, both will meet a new person.

Courtesy turn

The couple takes right hands behind the woman’s back, and takes left hands in front. With the woman walking forward, and the man backing up, they turn half way around to face into the set again.

Do-si-do

Two dancers will pass right shoulders, slide behind the other’s back and return to place passing left shoulders. In contra dancing, people often spin over their left shoulders (counter-clockwise) while executing this move.

Do-si-do to a wavy line

Starting with two couples facing, each person do-si-dos as explained above. The women then step into the center of the set taking left hands, and taking right hands with the nearest man. This can also be done with the men taking right hands in the center and a left with the nearest lady.

Duple Improper

The standard modern contra formation, where couple #1 faces down the hall, and couple #2 faces up the hall. A contra line consists of 6 or more couples, alternating 1 sand 2s.

Face up, or down, or across

As an instruction, face up means that the dancers face the caller or band. Face down means face away from the caller, towards the bottom of the hall. Face across means to end facing the other couple

with whom you are dancing.

Forward and back

Dancers take hands and walk 4 steps forward and 4 steps back to place.

Gypsy

Two dancers walk clockwise around each other, maintaining eye contact, and return to place. The flow is similar to an allemande right once around.

Go down the hall four in line, turn as a couple, return

Two couples face down the hall, and join hands to form a line of four. As a foursome, the couples walk about 6 steps forward. To turn as a couple, the middle dancers drop hands. Each couple turns, with the woman walking forward and the man backing up. The couples face up the hall, rejoin hands, and return to place by walking about 6 steps.

Hey for four

Figure 1 illustrates the flow of a hey. Heys take many flavors. In this book, all heys involve 4 dancers. A full hey takes 16 counts and starts and finishes with the dancers in the same place. A half hey takes 8 counts, and finishes with each dancer on the opposite side of the minor set.

Figure 1: Right shoulder hey for four

Ladies chain

Women pull by the right hand, giving left hands to the man across the set for a courtesy turn. The man places his right hand in her right land, reaching behind her back. With the woman walking forward and the man backing up, he scoops her half way around to face into the set.

Left diagonal couple

The couple to the left of the couple directly across. To teach: "Look at the couple directly across the set. Now slide your eyes to the left to look at a new couple who is on the left diagonal, looking at you."

Long lines go forward and back

Dancers take hands to form lines at the sides of the contra line. Walk 4 steps forward and 4 steps back to place.

Minor set

A set of two couples dancing together in the contra line.

Pass through

In the most common version, two couples face each other across a set. Each couple moves across the set by individually passing the opposite person by the right shoulder. This can also be used as a progression, when the couples face up or down, pass through, and meet a new couple. Couples can also pass through from a wave.

Petronella balance

Taking hands in a circle of four, the dancers balance, and spin once around over their right shoulders (clockwise) to take the place one quarter to the right in the set of four. To teach: "Take hands in a circle of four. Look at the person in the circle who is on your right, who won't be looking at you. That's where you will end up. Spin over your right shoulder (clockwise) once around to take his or her place. If you are not sure which way to spin, as a mnemonic device, put your chin on your right shoulder and follow your head around." This move originates in a traditional contra dance, "Petronella."

Right and left through

The couple moves across the set by individually passing the person directly across by the right shoulder, followed by a courtesy turn. some communities pull by with right hands in place of passing right shoulders.

Roll away with a half sashay

The man takes inside hands with the designated woman (either partner or neighbor) standing next to him. The man gives the woman a little tug towards himself so that the woman can turn in towards him and spin once around, traveling across and in front of him, to change places and hands.

Rory O'More

Rory a'More is a traditional contra dance. The key figure consists of a balance and spin, which is repeated to return to place. It begins with couples in a wavy line, holding the right hand of a neighbor (or opposite). Dancers individually balance (right then left) and spin to the right, moving in front of their neighbor. Dancers end facing the same direction, holding left hands with their neighbor forming a new wave. Dancers individually balance (left then right) and spin to the left, moving in front of their neighbor. Dancers end in the same wave as they started.

Shadow

This is also known as a "special person" or "trail buddy." A shadow is a person with whom a particular dance move is made throughout the entire dance (e.g. "ladies chain to your shadow" or "with your shadow allemande left").

Star: wrist-wrap and hands across

Placing the designated hand (left or right) into the center of the minor set, grab the wrist of the person ahead of you. This forms a "wrist wrap" position. Walk the star around in the convenient direction. This is the usual form of a star unless otherwise indicated. A "hands across" star is where two people on the diagonal in the minor set take hands (usually, the men taking hands and the women taking hands) to star.

Swing

Take ballroom position, and with the outsides of the right feet together, "buzz step" in time to the music. The buzz step resembles pushing a scooter or skate board, with the right foot stepping forward I and the left foot pushing behind. This move should be executed with the smoothest motion possible, maintaining partner eye contact to counteract dizziness.

Wave or wavy line

A wave is usually a line of four people. In a typical wave, the - women join left hands in the middle, and right hands with the men on the ends. Each person faces the opposite direction of the adjacent person.

Weave the line

Kathy Anderson originated this move in her dance of the same name. Couples, facing up or down the set and holding inside hands, weave up or down the line. The women pass right shoulders with the first couple, the men pass left shoulders with the second, and the weave ends facing a third couple.

The most common hey starts with two couples facing, at the sides of a contra set. Referring to Figure 1, the partners start in the Side positions (man & woman on arrows 7 & 1 and 3 & 5). The hey progresses as follows, with each section getting two counts or steps. The woman’s position is illustrated and numbered.

1 Start on the side of the set.

2 Women pass by the right in the center, while the men back out to lengthen the hey.

3 Neighbors pass left on the sides.

4 Men pass right in the center, while the women loop over their left shoulders on the ends. Encouraging dancers to lengthen these loops dramatically improves the flow of the hey.

5 Partners pass left on the sides.

6 Women pass right in the center, while the men loop over their left shoulders on the ends.

7 Neighbors pass left on the sides.

8 Men pass right in the center, while the women loop over their left shoulders on the ends.

9 Partners meet on the original side.

Figure 2: Left shoulder hey for four

The preceding description and Figure 1 illustrate a right shoulder hey (pass right in the center) with the women starting. Figure 2 illustrates a left shoulder hey (pass left in the center) with men starting. The description is identical to the preceding, except that gender and sides of passing are reversed.

Figure 3: Starting positions for heys

3A: Normal start                            3B: An alternate

Heys normally start with dancers in Side positions, as shown in Figures I, 2, and 3A. The first right (or left) shoulder pass occurs at the center. Three dances, Hey Man, Going to St. Paul, and What the Hey, begin with two dancers in the Side positions, and two in the Center as shown in Figure 3A. From this alternate start position, a preliminary pass at the side precedes the center pass. Thus, a right shoulder hey begins with a left pass, and vice versa. Numerous starting positions occur, but all heys become either right or left shoulder heys. In this book, a right shoulder hey means pass right in the center and left on the sides.