Longways Dances

Longways: General

Heidi's Waltz

Dance: Colin Hume, 1993. Music: Dave Brown / Colin Hume, 1993.

Format: Longways duple

A:	First corners set (in waltz time, so it's three even steps — no bounce); cross right shoulder. Circle left ¾ (all finishing improper).
B:	Second corners set; cross right shoulder but do not turn back. Left-hand turn partner on the side.
C:	First corners right-hand turn half-way; their partners come in behind them for a right-hand star once around to progressed places (4 bars); all turn single left.
D:	Take ballroom hold and waltz once around the other couple.

Dave Brown wrote the first tune. The second tune is called “Laurie's Waltz” and is dedicated to Laurie Buchanan who now lives in Oregon. I met Laurie on the first “Bare Necessities” tour of England, run by Ken McFarland in (I think) 1991. I wasn't part of the tour, but I went to several of the dances and got on very well with some of the Americans, especially Laurie. I was asked to write the dance to Dave's tune for Heidi Chapman, who was also on the tour, and decided to write a second tune to it as well.

Longways: American-style

Alterations Swing

Format: Longways Becket. Dance: Colin Hume, 2003. Music: 32 bar American reels

A1:	Circle left ¾, pass through. Swing the next. [If you have reached the end of the set, swing your partner and change places — you are never out!]
A2:	Long lines forward and back. Swing the next, and finish facing this neighbour.
B1:	“Do-paso”: Turn neighbour by the left half-way, men cross right, turn partner right half-way, men cross left, turn neighbour left all the way.
B2:	Ladies allemande right 1½. Swing partner.

First called at Chippenham Festival, May 2003, with Alterations providing their usual lively music.

Blackmore Gardens Contra

Format: Longways duple improper: Triple progression. Dance: Colin Hume, 2001. Music: 32 bar American reels

A1:	Allemande left neighbour 1½. Ladies chain across.
A2:	Half promenade. On the right diagonal, right and left through (still with partner). Ends cross the set immediately.
B1:	On the left diagonal, ladies chain. Straight across, ladies allemande right 1¼ to a wave of ladies up and down the centre.
B2:	Balance the wave right and left; allemande left (the next lady) half-way. Star right with the next (men fall in behind your partners) one and a bit, and on to the next to start again.

First danced in the Blackmore Gardens marquee a the Sidmouth Festival in 2001, where it proved much harder than I had anticipated — in fact a total disaster! There's too much going on, particularly a right diagonal move followed by a left diagonal move. And people just aren't quick enough to adjust when they reach the end of the set — which they do frequently since it's a triple progression!

Colin's Back

Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 1985

Format: Longways duple improper (double progression)

A:	Do-si-do your neighbour. Walk past, swing the next, finish with the lady on the right. (Neutrals at the ends swing your partner and face into the set — stay awake!)
B:	Circle left 1¼ and face your original partner up and down the room. Pass through to an ocean wave with the next pair; balance forward and back. (You meet the same person with your right hand every time.)
C:	Swing through (turn half by the right, men turn half by the left), boys run (men pass clockwise round the lady and take her by inside hand while the ladies move together slightly so that the men don't have to go so far), bend the line (turn as a couple ¼ to face the other pair). Lines forward and back.
D:	Half promenade, and curve round to face across the set to your original partner, who was one place further up or down the set. (Neutrals face in to the set with your partner — you still need to stay awake!) Make a left-hand star: balance in and out; star half-way and face the next couple (men turn out to right).

Written in memory of my bad back at Sidmouth Festival in 1985. This is a difficult dance, not to be played too fast — think “Charleston” (or perhaps a more apt phrase is “laid back”). The three Western Square movements in a row will prove too much for some people, and anyone who switches off on reaching the end of the set will provoke a total disaster.

Double Swing Through

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 1997. Music: 32 bar American jigs

A1:	Do-si-do neighbour to a wave. Swing through (half a right-hand turn, middles half a left-hand turn — it's fast); balance the wave right and left.
A2:	Gipsy right partner. Swing.
B1:	Long lines forward and back. Ladies chain across.
B2:	Men allemande left half-way, give right to partner in a wave; swing through (home). Balance the wave; pass through to a new neighbour.

Written as a lead-in to my most difficult square, “Triple Swing Through” (Squares with a Difference, Volume 2).

Greyhound to Harrisburg

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 2006. Music: 32 bar American reels

A1:	Do-si-do neighbour. Swing, and finish facing down in a line of four.
A2:	Go down the hall (6 steps), keep hands, twos turn back to back to face up while ones take hands behind them (2). Go up the hall (6). Twos duck and ones bring joined hands over the twos to form a four-leaf clover (2).
B1:	With a buzz (pivot) step, turn it round 1¼. Swing partner on the side.
B2:	Long lines forward and back. Circle left ¾, pass through.

Written on a Greyhound bus going from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg in December 2006, and called at Harrisburg that afternoon. Based on Cary Ravitz' dance “The Squeaking Wheel”.

No Surprises

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 1994. Music: 32 bar American jigs

A1:	Allemande left neighbour 1½. Ladies chain across.
A2:	Ladies start a hey for four — keep going until you meet your partner back on that side.
B1:	Balance and swing partner.
B2:	Long lines forward and back. Circle left ¾ (home), pass through.
	Instead of the circle and pass through you can use a ladies chain, which is an easier move but doesn't leave you facing your new neighbour.

I was calling “The Dancers' Surprise” from the book Zesty Contras at the Beginners session at Cecil Sharp House, and discovered that if people aren't too sure of a reel of four (hey) they can't cope with one which has a surprise in it. I wrote this dance so that if the walkthrough ever went that badly again I would have a replacement on the other side of the card!

Princeton's Silver Lining

Format: Longways duple improper. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2004.

A1:	Allemande right neighbour ¾, men allemande left half-way. Swing partner on the side.
A2:	Circle left. Gipsy right partner.
B1:	Turn away from partner to do a left-hand star in new fours (with shadow). In original fours, right-hand star.
B2:	Ladies chain across. Ladies pass right shoulder: half a hey.

I put “a dance and tune to your specification” into the auction at Buffalo Gap in 2004, and Carol MacAdam bid the most for it. She wanted a contra dance to take back to Princeton celebrating 25 years of the dance community there. She wanted action outside the minor set, hands-across stars with one foursome going into stars with another foursome and then some people dropping out while others continued — and she wanted it to be accessible to not very good dancers! I said I assumed she also wanted a partner swing and a neighbour swing, and she said yes to that as well. I managed everything except the neighbour swing, and tried it out at the Show and Tell at the end of the week. Originally A2 started “Lines forward and back”, but people had real trouble remembering the gypsy, because after going forward and back they expected to do something with their opposite, so I've now changed it to “Circle left”.

The first tune I wrote for it was more of a rag, and a couple of bands said, “It's a good tune, but not for a contra”. So two years later I came up with a more suitable tune, and had the opportunity to present it while calling a mixed evening (contra, squares and English) in Princeton with Panjandrum playing.

Top Marks

Format: Longways Becket. Dance: Colin Hume, 2001. Music: 32 bar American reels.

A1:	Long lines forward and back. Step forward to a wave in your foursome (give right to your opposite, ladies give left), and immediately spin the top (all right-hand turn half-way; middles left-hand turn ¾ while ends move round one place to meet the same person — make sure you touch hands in the new wave, so that everyone knows which way they're supposed to be facing).
A2:	Pass through, do-si-do the next (leaving neutrals who face in with the man on the left). Spin the top to a tidal wave.
B1:	Pass through; California twirl with partner. Ladies chain across.
B2:	On the right diagonal, ladies chain to shadow. Swing corner (original partner).

First called at Sidmouth in 2001 as a lead-in to my square Topspin which also has two occurrences of the Modern Western Square Dance move “Spin the Top”. I find it works well to introduce a new figure in a contra, which tends to be more forgiving, and then do it in a square.

Triple Chocolate

Format: Longways duple, twos improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 2001. Music: 32 bar American reels.

Join up in 4 couple sets. Ones and twos are shadows, so are threes and fours.

A1:	Ends with partner, middles with neighbour, balance and swing to form a square set.
A2:	In to the middle and back. Head ladies chain.
B1:	All four ladies chain. Side ladies chain.
B2:	Heads pass through; sides pass through — keep with your shadow couple, face your partner and join up in new lines of four. Lines forward and back.
Shadows have alternated, so the original ones are now below the twos.

Based on “Double Chocolate” by Jim Kitch. from his book “To Live is to Dance”, 1995, but I changed B2 so that the shadows alternated.

Women in Charge

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 1997. Music: 32 bar American reels

A1:	Allemande right neighbour 1¼. Women allemande left 1, 1½ or 2 as they choose.
A2:	Women balance and swing the man they have chosen this time.
B1:	Women chain across. Circle left ¾, pass through.
B2:	Do-si-do the next. Women turn round, allemande left once around (with the same woman as before) and move on to next neighbour — or even allemande 1½ to change partners if they choose.

For Sue Rosen, who ran a session with this title at NEFFA 1997. She asked me a few weeks beforehand whether I could suggest any dances where the women really were in charge — so I wrote her one. I think Sue was afraid that the women would be too much in charge and the dance might collapse, so she chickened out of calling it at NEFFA, but she has since called it (once). She reports that it was a disaster — but a fun disaster for those who didn't take it too seriously.

Working Man's Reel

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Colin Hume, 1992. Music: 32 bar American reels.

A1:	Do-si-do neighbour. Star through, pass through (across), wheel around (rapidly).
A2:	Ladies chain across and back.
B1:	Left-hand star. Ladies turn out to your right, swing neighbour.
B2:	Do-si-do partner. Star through; pass through (up and down).

Having only done ten days work in 1992 (computer programming and lecturing that is, not the Folk Dance stuff which certainly wouldn't make me a living) and six so far in 1993, it was wonderful to get two contracts almost together! I was pleased with the dance and sent it to the internet discussion group rec.folk-dancing, saying that it would probably not find favour with contra dancers in the States because it didn't have a partner swing. Dan Pearl replied, “I suspect this one won't be popular in New England, at least, because of the presence of Star Thru's. That movement, along with Flutterwheel, are figures that are found in UK-grown 'American' dances, but are not really found in American contras (except for those composed by the modern Western square dance-influenced composers).” There was some discussion on the lines of “Would we really be so prejudiced that we'd reject a good dance because it had a MWSD figure in it?” and the conclusion seemed to be, “Yes we would”!

Longways: Playford-style

Amy

Format: Longways duple. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2006

A:	All step right and honour partner; turn single left. Step left and honour partner; cross right with partner.
B:	Right-hand star. First lady and second man leading, others following same-sex neighbour, loop left and move across the set so that the leaders have changed places and the followers have gone in a loop and got nowhere, all finishing with left shoulder to partner.
C:	With right-hand neighbour (shadow until reaching the end of the set) gipsy right. With partner gipsy left 1¼ until first man and second lady are facing each other.
D:	They (the new leaders) pass right shoulder into a straight hey across the set: each person does two changes and then loops right — the leaders will want to loop left but they mustn't. Circle left ¾.

Written in June 2006 for Amy Lund, whom I danced with at a wonderful dance weekend in upstate New York. The next day I was having a restful time in Baltimore and inspiration struck — I wrote the tune and then the dance quite rapidly, and called it that evening with musicians Jonathan Jensen, Becky Ross and Marty Taylor. After the dance finished, Jonathan said to the dancers, “It's a good tune, but it's in the wrong key for singing”, which rather baffled me! He then proceeded to sing some words to the first half of the tune, which he had written during the walkthrough.

A week later I called it at a potluck at Charlie Dyer's house in Jacksonville, Florida, with Carole Wetzel playing piano. Charlie has a recording of one turn of the dance at http://www.danceflorida.com/Amyweb.wmv — you may notice me nearly going wrong at one point!

The final move confuses people — particularly when they change numbers. Once people “get” the move it flows perfectly well. Make sure that when you make the circle the two men are together and the two ladies are together. Gene Murrow's suggested wording is,

“The first corner people meet for what feels like 3 changes of a hey across the dance, with a twist. Those people do only two changes — pass right, next person left, then, instead of looping left as you would want, you loop right into a circle. The others carry on normally, joining the circle…”

People are also confused by the “shadow” business. You have the same shadow until one of you reaches the end of the set. At that point things get confused — you find two men gipsying at the top and two women gipsying at the bottom, and the neutral couples panic and try to change sides! Then as you go back the other way you have another shadow — it's the partner of your partner's previous shadow, if that's any help!

The Bribe

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2003, revised 2007.

A1:	(12 bars): First corners right-hand turn half-way; all right-hand star half-way. While second corners continue the turn home and on into neighbour's place, first corners cast out of the star, pass your same-sex neighbour left shoulder to face each other across the set: pass right shoulder into half a hey across while second corners cast out and follow neighbour, all finishing in partner's place (6 bars); all set to partner.
A2:	Second corners (now in first corners' place) the same.
B:	(12 bars) All back-to-back partner. Cross right, turn right; circle left half-way. Two-hand turn partner.

Written for Orly Krasner of New York, who said she only started writing dances because she noticed I had written dances for several people she knew but thought I would never write one for her and nor would anybody else. I'm afraid it's too late to stop her now, but this is my attempt. She doesn't like the title — pity she didn't tell me that before we had a thousand CDs produced — and maybe she'll come up with an alternative.

I tried to play the tune of “De'il take the Warr” on the piano, and twice I reversed the third and fourth notes and went back to the tonic for bar 2. After the second attempt I thought “That sounds interesting”, and the rest of the A-music appeared. It obviously didn't want to finish at the end of 8 bars, so I gave it 12, and wrote a matching B-music.

First danced at the Yuletide Cotillion in New York City, December 2003, with Bare Necessities playing the music. People struggled with the dance, and I called it a few times since then with mixed results. So in 2007 I produced an easier version and that's the one given here. I recommend that you demonstrate the whole dance.

Colin's Tambourine

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2001.

A1:	First corners cast left shoulder, behind neighbour, gipsy left in the middle and fall back into each other's place.
A2:	Second corners cast right shoulder, behind partner, gipsy right in the middle and fall back into each other's place.
B1:	Ones cast up, twos lead down and follow, ones lead down to the middle of a line of four facing down. Lead down a double, fall back, bend the line.
B2:	Ones cast, twos lead up and follow, ones lead up to the middle of a line of four facing up. Lead up a double, fall back, stay in the line.
C:	Ones face partner: two changes of a straight hey; ones cast, twos do another change [progressed]. All two-hand turn partner.

Golden tambourine This one came about because Gene Murrow was in England calling “Barbarini's Tambourine” and saying, “And of course the tambourine was a dance in those days — nothing to do with that round thing with jingles”. This worried me, since I use the title as an excuse to play my tambourine! So here's a dance which is dedicated to that round thing with jingles. I'm proud to say that I've played my tambourine for “Barbarini's Tambourine” in the States with Bare Necessities (with Gene Murrow calling) and Peter Barnes requested a whistle and tambourine solo for one turn of the dance — so there!

If you need further convincing of the tambourine's respectability, here's a gold tambourine player from the “Gates of Paradise” of the Florence Baptistry created between 1401 and 1422 — see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battistero_di_San_Giovanni_(Florence) for more details of the Baptistry and its gates.

The first lady will want to loop up at the end of the straight hey, but she has to loop down! Just remember that you're aiming for your progressed places.

The Countryman's Hat

Dance: Irene Crew. Date unknown.

Music: “Bracken Rigg” by Jack Armstrong.

Format: Longways duple

A1:	All right-hand turn partner half-way; right-hand star all the way (4 bars); ones cast, twos lead up.
A2:	Half double figure eight: twos (at the top) cast and cross coming up while ones half figure eight up, all finishing proper in progressed place. Men left-hand turn, ladies right-hand turn.
B1:	Ones pass partner right shoulder: diagonal reel with the second man (who casts into it from the turn).
B2:	Ones pass partner left shoulder: diagonal reel with the second lady.

First published in English Dance and Song, Autumn 1999. I was calling at the County Club in Exeter in 1999 and started with “The Countryman's Hat” by Irene Crew. People pointed out that Irene was dancing at the head of one of the sets, and during the tea break I met and talked to her and several other ladies about the good old days of the Society. The County Club (officially the Devon District Playford Club) consists mainly of older ladies who enjoy their dancing, prefer Playford-style repertoire, and are concerned that there should be teaching during the session rather than just a string of dances. They meet once a month on a Sunday afternoon and have live music — on the three occasions that I've called there, the very live music of Gwynn George on piano. Later I contacted Irene to talk about dances and dancing. Irene started dancing when she was 14, and when I met her she was 83. She gained the EFDSS Silver Badge and accompanying certificate, and knew most of the EFDSS staff; she remembers Cecil Sharp House being bombed during the second world war and then rebuilt. She describes herself as “Folk Dance mad”! She used to call dances, but she prefers to dance traditional and Playford dances in an environment where the dancers know the dances and a caller is not needed; she feels dancers these days are too lazy to use their brains. The Society was very different in her early days. There were not so many men until Princess Elizabeth joined the square dance craze in the 1950's and younger people came in. Morris dancing used to be part of the Society; now it is run by different organisations. And dances in those days had a song spot — usually unaccompanied.

Irene has written a number of dances, but has never found the time to publish them, so here on my website are two I've picked up over the years — the other is Barbara Walton's Delight. This is a real winner: it flows beautifully from one movement to the next and gives the dancers great opportunities to work together as a team and fit the movements to the music. I can imagine it working well as a Scottish dance too, and it is set to a Scottish reel which might encourage people to dance it rather than walk it.

Barbara Walton's Delight was written for a dancing friend who was planning to retire from school early but had a massive heart attack in about 1990 and died before this could happen. The Countryman's Hat was written while she and Barbara were on one of their trips to the Scilly Isles. They became drowsy; Barbara went to sleep and Irene says the whole dance just came to her. She has no idea why she chose the title.

Folkus Pocus

Format: Longways duple minor.
Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2005. Note: The music is in 3-time.

A1:	Right-hand star half-way (3 steps); turn single left (3 steps). First corners left shoulder back-to-back (6 steps).
A2:	Left-hand star half-way; turn single right. Second corners right shoulder back-to-back.
B:	Face neighbour: three changes of a circular hey with hands (3 steps for each), then pass next (previous) neighbour left shoulder to face yet another neighbour. Three changes of a circular hey with hands, then pass next (previous) neighbour left shoulder to face original neighbour in home place.
C:	First corners Hole-in-the-Wall cross: 3 steps to cross and face, clap both hands with opposite on beat 4, fall back on beats 5 and 6; second corners as much. Partners as much; two-hand turn partner.

Folkus Pocus Written for Dan and Caroline Hollingshurst, who were the band for almost all of my Wednesday Workshops for two and a half years at Cecil Sharp House. I wanted to write them a tune which would suit their style (though indeed they have many styles), and I knew how well they played Dave Wiesler's tune for Gary Roodman's dance “Mary K”, so I took that as a model. I then got worried and sent a copy to Dave with a note: “I know they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but please tell me whether you think this is too close to your tune for Mary K.”

He wrote back, “Parts are surely reminiscent of Mary K, but then parts of Mary K are reminiscent of Hambleton's Round O. I think we all borrow and imitate. Nice tune, and no it's not too close at all.”

First danced at Dan and Caroline's final Wednesday Workshop on 29th June 2005, with Thomas Bending playing the music. Thomas was working hard to play the tune, I was working hard to call the dance, and all the dancers (including Dan and Caroline) were working hard to get through it. Fairly normal for a Wednesday Workshop, in fact! It doesn't go quite as fast as you could take Mary K — it's a very busy dance and the end-effects are very confusing. If in doubt, at least get back on your own side at the start of each turn of the dance — opposite your partner would be even better if you can manage that too.

Find out all about Dan and Caroline at http://www.folkuspocus.com.

Foxhunter's Jig Added 4-Dec-09

Format: Longways duple minor.
Dance: Colin Hume, 2009. Tune: Traditional Irish (slip-jig).

Each line is four bars of slip-jig: 12 steps.

A1:	First corners set: three even steps each way, no bounce, emphasise the first step. Two-hand turn (6 steps).
A2:	Second corners set. Two-hand turn.
B1:	All single file clockwise half-way. Move in to the centre; turn out to your left, clapping on the first beat of the bar.
B2:	Single file anti-clockwise half-way. Move in; turn out to your right, clapping on the first beat.
C1:	First corners cross right; second corners cross right. Fall back three steps with neighbour; lead forward.
C2:	All that again, to end in a line of four facing down with the ones in the middle.
D1:	Lead down, then turn towards neighbour to face up (6 steps). Lead up and bend the line — twos move in to progressed places.
D2:	Four changes of a circular hey with hands.

I was calling for The Round, the Cambridge University Dance Group, and wanted to use mainly tunes from the band's standard repertoire, so I wrote this dance in 18th century style to fit the traditional Irish slip-jig.

Jug of Punch

Format: Longways duple minor.
Dance: Colin Hume, 2000. Tune: Traditional (3-time).


First Figure:
	Up a double and back (3 steps each); that again. Ones cast, twos lead up; all two-hand turn.
Second Figure:
	Side right; side left. Second corners cross right, loop right; right-hand star ¾.
Third Figure:
	Arm right; arm left. Three-quarters of a double figure eight: first man go straight down the outside, second man hand your lady into the cross up (9 steps), then twos turn single away while ones two-hand turn half-way (3 steps).

Do the figures 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc. Because each figure is only eight bars, people progress rapidly and forget which couple they are now working with. Remember that every other figure starts with a neutral couple at the top.

I was booked to call with Jug of Punch, a band from the West Country, at Sidmouth Festival 2000. I hadn't heard of them, and when I phoned their leader with a list of tunes he didn't know any of them, which I found a little perturbing. I would have been even more perturbed if I'd realised he played melodeon and trumpet! He reassured me by saying they were all school-teachers (interesting logic, that) and good sight-readers.

The Festival arrived, and they were superb. I don't think I've ever described a band's sound as “glorious” before, but theirs certainly was when that trumpet came in. On the last day of the Festival I tested their sight-reading skills by presenting them with the tune for this dance — a traditional song which I performed many times in the days when I was a Folk singer and guitarist. As I walked the dance through I realised that the third figure didn't progress — I'd used a full double figure eight. It was the final dance of the session and I had ten minutes left! People who were there will attest to the fact that I didn't panic. After a few seconds thought I told the dancers to do the figure eight and then “progress somehow” (which they did), but I'm glad to say I've since sorted things out.

Mr Brain's Favourite

Format: Longways duple. Dance: Francis Carter,about 1998, for Dennis Brain.

Music: Marin Marais — “Le Basque” as used for Gary Roodman's dance Kneeland Romp.

A1:	First corners back-to-back. Two-hand turn 1½.
A2:	Second corners the same.
B1:	(12 bars): Half double figure eight (ones cross up, twos cast to start). With the next couple, handy-hand turn (men right, ladies left). Face partner: set and turn single.
B2:	Ones lead up through original twos and cast back. With the next couple, circle left half-way; two-hand turn partner half-way. With that same couple, circle left half-way; two-hand turn partner half-way.

Dennis Brain was the top horn player in the world for many years. He often played this piece as an encore. Francis says it's necessary to stress that the dance is not a double progression.

Mrs Felton's Maggot

Format: Longways duple. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2006

A:	Second corners Hole-in-the-Wall cross; circle left ¾. Original first corners (now in second corners' place) Hole-in-the-Wall cross; circle left ¾ (home).
B:	Ones cross and cast, twos meet, lead up and turn out; symmetrical back-to-back with neighbour: ones lead up to start. Ones half figure eight up while twos move down the outside and lead up; all two-hand turn partner.

First danced at Liz Felton's 50th Birthday Dance in October 2006, with music from Contradition. Liz and her husband John are such beautiful dancers that it's always a pleasure to watch them dancing together. One of Liz's suggestions for the programme was Playford's classic “Mr Beveridge's Maggot”, and the dance and tune were inspired by that. It can even be danced to a recording of “Mr Beveridge's Maggot”, provided you use one intended for Pat Shaw's interpretation which (correctly) has only one B, unlike Cecil Sharp's. But you don't need to do that now — there's a recording by Dampier's Round on their Spring Blossom CD.

I originally wrote it with the corners the other way round in A1, but in both cases the previous move (the two-hand turn at the end of the dance and the circle left ¾ after the first cross) leaves the people in first corner positions moving out of the minor set and the people in second corner positions moving towards each other, so the modification improves the flow.

Apologies to Jonathan Jensen — I've borrowed a musical phrase from one of his tunes (and if you don't know which, I'm not going to tell you). I tried three other versions of the tune, but the band and I thought that none of them was as good as the original, so I've gone back to that.

The Music Will Tell You

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance and both tunes: Colin Hume, 2006

A1:	(24 steps): Ladies cast left shoulder, behind neighbour, cross left, behind partner (12 steps). Two-hand turn opposite 1½ and circle left half-way (12 steps).
A2:	Men cast left shoulder, behind partner, cross left, behind neighbour. Two-hand turn partner 1½, circle left half-way. [Progressed, twos improper, ones proper.]
B1:	(24 steps): Right-hand turn partner ¾ to a wave up and down, then ladies left-hand turn 1½ as men orbit to meet partner at the other end of the wave (12 steps). Back-to-back partner (6 steps); pass through, California twirl neighbour (6 steps). [Progressed, twos proper, ones improper.]
B2:	Right-hand turn partner ¾ to a wave up and down, then men left-hand turn 1½ as ladies orbit to meet partner at the other end of the wave. Back-to-back partner. Face out, California twirl neighbour.

The idea is that the band switches smoothly from one tune to the other at the caller's request, and the dancers adapt their style accordingly — the music should tell them! See the notes on the session for which I wrote this dance.

The dance worked fine when I called it at Southam, but some people found the slow tune too slow and the fast tune too fast, and some found the slow tune too miserable. This is a revised version of the tune — nobody has complained yet.

Now is the Month of Maying Added June 10

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance: Jenny Beer, 1997. Music: Thomas Morley, 1595.

A1:	First corners set moving forward; turn single. All change places right shoulder with partner and then dance single file clockwise round the outside of the set to end progressed and proper.
A2:	Second corners (now in first corner positions) the same, all ending in original places.
B1:	Women half figure eight through the men — first woman go first. (The posts move, as in a mirror image back to back). Half poussette anti-clockwise with opposite (first man pull, second man push).
B2:	Men half figure eight through the ladies — first man go first. Half poussette anticlockwise with partner (again first man pull, second man push).

A nice dance to the well-known madrigal. Jenny is now back in Philadelphia, though for several years she lived in California. People have real trouble finishing A1 on their proper side, so a demonstration might be in order. Jenny wrote it as above, but she finds that in B2 the second man wants to lead the half figure eight (even though at this point he is moving backwards and the first man is moving forwards) so you may find it easier to let him do so.

The Olive Grove Added May 10

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance: Elaine Beckingham, Date unknown. Music: Childgrove (Playford)

A1:	Lead up a double; cast back to place. Lead down a double; cast up to place.
A2:	First corners back-to-back. Second corners back-to-back.
B1:	Double figure of eight: ones cast, twos cross up to start — at the end, first man loop to the right -
B2:	First corners cross; second corners cross. All two-hand turn partner 1½ (dance).

Pachelbel's Canon

Format: Longways duple minor improper, double progression.
Dance: Colin Hume, 2002. Music: Pachelbel or Colin Hume

A1:	Ones down a double and back twice // Twos stand apart.
A2:	Ones face partner: fall back a double; move forward // Twos up a double and back. Ones turn single down; right-hand turn half-way // Twos up a double and back.
B1:	Ones half figure eight down // Twos face partner: fall back a double; move forward. Ones half figure eight up — Twos turn single up; right-hand turn half-way.
B2:	Ones step right and honour partner; cross left [Home] // Twos half figure eight up. Ones step left and honour; separate and go down outside twos to next ones' place // Twos half figure eight down. [First progression]
Twos becoming neutral instantly change to ones — you don't do the step and honours. You are already on the correct side, but make each “Down a double” small and the fall back as normal.
Ones becoming neutral wait while the existing ones do their first down a double and back. As they do the second, two-hand turn half-way to become proper, face down and fall back.
A1:	Ones down a double and back // Twos step right and honour partner; cross left. Ones down a double and back // Twos separate and go up above these ones to next twos' place.

You don't want to do this dance! You want Ted meets Pachelbel further down the page.

Carol Hewson commissioned me to write a dance to Pachelbel's Canon, and originally specified that she wanted the dance to be in canon, just as the tune is. I soon realised that there were only two possible ways to do this in longways duple minor format. Either you have the first corners working together and the second corners working together, or you have the ones working together and the twos working together. Since Pat Shaw had already used the first approach very successfully in “John Talliss's Canon”, I decided on the second approach.

I tried this with good dancers, and it was complete chaos. Trevor Monson gave me a couple of useful hints about simplifying things, but I tried it a second time with good dancers and again it fell apart — so I gave up. You're welcome to try it out, and please let me know how you got on, but don't ask me to call it again!

Saint Louis

Format: Longways duple minor. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2007.

A1:	All lead up three steps and fall back; ones cross and cast, twos lead up. All fall back with neighbour three steps, lead forward; ones two-hand turn (6 steps).
A2:	Same but with twos active — all finish improper.
B1:	1M 2L (in second corner positions) cross (3 steps), other corners cross; circle left half-way. Three-quarters of a double figure eight — ones cast and twos cross up to start — finishing with twos above, improper, facing out, ones below, proper, facing in.
B2:	Ones come up the centre into a symmetrical gipsy with neighbour 1¼ and twos keep turning to form a line facing up: from left, 2L, 1M, 1L, 2M (6 steps); lead up three steps and fall back. Twos gate the ones up and round to progressed place (6 steps); twos Hole-in-the-Wall cross while ones turn single downwards (6 steps).

Written in January 2007 while I was staying with John Ramsay and Berni Meyer, and first danced that evening at a rehearsal of their performance group Dance Discovery with the music played by their band Tu'penny Uprights. On that occasion I did not have the lead up and back in B2, and there seemed to be too much music, so I've since added it. That makes the gipsy quite tight — six steps to go round one and a quarter — so get in close! Dedicated to John, Berni and all the people who looked after me and the groups I called for: in addition to a workshop for Dance Discovery (for which I also played piano) I called an English Ball for St Louis English Country Dancers and a contra dance for Childgrove Country Dancers.

Pronunciation note for dancers in England: Saint Louis was founded by the French, and no doubt pronounced “Sa' Loo-EE”. In England we would say “S'nt LOO-ee”, but in the States it's “SAINT Lewis” with the accent firmly on the first word.

Salute to Southam

Format: Longways duple minor.
Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2002. You can also use “Jack's Maggot”.

A1:	First man half a hey with the ladies. First man and second lady right-hand turn: the man ends home and the ladies end progressed.
A2:	Second man half a hey with the ladies. Twos left-hand turn: all end home. [All danced with a skip-change step.]
B1:	First corners cross; all single file one place clockwise (to progressed place). Back-to-back partner.
B2:	Second corners (now in first corners' place) cross; single file one place (home). Dance three changes of a circular hey with hands.

In A1 and A2 the man needs to come out of the hey wide, or he will give the wrong hand to the lady. The B part is all simple moves, but not necessarily in the order which the dancers expect!

First danced at the Southam Festival, August 2002. This was started by Wendy Crouch (later Wendy Knight) and was an immediate success; everybody knew that with Wendy in charge it would be well organised. The organisation was passed on to Gill Swash and Chris Bower in 2002 and they have done an equally great job. New organisers took over in 2009 and they plan to keep the successful formula already established — they even booked me so I'm not complaining! If you're looking for a three-day dancers' festival over the August Bank Holiday, Southam in Warwickshire is the place to be.

Spring Blossom Updated 19-Apr-10

Format: Longways duple minor improper.
Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2008. Dance rewritten 2010.

A:	Ones cross and cast; twos wait and then lead up. Ones two-hand turn all the way while twos set to partner and then cast, finishing in a line of four facing up with the ones in the middle.
B:	Up a double and back. Twos gate the ones up and round into progressed place proper.
C:	Double figure eight: twos cast, ones cross up to start.
D:	Left-hand star. Ones half figure eight up (man hand the lady up into it, left hand in left).

I wanted a straightforward dance for the title track of the Dampier's Round CD, but I failed completely, so a couple of years later I came up with the above which I hope is the final version. Trevor Monson and Robert Moir still prefer the version below, because it's different from other dances, and of course I'm happy for people to call that if they prefer it. I'm giving the above version the generic name “Spring Blossom”, or if you want to be specific you can call it “Late Spring Blossom”.

Here's the version which was on the website until April 2010, now known as “Early Spring Blossom”.

Format: Longways duple minor — Double progression.
Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2008.

A:	Ones cross (I suggest left shoulder) and cast; twos wait and then lead up. Ones two-hand turn all the way while twos do a wide cast, finishing in a line of four facing up with the ones in the middle.
B:	Up a double and back. Twos gate the ones up and round into progressed place improper.
C:	Ones pass partner left shoulder to start a diagonal hey for four (second change is same sex person right shoulder, first man up to original second man, first lady down to new second lady) — ones are working with their partner, twos are not.
D:	Ones left-hand turn to your own side; first man cross left shoulder with the new second lady. In these new fours, left-hand star ¾ to progressed place, ones ready to cross left shoulder and dance with a new couple — this is a double progression dance.

I thought this was simple, but you're reading version seven of the second half of the dance! I suggest that after you teach the gates movement you ask the ones to move forward so that they are left shoulder to left, and then face diagonally right, so that it's clear who is in the diagonal reel of four. At the bottom of the set (unless you started with a neutral couple) it will be a reel of three, with the first lady looping left to do the next change left shoulder with partner, though if this confuses people they can just stand still. The top lady does nothing. It may be worth pointing out that in A and B the ones are working with their original twos, in C they are working with the original second man and the new second lady (who have each other as a shadow) and in D they are working with their new twos, before moving on to yet another second couple at the start of the next turn of the dance.

Tango in Toronto Added 22-Jun-10

Format: Longways duple. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2010

A1:	(16 bars) First man advance, second lady retreat; reverse. Gipsy left, give a meaningful look then spin round to the right.
	Right-hand star, transferring the hand-hold to your partner at the end. Right-hand turn partner half-way; turn single left.
A2:	First lady advance, second man retreat; reverse. Gipsy right, give a meaningful look then spin round to the left.
	Left-hand star. Left-hand turn partner half-way; turn single right.
B:	First corners pass right shoulder: half a straight hey. First corners gipsy right to face same-sex neighbour while the others do a slow loop to their left.
	Pass neighbour left shoulder: half a straight hey to finish in progressed positions. Single file clockwise.

For Karen Millyard and Bridget Whitehead, two of the organisers of the English Country Dance Conference and Dance Weekend in Toronto in 2010. They both worked themselves to exhaustion to produce two successful events. They are also both keen on Argentine Tango, so I decided to write a tango-style English Country Dance. I was staying in the apartment of Karen's grandmother who had been a concert pianist, and wrote the tune at her beautiful grand piano. I realise that Argentine Tango does not use the stylised rhythm of ballroom tango, but I wanted something which ordinary dancers would recognise as a tango. The band was Foxfire — Daron Douglas and Karen Axelrod — and I had heard them playing tangos as Brasstown in 2008 so I knew they would make a great job of it.

At Toronto people had real trouble getting into the first hey and getting out of the second hey, neither of which does what you expect. At the start the first corners are walking almost straight ahead for the first two changes, passing each other right shoulder and then their partners left shoulder. It might help in the walk-through for the second corners to take a step back and left. It might even be better to describe it as three changes of a hey starting left shoulder with partner. At the end the second corners do only three changes, then move out to their progressed position and turn to the right as the first corners pass right shoulder into their progressed position and also turn to their right, into the single-file circle (which needs to be tight). Trust me — it does work! People responded enthusiastically in Toronto, and asked for it to be repeated in the final dance, though Fae Fuerst who danced it both times said:

At the moment I think passing right shoulders to start the tango hey is a choreographic blunder, not the kind of awkward iconoclasm we'll get used to.

Ted meets Pachelbel

Format: Longways duple. Dance: Colin Hume, 2002. Music: Pachelbel or Colin Hume

A1:	Ones lead down a double; turn in and lead back. Ones quick cast and cross while twos lead up a double and fall back.
A2:	Lead up in a line of four (ones on the ends); two-hand turn neighbour (4 bars, across the musical phrase); lead down a double.
B1:	Wheel around with neighbour (men going backwards) to face up; ladies move up while men turn single right ¾. All single file clockwise ¾ to finish improper (second lady and first man at the top).
B2:	Ones two-hand turn half-way, first man pick up the second lady and circle left half-way, first man pick up the second man and all circle left to progressed places, acknowledge the other couple before leaving them.
[The turn and the first circle don't take very long, so take your time on the final circle to use the music up, and acknowledge the other couple before starting the next turn of the dance.]

Ted Hewson Johann Pachelbel The dance can be done to “Pachelbel's Canon” — it will run seven times through. Musicians will need to add a two-note introduction, as the dancers start moving on the first beat of Pachelbel's music, so the first A1 is danced to the eight slow chords and the first melody instrument comes in as the dancers start A2. In case you don't have a recording or a band willing and able to play this, I have also provided my own tune. Please note that Pachelbel's tune as written has four beats to the bar whereas mine has two. This means that with Pachelbel's tune each paragraph is only four bars, and a semicolon marks a one-bar phrase. I think about 168 beats per minute would be a good speed. If you use the first link above you'll see I've rewritten Pachelbel's tune with two beats to the bar.

Written for Ted Hewson and commissioned by his wife Carol for his 65th birthday in 2002 — I called it for them a few days after Ted's birthday at the Weekend Whirligig in New York State, with Bare Necessities playing the music. It was also danced at the Washington DC Ball in Autumn 2004, and caused people some problems! But not nearly as many as would have been caused by my original dance to Pachelbel's Canon!

Three Weddings

Format: Longways duple. Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 2007

A1:	First corners right-hand turn 1¼, keep hold, and give left to partner in diagonal wave. Set in the wave; left-hand turn partner half-way so that second corners face each other.
A2:	Second corners pass right shoulder: diagonal hey for four so that they again end facing each other.
B1:	Second corners right-hand turn about ¾ to a long wave (of second corners) down the centre facing partner; all set. Second corners push: half poussette with partner to finish progressed and improper.
B2:	First corners right-hand turn about ½ to a long wave (of first corners) facing neighbour; all set. Second corners cast right shoulder, first corners follow neighbour: single-file ¾ to progressed place — first corners turn right to face partner at the end of the figure.

Terri Akin and John McClure I was staying with Terri Akin and her fiancé John McClure in April 2007 and they told me they would be having three weddings later in the year — an official ceremony in Oregon where John was living, a celebration (with a dance) in California where Terri was living, and another celebration in Scotland where they would be on one of Ken McFarland's dance tours. This sounded like a good title for a dance. Terri prefers English and John prefers contra, so this is an English dance with contra tendencies. Terri told me about a contra she liked which had turns into waves in different directions, and I've tried to put in some of that.

Tim on the March

Format: Longways duple improper.
Dance: Carol Hewson, 2002. Music: Judi Morningstar.

A1:	Right-hand star half-way, then left-hand turn new neighbour all the way (in only 4 steps). Original fours right-hand star half-way, then left-hand turn previous neighbour all the way.
A2:	Double figure eight in original fours: ones cross down, twos move up the outside to start. [Home]
B1:	Ladies cross; men cross. Circle left half-way; ones cast, twos lead up.
B2:	Ones lead up and cast. Twos lead down and cast up.
Don't change sides as soon as you're out at the end — wait until the double figure eight.

Written for Watendone Folk Dance Club's 40th Birthday Party. The music is a great tune — “March of St. Timothy”, published in the book “Legacy” published by the Country Dance and Song Society and also in “The Portland Collection”.

The A1 section is very quick — you need to face out of the star and give some weight in the turns, and be ready to move straight into the double figure eight.

A Trip to Morland

Dance and Music: Colin Hume, 1986. The tune is in three-time.

Format: Longways triple minor.

A1:	Circle six left half-way (6 steps); take hands along the length of the set, fall back (3 steps), come forward (3 steps). Back to back partner; two-hand turn half-way, fall back.
A2:	Top man bottom lady two-hand turn half-way and fall back into each other's place (6 steps); top lady bottom man the same. Middles two-hand turn half-way (3 steps) and face down, bottom couple cast up into two stars (men left-hand, ladies right-hand) which go once around (9 steps).
B:	Ones lead down, followed by threes and twos as they meet their partner at the top (9 steps), cast up from the bottom and lead back up (9 steps), ones cast to middle position (6 steps). (All improper, order 3, 1, 2.)
C:	All right-hand turn on the right diagonal (taking in those in the next minor set but ignoring any neutrals — 6 steps); left-hand turn on the left diagonal (6 steps). Circle six to the right half-way; take hands along the length of the set, fall back (3 steps), come forward (3 steps).

Unless there is plenty of room, have just the ones turning on the diagonals, i.e. keep within the minor set. This also avoids confusion about who is involved in the circle right.

Written for the first Morland Folk Dance Week, August 1986, in the Eden Valley, Cumbria, with Cumbrian Gap.

Ian Jones and I shared the calling. This was a mixed blessing — and not just because Ian insults me as much as I insult him. I find it quite an effort to call a dance like Pat Shaw's “Clarance House”, so it came as a shock to find that Ian could do this while leading the band. However, I'm reliably informed that he takes his accordian off when calling some of my dances! Cumbrian Gap are also the only Band I know who will happily split in half and play for two different workshops. The Morland Folk Dance Week continues to play to packed houses, and I've been asked back every year so far…. My thanks to the Joneses of Cumbrian Gap: Ian, Margaret, David and Jenny, plus good old Jack on the drums, for making the weeks such a pleasure for me and everyone else.