I've written a few dances which have gotten rousing responses from dancers, and been copied by a number of callers. I'll soon add Dolphin Delight and When Your Ship Comes In (both contra dances with dolphin heys) and Hey in a Square, which includes an eight person hey.
BAYOU DELIGHT Becket, double progression Ken Gall A1 on left diagonal (if you have one) RIGHT AND LEFT OVER ____LADIES CHAIN__straight across__________________________ A2 (after courtesy turn) LADIES CROSS passing by right (4) ____PARTNER GYPSY and SWING ___________________ (12) B1 GENTS ALLEMANDE LEFT once and a half ____NEIGHBOR SWING on Man’s home side____________________ B2 BALANCE CIRCLE (4), PARTNER ROLL AWAY with half sashay(4) Gent rolls his partner in front of him, across the set _____CIRCLE LEFT three quarters___________________________ I’ve been calling this dance since the
summer of 2010. A number of callers from around the country, including Nils Fredland, Diane Silver, Jerome Grisanti, Ann Fallon, Lori Pimental, and Mike Clark, have
copied it, and it has been called in several states. There is a video of me calling it at Glen Echo on Youtube. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ALLIE OOP'S SPECIAL DAY Improper Ken Gall A1 hands across STAR RIGHT three places _____pull by RIGHT AND LEFT across the set ______________________ A2 STAR LEFT once around _____PARTNER ALLEMANDE LEFT (twice if you have time)______________ B1 HALF HEY, ladies lead by passing right in the middle _____PARTNER SWING on lady's side___________________________ B2 CIRCLE LEFT three quarters ____ BALANCE the circle; CALIFORNIA TWIRL______________________ We all need special days! Allie Oop was my younger sister's nickname when she was a wee little kid. I wrote this dance on her birthday, October 25, with the a sequence inspired by a dance I heard Tamarra Loewenthal call at the wedding of Juliet Port and Chris Reading a few days earlier. The dance flows incredibly well, with lots of partner connection. Allie Oop is now more generally known as Alice Clayton, a sometimes contra dancer, musician and nurse practitioner living for the last several years on Lummi Island, off the coast of Bellingham, Washington. The dance was picked up by several callers almost immediately. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MIND THE GAP Improper Ken Gall A1 LADIES PASS RIGHT to change places, then ALL CIRCLE LEFT one time (QUICKLY!) ______PARTNER BALANCE and CUDDLE, end facing CW, women in the middle_ A2 PROMENADE in cuddle position (6) TURN as a couple (2) PROMENADE BACK ___________________________________________ ___________________ B1 GENTS with original neighbor gent ALMD. LEFT ______PARTNER SWING_on man's side_________________________________ B2 LONG LINES forward and back ______LADIES CHAIN_to progress_____________________________________ This is a fairly easy dance, revised from an earlier version. The cuddle is typically a swing dance move, so 32 bar swing music works well. Partners keep hands when getting into the cuddle position, in this case with the man standing still lifting his left hand over the woman's left shoulder, and the woman turning under the joined hands toward the middle of the set. This promenade is around the larger set, not just in the set of four. Mind the Gap is the warning sign you see as you step up to get onto the train in Ireland.The balance
and cuddle move was learned from a Dave Notman dance at Sugar Hill, 2010. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AS GOOD AS IT GETS Improper Ken Gall A1 NEIGHBOR GYPSY ______ NEIGHBOR SWING_______________________________ A2 CIRCLE LEFT three places ______ PARTNER SWING__on man’s side___________________ B1 GENTS ALLEMANDE LEFT one time ____ PARTNER SWING__on man’s side___________________ B2 LONG LINES forward and back ______ LADIES CHAIN__________________________ ________ This is similar to Cary Ravitz’s Jubilation Variation, one of relatively few dances that include two partner swings. This is even simpler than Cary’s dance--and in the final progression you can change the call for three partner swings. Dwayne Johnson of Louisville and others have copied this dance. It works great as a no walk through final dance, or part of a closing medley. The original A1 was with a circle left, but I prefer this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * STARS of INDY Improper Ken Gall A1 STAR RIGHT This is an easy dance for new dancers. As a teaching point, if appropriate at the time and for the particular group, you can suggest a left hand to left hand neighbor balance in A2, then raising joined left hands over their heads, and putting right hands on each others waists, as a satisfying variation on the standard swing. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOOSIER GIRL Improper, Double Progression Ken Gall 8 A1 CIRCLE LEFT one time An earlier version of this dance was published by the Country Dance and Song Society . This version really flows, with a swing to swing to swing sequence similar to Rick Mohr's String of Swings. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOY TO THE TWIRLED Improper Ken Gall Energetic music, perhaps a
jig to start and then crank it up. Joy to the World (Jeremiah was a Bullfrog) by Three Dog Night,
is great as second tune. A1 BALANCE, MONTANA TWIRL with PARTNER across the set ______ BALANCE, MONTANA TWIRL with NEIGHBOR_on side of the set______ A2 BALANCE, MONTANA TWIRL with PARTNER across the set _______NEIGHBOR SWING _________________________________________ B1 GENTS PASS by right shoulder _______PARTNER SWING lady’s side_______________________________ B2 STAR LEFT one time (hands across star, with lady in front of Partner) ALL BALANCE by left, GENTS PULL BY left to progress _______ while ladies turn a bit to the right to face their new neighbor___________________ The Montana Twirl is an unusual move, but easy to learn. I usual explain it as a California Twirl on steroids-- you essentially do a California twirl and keep turning, changing places and taking the other hand with the twirlee, but keeping in the same minor set. Janet Levatin's California Twirling was written earlier and I believe she named the move. The progression in B2 works well, is easily learned, and almost unique. It takes a little longer to teach than many other dances, but hardly takes any calling, the moves are so memorable. I’ve called this dance dozens of times, including at the Michigan Dance Heritage workshop, at North Carolina's Splash Dance, at Memfest, and at Glen Echo. It has been enthusiastically received. It has been copied by several callers, including Bill Sudkamp. Rick Mohr said it looks like a fun dance. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
MORE OF THE BEST THINGS Improper Ken Gall High energy music. A1 BASKET SWING for 4 , end facing down _____with actives in the middle____________________ A2 FOUR WALK DOWN, turn alone _____FOUR WALK BACK, bend to circle _____________ B1 CIRCLE LEFT THREE QUARTERS _____PARTNER SWING on man’s side_______________ B2 CIRCLE LEFT THREE QUARTERS _____BALANCE CIRCLE, PASS THRU________________ The basket swing is rarely done in contra. The dance may be better suited for a barn dance or ceili, but it is great fun for energetic young dancers, even newbies. It is based on Carol Ormand’s Food, Sex, and Beer, which has the basket swing for three. I changed the A part of her dance to have everyone more
active. In teaching the basket swing, have everyone in the minor set put their right foot in the middle. Men join hands with each other, and lift them over the ladies' heads and lower them behind the ladies' backs. The women join their hands and do the same over the men's heads. Each group turns clockwise as much as they want and as fast as they are comfortable with. Both beginners and experienced dancers enjoy the basket
swing. The dance has been copied by others, including Bill Sudkamp. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GROVE HAUS REEL Becket Ken Gall and Rhonda Minnich A1 LONG LINES FORWARD--ladies, roll your shadow away with a half sashay on the way back LONG LINES FORWARD--gents, roll your shadow away with a half sashay on the way back _________________________________________________________________________ A2 CIRCLE LEFT 3 /4 __ NEIGHBOR SWING________________________________________________________ B1 ALL POUSETTE one full time, gents pushing partner to start (16) _______________________________________________________________________ B2 GYPSY STAR--keeping outside hands with partner, and take free hands with same sex ___NEIGHBOR (6); PARTNER SWING, slide left (10)_________________________________ The transition from the pousette to the gypsy star is quite smooth and very satisfying. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ON THE ROAD TOGETHER Improper Ken and Carole Gall A1 CIRCLE LEFT HALF WAY (4) NEIGHBOR SWING on the lady's home side (12)__________________________ A2 GENTS ALLEMANDE LEFT ONCE AND A HALF SCOOP UP YOUR PARTNER, STAR PROMENADE, BUTTERFLY WHIRL to lady's side B1 LADIES LEAD HALF A HEY, passing right PARTNER SWING on the man's home side_______________________________ B2 LONG LINES forward and back CIRCLE LEFT THREE QUARTERS, pass thru______________________________ I called at River Falls twice in 2013. It is a great hall and dance organization, always with lots of new and young dancers. I was looking for a simple dance with a star promenade and half hey--both distinctive moves--in an easy dance for a large crowd with lots of newbies. Playing around with my wife Carole, we came up with this, and it worked well. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * STURGEON IN THE OR Improper Ken Gall A1 MEN ALMD. LEFT once and a bit, SCOOP partner STAR PROMENADE and BUTTERFLY WHIRL______________________________ A2 LADIES CHAIN over and back_____________________________________________________ B1 HALF A HEY, ladies passing right to start PARTNER SWING on the lady's side____________________________________ B2 CIRCLE LEFT THREE QUARTERS BALACNE THE CIRCLE, CALIFORNIA TWIRL______________________________ When I got scheduled for eye surgery, my sister Alice sent me an email, saying she hoped my sturgeon had steady hands. The word survived spell check, and my surgeon did a good job. |