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.

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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.

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. 

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STARS of INDY                   Improper                    Ken Gall 

A1 STAR RIGHT
_____ STAR LEFT_______________________________________
A2 NEIGHBOR BALANCE and SWING on Man’s side
______________________________________________________
B1 GENTS CROSS by right
______PARTNER SWING_ on woman’s side___________________
B2 CIRCLE LEFT three places
______BALANCE THE CIRCLE; CALIFORNIA TWIRL_____________

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. 

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HOOSIER GIRL        Improper, Double Progression        Ken Gall    8

A1 CIRCLE LEFT one time
        BALANCE CIRCLE, CLOVERLEAF (Gents cast over right shoulder,
_______ Ladies cast over left--everybody is turning to OUTSIDE)___
B2 NEIGHBOR BALANCE and SWING Man’s side
___________________________________________________________
B1 CIRCLE LEFT one time
_____ACTIVES SWING in center of set and end facing down_________
B2 NEW NEIGHBORS SWING on the sides
_______now TWOS SWING and end facing up___ __________________

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.

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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______

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. 

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MORE OF THE BEST THINGS            Improper            Ken Gall   

High energy music.

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.

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