Contras

A1: Circle left with the couple across (8); do si do partner (8)
A2: Allemande left 'shadow' (4) swing partner (12)
B1: Two gents allemande left once and a half (8) swing opposite (neighbor) (8)
B2: Pass thru across set (4), turn individually to right, make a right hand star. Turn star once and a quarter. Gents lead partners left along your line to next couple (usual clockwise progression).

Introduced March 20, 1994 at a callers' workshop in Tuscon.

A1: On the right diagonal, ladies pass right shoulders to begin a half hey (8) allemande left partner (8)
A2: Ladies chain (with a new couple) straight across (8); circle left 3/4 (8).
B1: Balance the circle (4), gents roll away partner from left to right, (exchanging places with partner along the line), gypsy partner.
B2: Gents pass left shoulders to start a half hey across (8); swing partners (8).

Introduced February 5, 2000 at The Mid Winter Ball in Baltimore to honor the 25th Anniversary of the Baltimore Folk Music Society.

Progression is counter clockwise (to the right). Since the transition from roll away to gypsy in B1 is unusual, the calls should be grouped together ( "roll away and gypsy") and dancers should be encouraged in the walk through to make the two movements flow together.

A1: Allemande left neighbor once and a half (8); Allemande right next neighbor along the line once and a half, hold on, give left to yet another neighbor to make long ocean wave lines (8).
A2: Balance in line to the right and left (4) and in the current style of Rory O'More, spin individually to the right (clockwise) while moving to the right passing in front of the second neighbor down the line,(4 steps); swing original N. B1: Circle left 3/4, swing partner
B2: Right and left thru across (with a courtesy turn!) and roll away with a half sashay (8), gents help the ladies lead into a right hand star 3/4 (gents follow partners)

The roll away with a half sashay is most satisfying when it follows a courtesy turn. Dance might have been called Bye, Bye Balto'more. Introduced at Lovely Lane just before my move to North Carolina in August, 1991.

A1: Circle left (8); Gents rollaway neighbor from left to right and immediately gypsy same neighbor (8).
A2: Gents allemande left once and a half; Do si do partner
B1: Balance and swing partner
B2: Ladies chain; Half hey across, ladies pass right shoulders to start

The rollaway/gypsy combo in A1 takes about 8 steps and should be demonstrated before the walk thru with emphasis placed on giving weight in the rollaway. For Cape Fear (NC) Contradancers' Salty Swirl Festival, February 9, 2002.

A1: 1. Do-si-do same sex neighbor once and a half (8) ending with the 1's facing out, 2's facing in: balance in long waves (4); allemande left the person on the left about 3/4 (4) .
A2: 1's turn contra corners
B1: 1's balance & swing , ending the swing facing up (proper)
B2: With the couple above, circle left (8), star left (8). End facing next couple

A1: Do-si-do your neighbor; 1's swing in the center, end facing down between the inactives
A2: Down the hall four in line, turn alone, come back, pull the ends in
B1: Circle left; swing your neighbor
B2: In long lines go forward and back; 2's swing, end facing up.

Composed in September, 1992 in honor of The Dog Branch Cats, Brasstown's own dance band.

A1: Right hand star (8); allemande right neighbor once and a half, ending with the gents in the middle (8)
A2: Gents allemande left once around, swing neighbor, face across
B1: Long lines go forward (4), joining two hands with partner, gents keep going forward, ladies back up (4), swing partners, face across
B2: Half promenade across (8), circle left 3/4, pass thru

During counts 5-8 of B1, the ladies may want to pull their partners back slightly to the left diagonal to line up evenly with the opposite couple before the swing. Composed January 8, 1998 in preparation for a dance with music by The Freighthoppers.

A1: Circle left once around (8); Balance the circle (4) Circle right just halfway! (4)
A2: Allemande left neighbor once and three quarters around (8); Two women do-si-do in the center once and a half.
B1: Balance and swing partner
B2: Ladies chain (8); Half hey, women pass right shoulders to start

Composed in celebration of Peggy Myers' 50th Birthday, November 16, 1996

A1: 1's balance and swing, finish between the 2's in a line of four facing down
A2: Down the hall four in line (4-6), "tag the line" (see below), face up the hall, return
B1: Circle left 1/2, swing neighbors
B2: In long lines go forward and back, 1's half figure eight up thru the 2's

The modern square dance figure "tag the line" involves the four dancers in line turning individually to face the center point of the line (>><<). each taking a small step to the left, they "double" pass thru passing right shoulders (go by two sets of shoulders) and face up the hall. This inverts the line from W2,M1,W1,M2 going down the hall, to W1,M2,W2,M1 coming back.
It's not necessary to have active couples cross over before the start. A dancer's question provided the title.

A1: Circle four to the left and back to the right
A2: Same four, right hand star and left hands back
B1: Do-si-do your neighbor; swing your neighbor, end facing down the hall
B2: Down the hall four in line, turn alone (!), come back four in line (12), 2's in the middle make an arch and pop the 1's through to the next couple.

My almost foolproof variation of "Jefferson's Reel" (aka "Jefferson & Liberty"). Introduced in July 1998 at the Folk School's weekly Tuesday night beginners' session.

A1: Circle left 3/4; do si do partner
A2:Balance & swing partner, end facing down, four in line
B1: Down the hall four in line, turn as couples, return, bend the line (don't make a circle!)
B2: Pass The Ocean (pass thru to wavy line of four) balance; ladies allemande left 1/2; balance four in line, drop hands, step forward

In B2 the ladies should catch each other's left hand as they pass thru, and allemande left 1/4 , while the men should pass thru to the ends of the wave and give right hands to partner. "Pass The Ocean" is a modern square dance figure. The dance was composed to honor the marriage of two Baltimore dancers, Maggie Taylor and Jay Hobbs.

A1: Do-si-do neighbor; ladies do-si-do
A2: Gents allemande left once and a half; Swing partners
B1: Half promenade across; Ladies allemande right once and a half
B2: Swing neighbors; Long lines go forward and back

Improvised in May 1993 at a Folk School dance with many beginners when I needed something like Don Armstrong's great dance, Broken Sixpence which had already been called that night.

A1: Long lines forward and back; 2's swing, end facing up
A2: Symmetrical gypsy with neighbor (inactives split the actives), go once and a half (8);
1's swing
B1: Down the hall four in line, turn alone, come back
B2: Circle left; Swing your neighbor

Introduced in January, 1993 at the Mid-Winter Ball in Baltimore.

A1: With the 1's in the middle, lines of four go down the hall, turn alone, returm, pull into a circle
A2: Circle right; circle left
B1: Do-si-do neighbor; swing neighbor
B2: Long lines forward and back; 1's swing, end facing next couple

Introduced March 24, 1998 at the Folk School's weekly Tuesday night beginners' session. The dance is derived from Jonathan Southard's Trip to Monterey which is in turn derived from Ted Sannella's Scout House Reel .

A1: Do-si-do neighbor; circle left
A2: Circle right; Allemande left neighbor once and a half
B1: Ladies chain over and back
B2: In long lines forward and back; 1's swing, end facing down

Introduced in March, 1990 during the American Dance Friendship Tour of the former Soviet Union.

A1: Two gents allemande left 1 and 1/2, hold on, pick up partner around waist as in star promenade, bring her back to gent's side (12), wheel around ("butterfly whirl") as a couple (gent backing up).
A2: Two ladies walk around each other (gypsy) passing by right shoulder, return to partner, swing partner, end facing across in a circle of four
B1: Balance in a circle (4) , pass thru (4), turn individually to the right and in your group of four promenade in single file 3/4 around to progressed places (6) , men turn around (2)
B2: Balance and swing neighbors

Composed in September, 1989 to honor Jon and Sue Simmons' departure on a 1500 mile "bikeathon" from Seattle to San Diego. This dance is included in the 7th edition of Dance A While: Handbook for Folk, Square, Contra, and Social Dance published by Macmillan (New York,1994).

A1: In long lines go forward and back (8); pass thru (4) and allemande right neighbor (4) to a wavy line with women in the center.
A2: Balance in line (4), women allemande left halfway (4) and swing partners (8)
B1: Down the hall four in line, turn alone (!) return, bend the line
B2: Circle left 3/4; swing neighbor

I named this dance after being stopped by a police roadblock following a Charlottesville, Virginia Festival Saturday night dance. I thought the Charlottesville P.D. might be able to use it as a sobriety test for contra dancers!

I learned alternative B1 from Robert Cormartie that I like: Down the hall four in line, Dixie Twirl, return, join hands in a circle. "Dixie Twirl" is from the early days of modern club square dancing. It's essentially a California Twirl for couples, i.e. the two center people make an arch, the woman on the right hand end of the line leads her partner through the arch, while the man on the left hand end of the line leads his partner around behind to the other end and all face up.

A1: 1's balance& swing neighbors & face across (3's may balance& swing & end proper)
A2: 1's half figure eight through the couple above (8); circle six to the right (!) 3/4, ending in lines of three across (1's in the middle, men facing down, women facing up, everyone across from partner)
B1: 1's turn contra corners ending with an extra allemande right with each other back to place in the lines of three.
B2: Circle six to the left 3/4; 1's swing, end facing a new #2 couple

My attempt to make the traditional dance, Sackett's Harbor, a little more zesty.

A1: Allemande left neighbor (8); same four circle left (8)
A2: Allemande right same neighbor (8) Two women allemande left (8)
B1: Balance and swing partners
B2: Half promenade (8) Ladies (helped by the gents) move in front of their partners to make a right hand star 3/4 around to progressed places

For Chris Spicer on the occasion of his marriage to Kitty Hay.

A1: Allemande left neighbor once and three quarters (8) ladies chain across
A2: Long lines forward and back; in your group of four, circle left
B1: Circle back to the right just halfway (4), balance in a circle (4) swing partner
B2: Gents allemande left halfway, give right to neighbor to make a a wavy line of four (4), balance the line (4), allemande right neighbor once and 3/4 (8)

Composed during the Folk School's Contra Dance Musicians' Week, 1996 to fill the need for a relatively easy dance whose balances would accomodate the B music of Staten Island Hornpipe.

A1: Two women allemande left once and a half (8), giving right to partner to form a wavy line of four; balance right and left (4), allemande right 1/2 to put the men in the middle of the line
A2: Balance right and left (4), gypsy 3/4 around partner (4), men pass left shoulders in the middle to start a half hey (slightly less!)
B1: Balance and swing partners
B2: Right and left thru; circle left 3/4, pass thru

A birthday surprise for Tom Hinds, February, 1992. This dance also appears on p. 120 of Ted Sannella's Swing The Next, published in 1996 by The Country Dance and Song Society.