Written In Collaboration...That Shady Groove
Improper By Ian Kelmartin (with help from Maggie Jo Saylor, Andrew VanNorstrand, Sytske Hillenius, and Logan Wells) A1- Long wavy lines, Gents face in, ladies face out, balance forward and back (4) Holding waves, gents walk forward, ladies walk back (meet together in center) (4) Balance Waves left and right (4) Continue holding left hands with neighbor, “star” left 3 places(4) (Picture being in a star with your neighbors without hands crossing over each other. Basically all you’re doing is walking forward without letting go, ladies leading the gents to the other side. Much harder to describe than it is to do.) A2- Ladies turn to face partner. Partner Gypsy (8) Partner Swing (8) B1- Ladies Allemande R 1.5 (8) Neighbor Swing (8) B2- Gents start full hey, passing left shoulders (16) (end in wavy lines, gents face in, ladies face out) |
Written by just Maggie Jo
Merry and Pippin (for Christina Foust)
Improper
A1- Wavy lines of 4 (R hands with neighbors, ladies in center by L hands) Balance (4)
Neighbor Allemande R ½, Gents Allemande L ½ (4)
In wavy lines of 4 (R hands with partner, gents in center by L hands) Balance (4)
Partner Allemande R ¾ to long waves (4)
A2- In long waves (Ladies face out, gents facing in) Balance (4)
Box Circulate (4)
In long waves (Gents face out, ladies facing in) Balance (4)
Box Circulate (4)
B1- Partner Balance and Swing (16)
B2- Long Lines go forward and back (8)
Circle Left ¾, pass thru to new neighbors (new wavy line of 4) (8)
Lend Me Some Sugar, I AM Your Neighbor!
Improper
A1- Gypsy neighbor 1 ½ (8)
Right hand to neighbor, balance (4)
Square thru 2 (4)
A2- Balance and swing neighbor (16)
B1- Balance Ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Swing partner (8)
B2- Right and Left Thru (8)
Circle Left ¾, pas thru to new neighbors (8)
Notes: The title is lifted from the Outkast song, “Hey Ya.” As it suggests, I wanted a dance with plenty of neighborly-love.
Earth Day
Beckett
A1- Ladies Chain (8)
Pass thru to wave of four (4)
Balance wave (4)
A2- Ladies Allemande Left once, while gents orbit to other side (4)
Partner swing (12)
B1- Gents allemande left 1 ½ (8)
Scoop up neighbor, star promenade, butterfly twirl (8)
B2- Ladies allemande right 1 ½ (8)
Yearn on Left diagonal to new neighbors (8)
Notes: Written on Earth Day, hence all the “earthy” references. The ladies allemande right in B2 can be a ladies chain instead… the important thing is that the ladies return quickly to their partner’s side to be ready for the yearn
Captain Shanks’s Revenge
Improper
A1- Neighbor see-saw (8)
Neighbor allemande left 1 1/4) (8)
End in wavy lines of four (gents in center)
A2- Balance wave TWICE (8)
Gents allemande right 1 ½ (8)
B1- Partner balance and swing (16)
End swing in ring of four
B2- Balance ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Balance ring, California twirl (8)
Notes: This has become my signature dance. When I call it I assume a complete pirate alter-ego (Captain Shanks), and encourage the dancers to act the part as well. The most important moment is the Petronella in the B2- on the claps everyone should shout “YO HO!” Other quirks can also be added in. I’ll often call the ring of four a “treasure ring” or refer to left and right as “port” and “starboard.”
Harbinger
Improper
A1- Neighbor do-si-do 1 ½ (8)
Next neighbor balance and box the gnat (8)
A2- Pull by this next neighbor back to original neighbor (4)
Swing original neighbor (12)
B1- Circle left ¾ (8)
Swing partner (8)
B2- Balance ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Balance ring, pass through to next (8)
Notes: written when studying vocabulary for the SATs in 11th grade.
Sytske’s Scarf
Improper, double progression
A1- Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl (8)
Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl (8)
A2- Swing Neighbor (8)
Long lines forward and back (8)
B1- Ladies Chain (8)
Promenade Across (8)
B2- Circle Left ¾ (8)
2s arch, 1s dive under (4)
1s arch, 2s dive under (4)
Notes: written for Sytske Hillenius’s (of Anna’s Bananas) Sweet Sixteen. Her name is pronounced Seet-Skuh
Mitosis
Becket A1- Ladies start ½ hey (8) (interphase)
Ladies swing (8) (Prophase)
A2- End swing next to partner; down hall in lines of four (8)
Turn alone and come back (8) (Metaphase)
B1- Balance and Swing Partner (16) (Anaphase)
B2- Long Lines forward and back (8) (Telophase)
Join hands and circle to the left ½ way (4)
Slide left to new couple (4) (Cytokinesis)
Notes: This was the first dance I ever wrote, in my 10th grade biology class. The sections each are intended to resemble the phases of mitosis. At the time I was unaware that there was already a dance by that name.
Improper
A1- Wavy lines of 4 (R hands with neighbors, ladies in center by L hands) Balance (4)
Neighbor Allemande R ½, Gents Allemande L ½ (4)
In wavy lines of 4 (R hands with partner, gents in center by L hands) Balance (4)
Partner Allemande R ¾ to long waves (4)
A2- In long waves (Ladies face out, gents facing in) Balance (4)
Box Circulate (4)
In long waves (Gents face out, ladies facing in) Balance (4)
Box Circulate (4)
B1- Partner Balance and Swing (16)
B2- Long Lines go forward and back (8)
Circle Left ¾, pass thru to new neighbors (new wavy line of 4) (8)
Lend Me Some Sugar, I AM Your Neighbor!
Improper
A1- Gypsy neighbor 1 ½ (8)
Right hand to neighbor, balance (4)
Square thru 2 (4)
A2- Balance and swing neighbor (16)
B1- Balance Ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Swing partner (8)
B2- Right and Left Thru (8)
Circle Left ¾, pas thru to new neighbors (8)
Notes: The title is lifted from the Outkast song, “Hey Ya.” As it suggests, I wanted a dance with plenty of neighborly-love.
Earth Day
Beckett
A1- Ladies Chain (8)
Pass thru to wave of four (4)
Balance wave (4)
A2- Ladies Allemande Left once, while gents orbit to other side (4)
Partner swing (12)
B1- Gents allemande left 1 ½ (8)
Scoop up neighbor, star promenade, butterfly twirl (8)
B2- Ladies allemande right 1 ½ (8)
Yearn on Left diagonal to new neighbors (8)
Notes: Written on Earth Day, hence all the “earthy” references. The ladies allemande right in B2 can be a ladies chain instead… the important thing is that the ladies return quickly to their partner’s side to be ready for the yearn
Captain Shanks’s Revenge
Improper
A1- Neighbor see-saw (8)
Neighbor allemande left 1 1/4) (8)
End in wavy lines of four (gents in center)
A2- Balance wave TWICE (8)
Gents allemande right 1 ½ (8)
B1- Partner balance and swing (16)
End swing in ring of four
B2- Balance ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Balance ring, California twirl (8)
Notes: This has become my signature dance. When I call it I assume a complete pirate alter-ego (Captain Shanks), and encourage the dancers to act the part as well. The most important moment is the Petronella in the B2- on the claps everyone should shout “YO HO!” Other quirks can also be added in. I’ll often call the ring of four a “treasure ring” or refer to left and right as “port” and “starboard.”
Harbinger
Improper
A1- Neighbor do-si-do 1 ½ (8)
Next neighbor balance and box the gnat (8)
A2- Pull by this next neighbor back to original neighbor (4)
Swing original neighbor (12)
B1- Circle left ¾ (8)
Swing partner (8)
B2- Balance ring, Petronella twirl (8)
Balance ring, pass through to next (8)
Notes: written when studying vocabulary for the SATs in 11th grade.
Sytske’s Scarf
Improper, double progression
A1- Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl (8)
Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl (8)
A2- Swing Neighbor (8)
Long lines forward and back (8)
B1- Ladies Chain (8)
Promenade Across (8)
B2- Circle Left ¾ (8)
2s arch, 1s dive under (4)
1s arch, 2s dive under (4)
Notes: written for Sytske Hillenius’s (of Anna’s Bananas) Sweet Sixteen. Her name is pronounced Seet-Skuh
Mitosis
Becket A1- Ladies start ½ hey (8) (interphase)
Ladies swing (8) (Prophase)
A2- End swing next to partner; down hall in lines of four (8)
Turn alone and come back (8) (Metaphase)
B1- Balance and Swing Partner (16) (Anaphase)
B2- Long Lines forward and back (8) (Telophase)
Join hands and circle to the left ½ way (4)
Slide left to new couple (4) (Cytokinesis)
Notes: This was the first dance I ever wrote, in my 10th grade biology class. The sections each are intended to resemble the phases of mitosis. At the time I was unaware that there was already a dance by that name.