This page has been replaced with a more usefully formatted page with more dances in addition to those below. Click the link below to go to the new page which opens each dance in a new tab:  https://carolinaenglishcountrydance.com/dance-pandemic-list-links/

I haven’t been adding the newer dances, there are now almost 30, to this page as all the dances are now available on the new page, Dance Pandemic List Links. I see that lots of people are still visiting this Dance Pandemic page and wonder if people prefer to scroll through the dances here rather than use the links. Please let me know if you’d like me to add the newer dances here. You can find my email at the homepage, http://CarolinaEnglishCountryDance.com

Dances skillfully created and generously shared for such a time as this: Some are for one, some are for more dancers for those with partners at home.

Check out Bob Green‘s wonderful site with videos, some of these dances and some additional dances, often with instructions displayed right beside the video. http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/ecd/corona-inspired-dances

Several of the choreographers included suggestions for tunes. Buying the recorded music online would be a help for the musicians whose income may have plummeted at this time. Some tunes can be downloaded digitally. If you don’t have access to the music, do try the dances to whatever music you have that may work. Please let me know what good fits you find as many others may benefit. My email address is on the main page but I’ll include it here: MargaretSwait  at G mail Dot Com (no spaces) Thank you!

From Neil Stuart, see his notes below:

A SOCIALLY DISTANCED JIG

Longways duple minor, proper. Tune: 32 bar lively jig

A1	1st corners set R&L in place, then Turn Single Rt (4 bars); into… …single file circle clockwise ½ way, all Cloverleaf Turn Single out and away from Ptnr (1st corners left, 2nd corners Rt) (4 bars).
A2	Repeat A1 led by 2nd corners. Again circle ½ way clockwise and Cloverleaf TS (8 bars). All home
B1	Back-to-back Ptnr Rt shoulder (4 bars); 1s cross Rt shoulder and cast to 2nd place, come towards each other and face up (don’t touch!!), while 2s, on bars 7 & 8, cross up to 1st place and turn out to face down (4 bars) into….
B2	…Symmetrical back-to-back up and down, 1s up through the middle (don’t take hands!!) (4 bars); Nbrs facing, 3 changes of a circular hey without hands, Rt shoulder to start, and face new Nbrs (4 bars).

A dance written during the Coronavirus pandemic. Given the period of social distancing and self-isolation, and contrary to the norms of our social dancing that usually includes at least some form of physical contact with our partners and other dancers, this was intentionally created with moves that do not involve any contact with other dancers.

In future times, when the pandemic is over, this can be danced with closer and/or physical contact, e.g. the setting in A1 and A2 could be moving forward, the ½ circles can be with hands, M2 can hand Ptnr into the crossing up in B1 and Ptnrs can take hands where possible in the symmetrical back-to-back in B2.

It is suggested that as much of the dance as possible is done with a skip-change step to some lively jigs, so as to help banish the Coronavirus blues.

Copyright Neil Stuart Written 28 & 29/3/2020

 

The Old Wife Behind the Door (Sharon Green, 3/29/20)

Tune: The Old Wife Behind the Fire

Recorded Sources: Bare Necessities, Strong Roots; Childgrove, Wanderlust; Elegant Echoes, English Echoes II

One-person shortways set

A1 1-4 Facing up, set right and left. Cast left one place down

5-8 Dance left-shoulder round once, end facing down

A2 1-4 Facing down, set right and left. Cast right one place up

5-8 Dance right-shoulder round once, end facing east

B1 1-8 Four changes, as follows:

1-2 Facing east, advance a double

3-4 Face down, advance a double

5-6 Face west, advance a double

7-8 Face up, advance a double

B2 1-4 Facing up, right-shoulder back to back

[or, Up a double and fall back, if you prefer]

5-8 Up a double and fall back

The Lonesome Lass (Sharon Green, 3/29/20)

Adaptation of The Lissome Lass by Sharon Green (2016)

Tune: Paulina by Patti Cobb (2016)

One-person shortways set

A1 1-4 Facing up, balance forward and back, turn single right

5-8 Dance right-shoulder round 1 and ½ times

[End facing down]

A2 1-4 Facing down, balance forward and back, turn single right

5-8 Dance right-shoulder round 1 and ½ times

[End facing up]

B 1-4 Facing up, dance a long right-shoulder back to back

5-8 Dance a long left-shoulder back to back

9-12 Balance forward and back, turn single right

13-16 Mad Robin clockwise, at least once

[End in original position facing up]

The Not So Lonesome Lass (Sharon Green, 3/31/20)

For Melissa Monty, one more time.

Two-person shortways set

A1 1-4 Facing partner, balance forward and back, turn single R

5-8 Dance right-shoulder round 1 and ½ times

[End facing one another, but in each other’s position]

A2 1-4 Facing partner, balance forward and back, turn single R

5-8 Dance right-shoulder round 1 and ½ times

[End facing one another, but now in original position]

B 1-4 Facing partner, dance a long right-shoulder back to back

5-8 Dance a long left-shoulder back to back

9-10 2 quick crosses by the right shoulder into

11-12 Partners 2-hand turn once round, easing out into

13-16 Mad Robin clockwise, at least once

 

Faithless Nancy Dawson

modified for solo or one-couple dance by Alan Rosenthal, 30 March 2020

This dance works with either one dancer or one couple. Music available at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQtarVJ41AE

(modified to be only five times through; see channel for seven times through)

 If you are dancing solo, you can dance on either side as you choose.

You are the ones AND the twos! So leave some space both above and below you in the set.

 A1

1-4 Lead down between the couple below and cast up back to place

B1

1-4 Lead up between the couple above you and cast down back to place

5-8 Partner back-to-back

B2

1-4 Fall back; come forward turning single

5-8 Partner right-shoulder walkaround

 

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ALL AROUND OUR WORLD ( or FLYING SOLO ) by Lea Smith 3-22-20
One person set, facing North

32 bar Waltz ( I like the recording ‘Turning of the Year’, by Bare
Necessities )

A1

1-4 Set Right & Left, Turn Single Right
5-8 Set Left & Right, Turn Single Left

A2

1-4 Dance Forward (toward North) & Back to place
5-8 Fall Back (toward South) & Come Forward

B1

1-4 Dance a Right Shoulder Loop to the North, come back to place, end facing South
5-8 Left Shoulder Loop to the South, end facing West

B2

1-4 Left Shoulder Loop to the West, end facing East
5-8 Right Shoulder Loop to the East, end facing West

Repeat three times, starting facing West, then South, then East.

Note; if you are missing traveling by air, you can make ‘airplane arms’ during the B parts, and really soar.

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Bryon’s Backup (Sharon Green, 3/28/20)
Adapted from Brian’s Boutade by Fried de Metz Herman, 1991 –A place holder until we can dance Fried’s dance again.

One Person Shortways Set      Tune: Hubbub by Bryon Bonnett     

Recorded Source: The Flying Romanos’ CD, The Flying Romanos Take Off

A1.

1-2 Starting on the right diagonal, advance (4)

3-4 Face down, then advance (4)

      [You are now one place to the right of your original position]

5-6 Face on the right diagonal and advance (4)

7-8 Face down, advance (4)

A2

1-2 All that again, but starting on the left diagonal in bars 1-2 and facing on the left diagonal in bar 5. You will end home, facing down

B1

1-4 Turning 1/4 to the left to face east, dance a left-shoulder back-to-back, at the last moment pulling your right shoulder back to face west

5-8 Fall back in a face en face

B2

1-4 Dance a right-shoulder round once, ending facing up

5-8 Facing up, set right and left, then turn single to the right. Flow into A1

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No Introduction (Catherine Campbell, 3/28/20)

Based on The Introduction by Fried de Metz Herman. Recordings available by Foxfire and Bare Necessities.

One person set. Position yourself by facing up then do a quarter turn to your right. (“Man 1”)

A1

1-4 Set and cast right through the “middle” of the set into “2nd” place continuing to loop right to face “in” to the set

5-8 Right shoulder Swirly siding over and back (6 steps each) Take a pause point after the first part of the siding

A2

1-4 Set and cast up

5-8 Left shoulder swirly siding over and back (end facing “in” to the set)

B1

1-4 Forward and down on the right diagonal (pause and pivot to change direction) and then forward and down on the left diagonal and turn right to face the way you just came

5-8 Reverse to return home

B2

1-4 Set and lead down and cast up and continue that cast into…

5-8 Right shoulder round – take as much space as you can depending on the size of the “dance hall”. End where you started the dance.

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Barbarini’s Trampoline (Sharon Green, 3/27/20)

Tune: Barbarini’s Tambourine

One-person shortways set

With thanks to Jacqueline Schwab for her 1987 reconstruction of Barbarini’s Tambourine, to Graham Christian for his recent livestream chat about Mlle. Barbarina (the dancer Barbara Campanini), and to the Germantown Country Dancers for the irrepressible, infectious hop.

A1    

1-8    Pulling your left-shoulder back, cast left, and dance up into a loop right to end opposite your original position facing down

                  [You have completed a figure S]

A2    

1-8    Pulling your right-shoulder back, cast right, and dance down into a loop left to end in your original position facing up             

B1    

1-4    Fall back a double, then dance up as if changing places with a partner, and face down

5-12  Back to back right-shoulder; back to back left-shoulder

B2   

1-2    Forward a double (hop!)

3-4    Fall back a double (hop!)

5-6    Set forward right and left

7-8    Turn single right halfway to face up

9-12  Dance a wide right-shoulders round to end facing up

 

Note: B2 (5-8) is a variant on the Scottish move set and link.     

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The Geud Man of Balangigh

modified for solo dance by Alan Rosenthal, 26 March 2020

(Note: I don't think this works with a couple, just with one person. If you are two people, dance in two sets!)

You are the first woman.

A1

1-2 Lead down to second place

3-4 Loop over your left shoulder three quarters, to face across the set

5-6 Cross the set

7-8 Loop over your left shoulder three quarters, to face up

A2

1-4 Similarly, lead up to first place and loop left three quarters

5-8 Cross the set and loop left one half to face in

B1

1-4 Simultaneously:

First corners (who aren't you) set advancing, then turn single back to place

WHILE

First couple (including you) do a right-shoulder walkaround (gypsy)

[see footnote]

5-8 Simultaneously:

Second corners (including you) set advancing, then turn single back to place

WHILE

Second couple (who aren't you) do a right-shoulder walkaround

B2

1-4 Circle halfway, then turn single left

5-8 Again circle halfway then turn single left.

The second time through the dance, for the 'A' parts start ACROSS the set, and loop over your RIGHT shoulder, to face down, and so on four times; unlike in the above, the fourth of these loops is also three quarters.

Alternate successive times through the dance.

[footnote] These two figures couldn't happen simultaneously if the first man weren't a ghost! Solo dancing has an advantage here.

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Steps Back In Time by John Sweeney

Shortways Set for One or Two

Music: Auretti’s Dutch Skipper; An Adventure at Margate; The Spirit of the Dance – played by Brass Monkey

Available at many music services including:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Aurettis-Skipper-Adventure-Margate-Spirit/dp/B075F2G8LX

UK: https://amazon.co.uk/Aurettis-Skipper-Adventure-Margate-Spirit/dp/B01NAJWKK2

Or your favourite 32 bar tune.

 

A1/2: Original Petronella x 4 (32)  (Note 1)

B1: Single Step Down the Room (8) (Note 2)

       Double Step Up the Room  (8) (Note 3)

B2: Foot It to a piece of furniture (8) (Note 4)

       Foot It to another piece of furniture (8)

 

If there are two of you then start facing each other; dance down the room together right hand in right hand (lady on the left) and the lady turns AC under the man’s arm to return, taking Promenade Hold.  Foot It to each other.

 

Note 1: As in the first half of the original dance. Imagine you are on one point of a diamond: Set twice while turning to your right and moving one place around to the right to the next point of the diamond; Set facing the centre of the diamond. Repeat four times.

See : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C_wmqCFr1A.

 

Optional Variant: The 3rd and 4th times, in A2, do a Balance instead of a Set to the centre.

Balance: Step Right, Kick Left while hopping on the Right, Step Left, Kick Right while hopping on the Left.

 

Note 2: Single Steps are just Step-Hops. i.e. skipping.

 

Note 3: Double Steps are 1-2-3-hop, also known as polka steps or skip-change steps.  As at 3:24 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIOMCz0jFc.

For both types of stepping it is always good to hop on the anacrusis (the “and” before the first “1”) to get a good start to your movement.

 

Note 4: For an explanation of Foot It see https://colinhume.com/footit.htm.  A variant of one of the options Colin describes is at http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS8603-TheComet.html.

My simple variant of that is: Hop Left four times: Point right foot in front, to the side, behind, land with both feet together; repeat on left foot.

You can also Rant as at 3:40 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIOMCz0jFc

To Rant start by practicing hop-hop-change, hop-hop-change… to the rhythm of “Fish-and-Chips”.  Then add the syncopated tap with the free foot to the rhythm “Po-ta-to-chips”.  The tap can be with the heel or with the toe.

You can also Back Step as at 3:48 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIOMCz0jFc

To Back Step start by doing Single Steps moving backwards, then try them moving backwards, but placing each foot sideways behind the other.  Then try doing that without moving backwards, as in the video – you have to tuck it in tight and make the hop slightly forwards.

You can do continuous Back Steps, or break them up with 1-2-3s as in the video.

You can do Heel & Toes: Heel, Toe, 1-2-3. E.g. Left Heel, Left Toe, Left, Right, Left; repeat on the other foot.

Or any other footwork that you like.

The English were known as the “dancing English” and renowned for their variety of footwork.  Many country dances in England include a wide variety of stepping.  “Foot It” was a common figure in centuries past, generally meaning, “Impress your partner with your footwork”.  People used to take pride in doing different footwork each time through a Longways dance. So… for those who like stepping, here is a solo dance with lots of it.

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More to come  . . .