Smithy Chill at Home by Alan Winston

To the tune “Smithy Hill”; Bare Necessities has a very legible version on “More Favorites of the Boston Centre” 

(You’ll probably want to do this solo dance 4 or 8 times through and the recording is something like 12.)

This is based on the tune and some of the feeling of “Smithy Hill” but makes no effort to approximate the choreography.  Move with a bluesy, swingy feel and feel free to swing your hands.

You start at one corner of a square set about the size of an expansive duple minor set.  Make sure you know where all the corners are.

Note where the corner one place to your left (CW) is (it may be along or across the set, depending on what starting position you chose).  Face perpendicular to the line between you and that corner – so if it’s along, you’re facing across, or vice versa.

A: Step sideways left, cross right in front (taking weight), step left (taking weight), close right, (you’re there, and in place) step right (optionally swinging left foot over), step left (optionally swinging right foot over)  [you’ve traveled, now go home]

Step sideways right, cross left in front, step right, close left (you’re home), step-swing left and right.

B: 1-2: Walk forward on the diagonal to the corner halfway round from home

     3-4: swiveling 45 degrees, fall back along the outside to the corner  one place to the left from home

     5-6: swiveling 45 degrees, forward on the other diagonal one place to the right from home

     7-8: swiveling 45 degrees, fall back along the outside to home

[It may help to visualize this track as a very squared-off figure eight, not rounded at all]

A: Face left – forward a double along the outside line, step swing, step swing

     fall back a double, step swing, step swing

B: Facing toward the right-hand-corner (CCW), walk  around the outside of ring, marking corners (1-2-3 turn, 1-2-3 turn) for three places, finishing one short of home; turn single (if you remembered to start left it’s a turn single right) in new place, remembering to face perpendicular to the line between this place and the place on your left.

Dance repeats three more times to home.

Enjoy!

— Alan