Ashley's Star
A1: Allemande right partner 1 and 1/2, hold on, give left to the next to form a wavy circle with men facing out (8); balance (4), allemande left person on left once around (4)
A2: Do si do partners; ladies left hand star once around, ladies keep the star and pick up partner around waist
B1: Star promenade about 1/2 way around (6), gents cast back (to their right), swing the lady behind
B2: Into the center and back; circle left to men's home place
Repeat figure 3 more times with introduction, middle break and ending of the caller's choice. Composed for the wedding of Larry Edelman and Ashley Faber. This dance also appears on p. 10 of Ted Sannella's Swing The Next, published in 1996 by The Country Dance and Song Society.
Squares by Bob Dalsemer
Baltimore Breakdown
A1: Heads lead right, circle left once around, heads cross trail thru sides (lady @ lady, gent @ gent) to a line of four (woman, woman, man, man)
A2: Lines go forward and back(8) while you note who are ends and who are centers Circle eight hands to the left halfway (8)
B1: Ends from A2 lines swing opposites for 8 counts and face the center while center four circle left 3/4 and pass thru (8), all swing the one you meet
B2: Allemande left just one and promenade the one you swung (to gents' home).
Repeat figure 3 more times with introduction, middle break and ending of the caller's choice. Allemande left in B2 may be omitted if dancers are running late or need more time to end the swing. Created in October, 1992.
Bob's Haystack
A1: All four gents to the center and back, ladies to the center, stand back to back, gents dance around the old haystack (i.e. gents promenade single file to the right around the ladies)
A2: Pass your partner, allemande left the next (8). Allemande right the same person (8)
B1: Do-si-do the same person (8); swing the same person (8)
B2: Promenade to the gents' home place
Repeat figure 3 more times with introduction, middle break (optional for beginners) and ending of the caller's choice. Created in June 2001 as an easy (and better flowing) variation of an old traditional figure. Timing with the music can be looser than indicated, although each round of the figure will easily fit 64 beats (32 bars) if desired.
Down The Ocean
A1: Four ladies chain 3/4 (8); sides right and left thru (8)
A2: Heads lead to the right and circle to a line (8); Lines go forward and back (8)
B1: Pass the Ocean (pass thru to wavy line of four) (4), balance (4); swing new partners (original corner)
B2: Promenade to the gents' home
Repeat figure 3 more times with introduction, middle break and ending of the caller's choice. In B1 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 their temporary partner from the lines in A2. "Pass The Ocean" is a modern square dance figure. This figure was first presented at the Mid Winter Ball in Baltimore on February 5, 2000. The title is a native Baltimorean's answer to the question "Where did you go on vacation?"
First Night Quadrille
A1: Head couples forward and back; same four circle left .
A2: Same four circle right; same four right hand star.
B1: All allemande left corners; grand right and left.
B2: Do-si-do partners; promenade partners home.
Repeat for side couples, then all four ladies and all four gents. The transition from star to grand right and left is a challenge for beginning square dancers and provides an opportunity for the "team" to be successful. Introduction and ending are caller's choice.
Twelfth Street Rag
A1: Four ladies chain 3/4; head ladies chain across
A2: Head couples lead to the right, circle left halfway with the side couple; do-si do the one you're facing, keep facing that same person and...
B1: Pass thru and swing (heads who are facing in swing new opposite person, sides who are facing out, swing the one beside you)
B1: Promenade to gents' home place
Repeat figure once more for the heads and twice for the sides. Intro, middle break and ending are caller's choice. The figure is so named because I often used it as a singing square to that tune.
Bannermans' Quadrille
Intro, Middle Break, Ending:
A1 and A2: Grand Square (16)
B1 & B2: Allemande left corner, grand right and left to partner (16), swing partner (8)
promenade home (8)
Figure 1
A1: Couples 1 and 3 right hands across (8); left hands across (8).
A2: Couples 2and 4 left hands across (8); right hands across (8).
B1: Allemande left corner, swing partner.
B2: Promenade
Figure 2
A1: Couples 1 and 3 dance forward, couple 1 taking a peek around couple 3 (4)
Both couples fall back (4). Couples 1 and 3 dance forward, couple 3 taking a peek around couple 1 (4). Both couples fall back to place (4).
A2: Couples 2 and 4 dance forward, couple 2 taking a peek around couple 4 (4)
Both couples fall back (4). Couples 2 and 4 dance forward, couple 4 taking a peek around couple 2 (4). Both couples fall back to place (4).
B1: Allemande left corner, swing partner.
B2: Promenade
Break
Figure 3
A1: Couples 1 and 3 basket swing.
A2: Couples 2 and 4 basket swing
B1: Allemande left corner, swing partner.
B2: Promenade
Figure 4
A1: All in the center and back (8) All four birdies in the cage and circle left (see note below)
A2: Birds fly out and the crows fly in, keep circling left until home
B1: Allemande left corner, swing partner.
B2: Promenade
Ending
“All four birdies in the cage”: keeping hands joined around the circle, gents raise their partner's left hand and turn their partners clockwise, so the ladies end facing out, arms crossed in front. “Birds fly out, crows fly in”: Gents turn their partners back out and then ladies turn their corners clockwise to face out, arms crossed in front. Music: Bannerman's Quadrille by Bob McQuillen. Dance created to honor The Bannerman Family at the 50th Annual Bannerman Family Folk Camp, November 28 - December 1, 2019.