Last modified 3 May 2023
Here are some of my other dances. Feel free to dance them. Comments are welcome - email pfoster@pcug.org.au.
Kitchen Square |
| 32 bar reel (or jig) |
| Peter Foster 31 May 2020 |
| Level: Medium |
| A dance for one person (although it can involve multiple people). Written during Covid lockdown, when we were dancing over Zoom. Oh, and I was dancing in the kitchen, one of the few places with open floor space. |
The dancer starts at the lower left corner of an imaginary square. Looking at the diagram, the dancer would start at A, facing forward (to corner B).
(Figures in parentheses are beat counts)
| A1 | (4) | Walk forward 4 steps (forward, 2, 3, together) to corner B, but as you bring your feet together do a quarter turn left (anticlockwise). You are now facing a wall (or a cupboard) |
| (4) | Walk backward 4 steps (back, 2, 3, together) to corner C, but as you bring your feet together do another quarter turn left. You are now facing corner D | |
| (4) | Walk forward, 2, 3, together (to corner D) with another quarter turn left | |
| (4) | Back, 2, 3, together WITHOUT a quarter turn. You are now in you original corner but facing a different direction (now facing corner D) | |
| A2 | (16) | Repeat the walk and quarter turn but in the other direction (so you start by walking toward corner D and the quarter turns will be to the right (clockwise)). Finish in original place, original direction |
| B1 | (4) | 2 slow steps forward |
| (4) | 3 quick steps forward (forward, 2, 3, together) | |
| (8) | Repeat backward: 2 slow then 3 quick | |
| B2 | (4) | Set (balance) right and left |
| (4) | Twirl clockwise (left shoulder forward) as you move to the right, finishing on corner D, still facing in original direction | |
| (4) | Set (balance) left and right | |
| (4) | Twirl anticlockwise (right shoulder forward) to return to original place (corner A) |
The dance finishes in original place, original direction, ready to start again.
That's the dance, but there is more if you would like some extra challenge:
This finishes with the dancer on a different corner. The dance is then done from this new place, in a new orientation. Yes, it can be a touch disorienting (which is why it's the More Advanced Version).
The only difference is at the very end: instead of twirling back to the original corner, do a quarter turn left (anticlockwise) to face your original starting point. So after the first time through you would finish on corner D, facing in the direction of corner A. Here is the slightly modified B2:
| B2 | (4) | Set (balance) right and left |
| (4) | Twirl clockwise (left shoulder forward) as you move to the right, finishing on corner D, still facing in original direction | |
| (4) | Set (balance) left and right | |
| (4) | Do a quarter turn left (anticlockwise). Finish on this new corner |
After 4 times through you will have done the dance from each of the corners and will be back where you started, on corner A. But wait, there's more...
If you have 4 people with good spatial awareness you can try this version. It is the same as the More Advanced Version, except all 4 people are dancing on the same square at the same time. They each start at a corner, facing clockwise around the square, so the one on corner A is facing corner B, the one on corner B is facing corner C etc. If (big if) all 4 people do it successfully, there will be no collisions.
Enjoy!
Maleny Wedding |
| Peter Foster March 1989 |
| Level: Medium-Easy |
| A waltz for three couples in a circle, numbered anticlockwise 1, 2, 3 |
| Music: the song "Today", by Randy Sparks (available on the album "An Evening With John Denver") |
| The song is unusually phrased: the verse is a straightforward 16 bars, but the chorus is a total of 21 bars: 16 bars, then a one bar pause, then another 4 bars. The song has three choruses and two verses. |
| Figures in parentheses are bar counts |
Chorus
| (12) | Couple 1 waltz around the outside of the set WHILE couples 2 and 3 star right (4), star left (4), then advance and retire (4) When retiring, lady 2 and man 3 join free hand ready for... |
| (4) | All 3 couples take hands in a circle and advance and retire |
| (1) | Honour partner |
| (4) | Waltz around one place to progress |
Verse 1
| (4) | Gents left hand star |
| (4) | Turn partner right hand one and a half times |
| (4) | Ladies left hand star |
| (4) | Turn partner right hand |
Repeat chorus
Verse 2
| (12) | Face partner and grand chain (grand right and left) all the way around the set. Each giving of hands takes 2 waltz steps |
| (4) | Turn partner right hand |
Repeat chorus to finish
This dance was written for (and first done at) a wedding at the Maleny folk festival, Easter 1989. The dance was intended to be simple enough to do to the actual song. In practice, the one bar pause (where you honour your partner) is a little unusual. Perhaps do it once called (music only), then do it again to the song (uncalled).
Rubik's Cube |
| Peter Foster March 2006 |
| Formation: Nine people in a 3x3 square |
| Music: 4x32 bar reel (actually 2x64, but 4x32 is fine) |
| Level: Hard-Medium |
| Scramble the set at the beginning, then try to unscramble it at the end! |
| Start with everyone facing the front |
| Scramble bit (first 64 bars): |
| A1 | (8) | Front line turn alone and pass through to the back (pass through with middle line, then pass through with back line) |
| (8) | Right column pass through to the left | |
| A2 | (8) | Back row pass through to the front |
| (8) | Left column pass through to the right | |
| B1 | (16) | Do a "turn-one-side" move (see below) |
| B2 | (16) | Reel of three (hey for three) |
| C | (32) | Do another turn-one-side and reel of three |
| D | (32) | Do another turn-one-side and reel of three |
Unscramble bit:
Repeat the scramble bit. If you do the same three turn-one-side moves in the same order, you will finish where you started. That could be a big "if"
The eight outside people circle halfway around the middle person, drop hands and remake the 3x3 square. Then one side (either back, front, left or right) passes through to the other side.
After the turn one side, the reel of three is done in those lines, for example if the back line has passed through then the reels of three will be in the lines across the set.
Note
The first time through the dance, the caller can specify the three turn-one-side moves (e.g. back, front, left). Then do the same again at the end to restore everyone to their original positions.
Next time through the dance, have the dancers specify the three turns, as follows: during the circle, the middle person points to one of the sides and that is the side that passes through.
In the unscramble phase, the middle people need to remember what the three turns were, in the right order (and it will not be the same middle people, so everyone will need to remember).
The idea for this dance came while watching a walkthrough of the Scottish country dance "The Ninesome Reel": a friend of mine remarked "Who wrote this dance, Professor Rubik?".
Teaching notes
This dance can be a touch confusing and disorienting...
I suggest the following when teaching this dance:
| - | Start by everyone practicing a reel of three in rows |
| - | Then practice a reel of three in columns |
| - | Then have the front line pass through to the back. Emphasise that this is two distinct pass through motions: first with the middle line, then with the back line, taking four steps for each (and pass by right shoulder) |
| - | Then have the new front line practice the pass through |
| - | Then (one more time) have the new front line practice the pass through |
| - | Now everyone is back where they started and you can commence the walkthrough |
In addition, when referring to the sides of the set, Front and Back are clear, but Left and Right can be a bit confusing in the heat of the dance. I suggest referring instead to (say) the Kitchen side and the Window side.
Good luck!
More Advanced Version
(Actually, skip this version. The additional complication is not worth it)
This has four turns (rather than three) and there is no reel of three between them to relax in.
Scramble bit (first 64 bars):
| A1 | (8) | Front line turn alone and pass through to the back (pass through with middle line, then pass through with back line) |
| (8) | Right column pass through to the left | |
| A2 | (8) | Back row pass through to the front |
| (8) | Left column pass through to the right | |
| B1 | (16) | Do a turn one side move |
| B2 | (16) | Do a turn one side move |
| C1 | (16) | Do a turn one side move |
| C2 | (16) | Do a turn one side move |
| D1 | (8) | In columns, do a half reel of three |
| (8) | Circle left halfway | |
| D2 | (8) | In rows, do a half reel of three |
| (8) | Circle left halfway |
Repeat for the unscramble
Again, if you do the same four moves in the same order then you will finish where you started.
This four turn version is not really necessary: the three turn version is quite complicated enough.
For those so inclined, I have an informal analysis of this dance