Boys of Bloomington

By Rick Mohr; December 2024

Contra, Becket

Level: Intermediate

A1:

Right and left through (8)

Hands across star left 7/8 (8)

(until ladies are at the sides and gents in the middle)

A2:

Gents allemande left 3/4 (3) (ladies optional loop right)

Eyes around and swing neighbor (13)

B1:

Circle left (8)

With next couple, circle right 7/8 (8)

(until gents are at the sides and ladies in the middle)

B2:

Ladies allemande left 3/4 (3) (gents optional loop right)

Eyes around and swing partner (13)

A smooth dance with nice symmetry and flow.

In B1 it's satisfying to change smoothly from one circle to the next — I encourage the ladies to turn in (toward partner) to keep a good connection.

For the optional loops in A1 and B1 the side dancers can add seamless flow by "turning single" — continue momentum from the star or circle and turn right out of the set to walk a circular path about as big as a pizza. Or they can just rest and wait.

In practice, dancers often have more time in the A2 and less in the B2, so I tell them the B2 eyes around is optional.

For Eric Schedler and Sam Bartlett of Bloomington Indiana — great guys and great musicians — and their band Supertrad.