A Fair Wind Home

By Rick Mohr; September 1997

Contra, Becket Caller's Box

Level: Intermediate

A1:

Ladies allemande right 3/4 (4)

(Join left hands with neighbor to form a wave of four)

Balance the wave (4)

Allemande left with neighbor 3/4 (4)

(Join right hands with next neighbor to form long waves)

Balance the long wave (4)

A2:

Allemande right with next neighbor (6)

Swing original neighbor (10)

B1:

Down the center, four in line (turn as a couple) (8)

Return (bend the line to form a circle) (8)

B2:

Balance the ring (4)

Give and take (2)

Swing partner (10)

(Face across the set; ladies look on left diagonal for the next lady)

"Balance the ring" in B2 makes a nice transition to Larry Jennings' "give and take" figure. After the balance, all take a half step back to create some tension in partners' joined arms. Then ladies release the tension, zipping across the set and smoothly into the swing.

After the partner swing in B2 couples will be offset from one another, with each gent more or less across from the next gent to dance with. The new ladies find each other by looking on the left diagonal, and complete the progression with an allemande right halfway (actually about 5/8) to a wave of four.

To help everyone get this progression I start the first walkthrough by saying "Everybody take one step to the right so the gents are across from each other. This is how the dance ends. Ladies, you'll always look on the left diagonal for the next lady to start the dance..."

For the engagement of David and Susie Titus.

Video: Nils Fredland with Nova at a 2015 Scout House contra, Concord MA: