Snakes Are On the Move

By Rick Mohr; September 2010

Contra, Duple Improper Caller's Box

Level: Intermediate

A1:

Balance and swing neighbor (16)

A2:

Circle left 3/4 (8)

Allemande right with partner 1 1/2 (8)

B1:

Half hey (gents pass left shoulders to start) (6)

Swing partner (10)

B2:

Gents cross, passing left shoulders (2)

Allemande left with neighbor (6)

Pull by next neighbor with right hand (2)

Allemande left with neighbor #3 (6)

(return to neighbor #2 to begin again)

Continuous movement for all make this a crowd pleaser, especially when the dramatic B2 buildup / A1 release is matched by a killer buildup and release in the music.

The allemande left in B2 may be unexpected. I say "Gents, you're going to do two things by the left—cross the set passing left shoulders, and allemande left with your neighbor."

Before the Fire Ant Frolic one year I enjoyed a memorable camping trip with Crowfoot in the Texas hill country. Pulling into Pedernales Falls State Park (pronounced "PER-duh-NAL-us") we asked the ranger, Dolores Fenton, if there was anything we should watch out for at the campsite. "Well," she said in her fine texas drawl, "SNAKES are ON the MOVE!"

Video: Steve Zakon-Anderson & Latter Day Lizards at a 2012 Scout House contra, Concord MA (posted by Frank Hsieh):