String of Swings

By Rick Mohr and Bob Isaacs; April 2009

Contra, Duple Improper Caller's Box

Level: Easy/Intermediate

(1's step between 2's)

A1:

Down the center, four in line (turn alone) (8)

Return (8)

(face neighbor, 1's back to back in the center)

A2:

Hey (neighbors pass left shoulders to start) (16)

B1:

Allemande left with neighbor 1 1/2 (8)

2's swing (8)

B2:

Swing neighbor (8)

1's swing (8)

The sequence of swings can be a thrill, especially if dancers end each of them with their back to the person they're going to swing next and then continue momentum to whirl 180° to the right and immediately into the next swing. (The gents in particular need extra encouragement to turn right out of each swing.)

Here's how I do that part of the walk-through: 2's—finish your swing facing each other in the center, with your back to your neighbor. 1's be ready to catch them! 2's whirl right, right into a swing with your neighbor. End that swing facing your neighbor, with the 1's back-to-back in the center. 1's—whirl right, right into a swing with your partner.

The neighbor swing in B2 ends in the middle of the phrase, something I usually avoid because dancers are so used to swinging until the end of the phrase. But this dance has always worked well, maybe because the series of short swings is a clear focus.

Thanks to co-author Bob Isaacs for greatly improving the sequence of surrounding figures for the string of swings.

Video: Cis Hinkle & Mean Lids at Mountain Madness 2012, Jonesborough TN (posted by David Frantz):