't Smidje
Mixer, big circle of couples
| A: |
Holding near hands with partner, walk forward 3 steps counter-clockwise (3) Turn individually on the fourth step to switch hands and face the other direction (1) Walk backward 4 steps counter-clockwise (4) Repeat in clockwise direction (8) |
| B: |
Step together and apart with partner (4) Trade places — outside person rolls left while inside person steps right (4) Step together and apart with partner (4) Return to original side as original outsiders roll forward to new partner (4) |
Young people all over Europe dance this, to the song 't Smidje (The Blacksmith) by the Belgian folk rock trio Laïs. (Here's a fun post about the song.)
Related versions of the dance are known as "La Chapelloise" in Europe and "American Promenade" in the USA.
In each half of the A part you move in the same direction for 8 beats, with a smooth turn on beat 4 to change to moving backward.
You can find many videos online with people of all ages and countries dancing variations of this dance in different settings. This one gives a good idea of how we do it:
Video:
University of Texas at Austin Social Dance Soirée, Spring 2023: