ACDOL: Dancing and the Road to Hell

Dancing and the Road to Hell

By Mike Richardson
Composed November 23, 1990

Source	Mike Richardson, "Crossing the Cascades"
Level	med (assigned by the editor)
Type	Contra
Formation	Improper

A1	(4) Neighbors take inside hands (gents right, ladies left) and balance (4) Neighbors star through (like California twirl but end facing in) (8) Circle left 1 1/4
A2	(16) Partners swing (on ladies' side)
B1	(8) Long lines go forward and back, roll away with a half sashay on the way back (8) Circle right 1 1/4 (end on original side, progressed)
B2	(16) Ladies chain over and back

Author's Notes:
There are two potential trouble spots -- both involve the circle left or right once and a quarter. To circle this much in only 8 beats requires good weight in the circle and firm, bent elbows. However, each of the moves immediately following these circles has a bit of slack built into them, so that the circles really don't seem too frenetic. In fact, the transition from the circle right 1 1/4 to a chain is actually rather nice.
The title for this dance came from an odd little book I found in Powell's bookstore in Portland, OR called "Dancing and the Road to Hell". It was written in the 30's by a fundamentalist Christian who owned, of all things, a large and luxurious dance hall in Portland. The book was self-published by the author, who tends to rant and rave a bit. The main message of the book seems to be that one should only dance at the author's dance hall. Presumably, if one were to go dancing at roadhouses or other iniquitous dance halls, they would lead one down the road to hell.