By Mike Richardson
Composed March 3, 1988
| Source | Mike Richardson, "Crossing the Cascades" |
| Level | easy (assigned by the editor) |
| Type | Contra |
| Formation | Improper |
| A1 | (16) Neighbors balance and swing |
| A2 | (8) Long lines go forward and back (8) Ladies allemande right 1 1/2 |
| B1 | (16) Partners swing (common variant: balance and swing) |
| B2 | (8) Gents dosido (6) Circle left 3/4 (2) Pull by along the line |
Author's Notes:
Written to commemorate our local weekly free dance at the New Melody Tavern, located in the Ballard district of Seattle. It is here that many Seattle dancers, callers and musicians have learned their craft. Music and calling for the dance is done by whoever shows up that night. Some direction is given to the evening by one lead caller and one lead musician, who are chosen froma rotating pool of "on call" musicians and callers. I think of this particular dance as a sort of "magic wellspring" which is directly responsible for the large number of dancers, callers, musicians, and dances that we have in Seattle.
When I first began to write dances, I went through a phase where each successive dance became more complex than the last, resulting in dances that were not fun for anyone to do. I write this one in reaction to that complexity. It is a simple dance with lots of slack in it for newcomers, but also with some nice transitions in it for more experienced dancers. I still occasionally write dances that are too weird to foist upon the dancing public, but I also continue to strive for simpler story lines like the one in this dance.
Good tunes: "Shenandoah Falls", "Old Joe", "Merry Blacksmith", "Opera Reel", "March of St. Timothy"
This dance is from American Country Dances On Line
All rights reserved by the author; used by permission.
Added to database 11/17/1996; last revised 3/5/1999; edited by Russell Owen