SOME CONTRA DANCE TERMS DIAGRAMS BASIC FIGURES HISTORY MANNERS HOME
Descriptions of some of the Figures
(Dancing's the best way to actually learn them, but, hey! If this helps---)
Forward and back: two dancers or lines of dancers move toward each other, then away, using 8 beats of the music.
Left hand around, or allemand left: two dancers make a strong connection with left hands (usually at shoulder height) and rotate counterclockwise around each other, using 8 beats of the music for a complete rotation.
Right hand around, or allemand right: same as above but using right hands and rotating clockwise.
Two hands around: two dancers join both hands with each other, either right-to-right and left-to-left or straight across. Rotate clockwise, using 8 beats of the music for a complete rotation.
Dosido: passing right shoulders to start, two dancers or couples follow a clockwise path around each other without contact. Individual dancers may spin their bodies counterclockwise as they travel around each other, in any case using 8 beats of the music for a complete rotation. Couples dosido-ing each other will need 16 beats.
See-saw: same as above but passing left shoulders to start and going counterclockwise.
Gypsy: same as a dosido but maintaining strong, usually flirtatious, eye contact.
Right-hand star: 3 to 6 or more dancers walk clockwise around their joined or touching right hands. Often each person lightly grasps the wrist of the person they follow.
Right hands across, similar to a right-hand star except that the dancers take the hand of the person directly across from them in a handshake grip.
Left-hand star and left hands across: same as above, using left hands.
Balance: a dancer takes one more or less forceful step forward or to the side, putting weight on it; lets the other foot swing through or across without shifting weight off the first foot (though the second foot may touch); swinging or stepping the second foot back to place, shifting the weight decisively onto it; and bringing the first foot back to place. Takes only 4 beats and often leads into a swing. A New England favorite, especially if you want to show off.
Swing: two dancers hold each other in any of a great variety of positions (click HERE for more than a few ideas) and spin clockwise as rapidly and smoothly as they please. The classic footwork is the buzz step: take a low, gliding step just past your partner's right heel with your right foot, pivoting on it at the same time, then bring your left foot up toward your right heel as you continue to pivot. Keep your left heel raised. Beginners often resort instead to smooth, closely-spaced normal steps in time with the music. For greatest safety and enjoyment, the two dancers let each other support about a fourth of their body weight (called "giving weight"). The swing tends to be the most dramatic interaction between dancers, augmented by sustained eye contact (which may also help alleviate dizziness). Usually 8 to 16 beats of music.
Promenade: two or more dancers walk side-by-side, most often counterclockwise, usually with hands joined left-to-left and right-to-right.
Courtesy turn: most often, a stationary dancer receives an approaching second dancer left-hand-to-left-hand and guides that second dancer's movement into a counter-clockwise change of direction around the first dancer's position. In the classic courtesy turn, the first dancer's right hand is placed in the small of the second dancer's back and both dancers face the same way during the change of direction. A common modern trend is for both dancers' left hands to be raised and loosely touching, allowing the second dancer to freely pirouette clockwise while following the counterclockwise path around the first dancer's position. In this case the first dancer simply turns to keep facing the second until the figure is completed. It is the second dancer's option whether or not to pirouette, easily signalled by controlling the position of the joined left hands. All this happens neatly in 4 beats.
Chain (across, over, or back): two dancers approach each other, join right hands handshake-fashion, and pull past each other to approach dancers waiting to do a courtesy turn. The courtesy turn completes the figure. 8 beats from start to finish.
Right and Left (over or back): a pair of dancers standing side-by-side exchange places with a pair facing them like this: Each dancer passes the opposite person by the right shoulder. Then both members of the pair, facing the same direction, turn counter-clockwise as a unit to face back across. One way to turn is for members of the pair to put their near arms around each other's back. As they wheel around, the dancer on the left backs up and the dancer on the right steps forward, both giving weight as in the swing. Also popular is for the person on the left to give the person on the right a modified courtesy turn. If this figure is done only once, it's sometimes called "half right and left". Takes 8 beats.
SOME CONTRA DANCE TERMS DIAGRAMS BASIC FIGURES HISTORY MANNERS HOME