You're My Biggest Fan

This dance is pretty simple with twirls written to provide a built in flurish into a swing. I think most dancers will realize this but noting it for newbies may help them to learn that moves can lead immediately into the next without a pause. This dance doesn't let anyone sleep.  Everyone is always moving!

You're My Biggest Fan by Stohl & Rob
Improper, Duple Minor

A1: Ladies pull by across by the right and Gent put Right arm around Lady to Butterfly whirl into place. (8)
        Face your Partner on the side of the set and Pass Thru across the set (4)  
        Partner Star Thru (4)
A2:  Partner Balance and Swing (16)
B1:  Gents lead a Full Hey by the Left, on the Second time through the
        Ladies Ricochet to stay with their Neighbor (Ladies end Ricochet to the Right of their Neighbor) (16)
B2 : Face your Neighbor on the side of the set and Pass Thru across the set (4)
       Neighbor Fan Thru (4)*
       Neighbor Swing (8) (Turn to new couple out of the Neighbor Swing)    

*A "Fan Thru" is a "Star Thru" but with opposite hands:  Lady's Right to Gent's Left with the Lady turning under the arch 1/4 clockwise while the Gent walks forward with a 1/4 turn counterclockwise.  I have recently read this to also be called a "Reverse Star Thru"

The Pass Thrus are hands free so that the dancers have the correct hands available to do the Star & Fan Thru.

The "Fan Thru" move keeps the correct hands together with your neighbor to do a flurish right into the 8-count swing.  I couldn't find a name for it so I made up "Fan Thru" because a definition for "star" gave "fan" as an antonym: star = lead in a play, fan = audience member.

Very Touching

I set out to write a dance that included a basket swing and I think this works well.  In walking through the dance by myself I noticed that it seemed as if you were touching someone for almost the entire dance.  All but a brief moment when the basket swing is formed that is, as well as two other possible breaks in contact following the first Star Thru when the couples turn back into the set individually and when the couples progress out of the neighbor swing.  Still... that's why the dance is "Very Touching" and not "Perpetual Contact" though I'm working on that dance!

Very Touching by Stohl & Rob 1/20/12
Improper, Duple Minor

A1: Balance the Ring (4)
      Lady Roll Partner Gent diagonally across set to Her Right {No Sashay}(4)
      Partner Swing (8)
A2: Partner Star Thru and turn back into set individually(4)
      Circle Left 1/2 way (4)
      Gent Roll Partner Lady diagonally across set {No Sashay}(4)
      Partner California Twirl to face previous couple(4)
B1: Basket Swing back to place (16)
B2: Partner Butterfly Whirl to other couple (4)
      Balance the ring {Partner can stay arm and arm around each other for the balance}(4)
      Neighbor Swing (8) progress to new couple out of the swing

Allemande Lande

Allemande Lande  by Stohl & Rob 2/12/12
Reverse Becket, Duple Minor

A1: Ladies Right Allemande 1-1/2 times (8)
      Neighbor Left Allemande 1 1/2 times (8)
A2: Gents Right Allemande 1 time (8)
      Neighbor Swing (8)
B1: Gents Left Allemande 1/2 time (4)
      Partner Swing (12)
B2: On the Left Diagonal Right and Left Thru with a Courtesy Turn. (8)
      Every put Left hands in high for a Left Hand All Allemande 1x(8)
     {Gents fall out and Ladies will keep going when the Dance starts over.}


Vickie Stohl and I were in a bit of a silly mood due to having contra danced the night before, staying awake until nearly 4 AM, and then returning to consciousness a few hours later. Of course the subject of contra dances came up and Vickie mentioned a dance that came to her on one of her epic work-related driving days.  At the time she'd recorded part of it into her phone under the title Allemande Land.

I still don't know how her original dance was intended to go but after hearing the name I jumped up and we just started allemanding until it worked out. I asked Vickie if there were too many allemandes in the dance. Her reply:

"Not if the dance is called 'Allemande Lande'!"

 This was the result of our combined brain power.
(Called this from original format and edited 5/14/12)

Substitute Fisch

Substitute Fisch by Stohl & Rob
Inspired by Substitute Contra by Heniner Fischle
Improper, Duple Minor

A1: Balance the Ring (4)
      Neighbor Swing (12)
A2: Long Line Forward and Back (8)
      Ladies Chain across to Partner (8)
B1: Partner Balance and Swing (16)
B2: Circle Left 3/4 (8)
      *Balance Ring (4)
      Dip and Dive (2's Dive Thru to progress) (8)

*Drop the balance of B2 to make it double progression by 2's dive with current couple then 1's dive with next couple to come to new starting couple.

I was looking around the web at various contra dance sites and I came across a page of dances by Heiner Fischle. A few caught my attention as ones that I'd like to call. For good or bad my brain made me tweak a couple just for the fun of it. I tried it with Substitute Contra because I thought getting in a longer partner swing isn't usually frowned upon. In order to get this I nudged the moves around a bit and I think this works as a nice easy contra. It's probably out there already because the moves are so basic, but for whatever it's worth.

*Called it double progression and dance was well received.