Country and Western Dancing describes a variety of activities. The traditional dancing of the American West was a simpler folk dancing. It is documented in Lloyd Shaw's Cowboy Dances and Round Dances, and his books lead to a revival of popular interest in the 1930's and 1940's, others wrote books describing more complicated figures based on traditional tunes. Square dancing has since developed into a much more complex forms exemplified by modern American Square Dance clubs and groups, though it appears to be more popular in Europe currently. More recently Country and Western Dancing became very popular though couple dances and line dances also involving intricate steps, as seen in the Texas Two Step, modern Country Waltz, and the East and West Coast Swings popular in Country dance clubs. My browsing of the Internet and Amazon.com book lists reveals very little currently on the simpler traditional western dance forms. However, the simpler traditional steps of the Squares and Contras (reels) can be learned fairly easily by beginners and offer a lot of fun with numerous combinations.

Even simpler are the Play-Parties. Alan Lomax, Folk Song Historian comments about the Play Parties in His Folk Song: U.S.A.: " Respectable folk in Protestant Communities have always regarded the fiddle as the devil's instrument and dancing as downright sinful. Faced with such violent religious prejudices, the young people of the frontier developed the play-party, in which all the objectionable features of the square dance were removed or so masked that their grave elders could approve. No instruments were permitted -- the dancers sang and clapped their own music. Drinking and love-making were taboo. The waist swing was frowned on and the fancy steps and intricate figures of the country dances were abandoned in favor of the simpler dramatic patterns of children's games. In many and many a frontier community the bear-hunters, the Indian fighters, the rough keel-boatmen and the wild cowboys could be seen dancing innocently with their gals, like so many children at a Sunday school picnic." For a play-party all that was required was a friendly crowd who knew a few simple songs and movements. So, once created the play-party followed the frontier, flourishing wherever people were dependent on "homemade" or "make-it-yourself-or-do-without" amusements."

Dance historian Dorothy Shaw says "In the middle-west the dance encountered a puritan influence again and could not persist as a dance at all. So it became a "play-party". Dances were done as if they were children's games, to singing and to clapping of the hands. The tunes and words go back so far that they bring tingles to your scalp - back farther than Playford, back through Tennessee and Kentucky to goodness knows where. Play-party manners were simple, but deportment was important. There was no drinking, and young ladies and gentlemen were wonderfully controlled. No young man put his arm around a girl's waist. Even in Texas, where dancing was dancing, there were barriers. Hence, the old call 'Meet your honey, pat her on the head, if you can't get biscuit, give her corn bread'. 'Biscuit' was a waist-swing, 'corn bread' was a decent two-hand swing, and if you 'must' pat her, pat her on the head! Our square dance was developing - at once demure and vigorous."

Some traditional examples of play-parties: Skip to My Lou; Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees; Shoot the Buffalo; Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight; B.I.N.G.O.; Pop Goes the Weasel; Old Dan Tucker - these all had simple steps and were used for play-parties.

The best approach is for a group of "greenhorns" is to get an actual caller from a local Square or Contra Dance group to come and teach your group. He will usually will bring along the music as well. Make sure you make it clear the age groups and lack of experience to the caller. My experience is that a good sound system will be a must so both the instructor and the music can be heard - dancers can get quite noisy especially in the kind of halls where people often dance.

Or check your library for books and recordings of music. One source in print is An Elegant Collection of Contras and Squares, by Ralph Page. A Time to Dance: American Country Dancing from Hornpipes to Hot Hash by Richard Nevell; Cowboy Dances by Lloyd Shaw; American Square Dances by Lee Owens are also good sources.

Basic Steps:

HONOR: Ladies curtsey and gents bow

BALANCE: Join hands, bow and curtsey, then swing right forward while leaning back balancing on left, then reverse feet. (8 beats)

CIRCLE: (_#_ HANDS AROUND) All join hands and walk to left or right as instructed. Usually 8 steps then reverse for 8 more. (16 beats)

SWING: May be a forearm, one or two handed, the "Buzz" or "Waltz" swing, or an elbow swing. Once around Clockwise! (Gents never swing ladies by the elbow!) (8 beats of music)

PROMENADE: Facing to right, with lady on right, in skater's position walk counter-clockwise to home position. (usually 16 beats)

FORWARD AND BACK: Walk up to each other (almost touching) and backward to start. (8 beats)

DO-SI-DO: Walk forward, passing right shoulders around each other back to back, then walking backwards to start position. (8 beats)

SASHAY: Joining hands and taking Sliding steps to the side either face to face or facing same way (lady in front).

ALLEMANDE LEFT: Joining left hands with "Corner" walk around them and return to place. (8 beats)

GRAND RIGHT AND LEFT: Following an Allemande Left, each proceeds (gents counter-clockwise, ladies clockwise) around the circle, weaving in and out, alternating using right and left hands (Ladies with gents/ gents with ladies) till they meet their partners or reach home.

LADIES CHAIN: Ladies walk forward joining right hands as they pass, then joining left hands to gent opposite, who turns them around counter-clockwise to stand on his right. Then "chain" back the same way to partner. (16 beats) (Sometimes done as a HALF)

RIGHT AND LEFT THROUGH: Two couples walk forward, hands at sides and pass through each other, (gents to the outside) then gents turn partners around to their right. (16 beats)

RIGHT OR LEFT HAND STAR: Gents or ladies to center, grasping wrist of person to left then walking together around. (8 beats then reverse 8 beats)

Definitions of formations:

In the Quadrille or Square: (Four couples arranged on four sides of a Square - Gents with Partners to right)
Corner lady: lady to your left
Right hand lady: Lady of couple to your right
Opposite lady: lady of couple across from you.

Your Partner can and will be called all sorts of names, but never a "lady" (to avoid confusion with the above three ladies)

The Head couple (1) has their backs to the front of the hall.
Head Couples: The above (1) and the couple opposite them (3).
Side Couples: the couple to the right (2) and the couple to the left (4).

Usually called dances, the head couple usually goes through a series of figures with each of the couples around the square, then the Couple to the right follows the same patterns until all four couples have gone through the series. Some figures use all the couples like the Texas Star. The Square was condusive to the limited space of frontier parlors and barns.

(Lines of 6-8 couples - Usually ladies face Gents)
Active couples (Usually designated) dance and "CAST" (pivot around person to right) thus moving down the line, inactive couples dance only when danced with and move to the left up the line toward the head. Inactive couples become active when they reach the head of the line. These "Longways" dances were condusive to the long halls of New England. These were often danced without calls, once the figures had been taught. They were usually not as intricate as the Squares.

(an even number of couples alternate facing forward or back around the circle) Pairs of couples usually dance with each other through a series of steps; then "PASS THROUGH" the alternate couples moving either counter-clockwise (through) or clock-wise (around) to the next couples in the circle and a repeat of the steps with the new couples, etc.. These dances were originally done outdoors on warm nights in the South, where there was plenty of room for a circle.

Some links on Western Dance

• Wikipedia - Modern Square Dance
• Square Dance Articles Co-op
• A Guide to Learning Western Square Dancing
• A Contra-Dance Primer
• Contra-Dance Homepage Lots of links

Western Dance Clip Art

• Free Western Graphics
• Index of Dance related Clip Art
• Virtual Horses - An index to resourses.

A Sample Program I once used --- or at least attempted.

Silician Circle This circle dance will teach us some of the basic movements of country dancing.

Bingo : This children's circle "play party" is based on an old English-Welsh song.

Texas Star The Squares were derived from the French Quadrille, but took on the free and easy flavor of the pioneer West. This one forms a pattern.

Bow Belinda: A Contra or Reel for the children.

Take a Little Peek This "visiting couples" square gives couples plenty of peeking and practice swinging.

Soldier's Joy A New England Contra using a classic reel tune.

Sham-pain Schottische for fun Couples, Threesomes, four or five... This simple folk dance was popular with our immigrant fore-bears. Step, step, step, step-hop...

Form an Arch This square uses the head and side couples.

Final March : Sing along in this stately march to John Newton's great hymn... Amazing Grace.

Traditional last Waltz for couples only

Silician Circle: Forward and Back; Circle four; Ladies chain; Chain back; Right & Left Thr & back; Forward and back; Pass Thr to next couple

Bingo : Circle left; Promande Rgt; Grand Rght & Left: B I N G O : New Partner: Whirl Repeats

Texas Star: Ladies Forward & Back; Gents Rght Hand Star; Left Star back; Pass partner pick up next; Gents swing out-Ladies in; Break and Swing; Promnade

Bow Belinda: HL & FG 4 forward & back; HG & FL same; Same order Rght hand around; Same Left hand around; Both hands; Do-Si-Do; Join hands partners- Promnade;

Take a Little Peek: First Cpl to right (2); Peek (at each other around the other couple); couple 1 swing in cntr; peek again; 1 & 2 swing; then couple 1 repeats above with couple 3 & then 4; Then 2, 3 & 4 each repeat the entire figure.

Soldier's Joy: Odd's Cross over; Swing the one below; Ladies chain; four hands around; all forward and back; Down Outside; Down the Center; Cast off

Form an Arch: Head two Forward & Back; Forward two couples form an "Arch"; Side Ladies Sashay thr; All Swing person facing; Promnde to Gents home; Repeat; Then repeat entire with Side Two couples.

Final March : Sing along in this stately march to John Newton's great hymn... Amazing Grace. Traditional last Waltz for couples only Sham-pain Schottische: (Waist-shoulder); 1. Left, Right, Left, Swing; Rght, Left, Rght, Swing; (Face) Left,hop, rght,hop, Repeat (Rotate M's Rgt) 2. Left, Rght, Left, Swing; Rght, Left, Rght, Swing; (Separately rotating opp) 3. Left, Rght, Left, Swing; (Turn) Rock forward, back; rpt Start over

Please contribute your ideas to me! eldrbarry@eldrbarry.net

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