I like the visiting square Birdie in the Cage. It’s also the sort of forgiving
dance where if there’s a five couple set you just do it a fifth time to let the
last couple have fun and other sets can keep going. Teens can get into showing
off in the center with whatever moves they like. I usually don’t call “ladies”
or “gents” - I tell people to decide which person in the couple is the bird,
and which is the crow, and then I call it for birdies and crows. That’s great
when people aren’t in classic pairings. Crows are fun because people can make
cawing noises. And generally the break figure is birdies or crows star right
and left, do-si-do partner, swing, promenade.
Texas Star is fun and really relatively easy to teach and call. Think you can
find that online.
Ninepin Quadrille, which has galloping (sashaying) past the central ninepin
figure, is a good one for teens (Colonials Quadrille is also good for that
reason, galloping).
Grapevine Twist is also one that I’ve called a lot at Family Dances - it’s
another visiting square (or pentagon if you have to!) I think you can find
version online.
There’s a Dip and Dive “square” for five couples that I like, too. I’m not sure
of it’s origins or real title but it goes like this:
Number the couples one-five in the circle. Number one couple then goes
in the center and the others make a square around them.
Honor etc. All couples swing. Number 1 couple ends swing facing another
couple. Along that line of three couples, dip and dive all the way over and
back - middles always dip, ends always arch, so when they turn around, they
make an arch…(or middles always arch - choose one)
Number one gets back and faces 90 degrees to a couple they haven’t
dipped with yet. That line of three couples dip and dive.
1s swing in middle while the others form a circle and go forward and
back towards them, then “into the middle and make them stop” - basically they
go forward to the center until the others have to stop swinging (sort of mush
into them)
Couple one joins the circle (order doesn’t matter, people just remember
their original numbers), all circle left, swing partner, #2 couple move into
the center, form a square around and it starts again. You can of course vary
this however you like.
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