August 29, 2025
Super Secret Swimming Hole see video
Becket, Intermediate
A1: Revolving Door, Neighbor Courtesy Turn [1]
Promenade across with Neighbor, turn as couples to the left
A2: Promenade the major set counter-clockwise [2][3]
Ladies turn over Right shoulder
Next Neighbor Swing, end facing across
B1: Whole set Oval Left (clockwise) until across from Partner
Mad Robin 1½ Clockwise [4]
B2: Ladies cross set (directly, passing right)
Partner Swing
[1] Ladies take right hands as if to Allemande, star promenading their Partner to the opposite side and returning to their home side for a courtesy turn with their Neighbor. When teaching, it's helpful to reinforce to the Ladies to aim for their Neighbor's left side, not their right as when approaching a swing!
[2] Either an over-the-shoulder or behind-the-back promenade hold is best here!
[3] Couples waiting out must enter the progression at the right time — have everyone identify their same-role shadow who they will always follow during the whole-set promenade!
[4] Ladies should give a gentle tug to the Gents to help them change momentum out of the oval, as Gents move through the center first.
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Notes:
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Written for Marcus and Julia on the occasion of their wedding. Julia helped sleuth out some of Marcus's favorite dance features — whole-set figures, good flow, and lots of eye contact. "Super Secret Swimming Hole" is a reference to one of their first dates, and a story they shared during their wedding ceremony on the banks of the Connecticut River in Northfield, MA on August 29, 2025.
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May 01, 2025
Kiss and Tell
Becket, Challenging
A1: On Left diagonal, Give and Take to Ladies' side
Neighbor Swing
A2: Gents cross (directly, passing right) to Partner
Partner Allemande Right 1x
Star Right 1x (Ladies ahead of their Partner)
B1: Neighbor Balance Right across
Neighbor Pull-by Right, Partner Pull-by Left along
Shadow Balance Right along
Shadow Pull-by Right, Neighbor Pull-by Left across, face out
B2: Long Lines facing out dance Forward, Shadow Rollaway [1]
Partner Swing
[1] This Rollaway is with Gents rolling their Shadow from their Left hand to their Right, while dancing back.
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Notes:
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This dance was written as a 33rd birthday present to my husband James, whose favorite contra dance move is an interrupted square-through! It went through around four iterations before I felt happy with it. Shout out to the dancers in Gainesville FL, Seattle WA, and Greenfield MA for helping me to get it feeling good!
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April 28, 2025
The Secret's Out see video
Becket, Intermediate
A1: Circle L ¾, pass through
New Neighbor Swing
A2: Ladies Chain
Star L 1x
B1: Shadow Balance Right along
Shadow Pull-by Right, Neighbor Pull-by Left
Shadow Balance Right along
Shadow Pull-by Right, Neighbor Pull-by Left, face out
B2: Long Lines facing out Forward and Back
Partner Swing
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Notes:
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This dance was written in tandem with "Kiss and Tell," and is meant to be a more accessible dance with some of the same ideas. Both "Kiss and Tell" and "The Secret's Out" borrow the hallmark move (Long Lines facing out) from Rich Goss's dance "Laura's Secret Garden" — their titles are in reference to that lineage!
Since Long Lines facing out is more fun danced in a hall with many lines, "The Secret's Out" was also written partly in anticipation of calling at Northwest Folklife 2025, where the dance was debuted with some 600-or-so dancers. You can see that gig at the link next to this dance's title!
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May 04, 2024
Golden Girl see video
Becket, Intermediate
A1: (Slide Left to) Ladies Right Shoulder 'Round 1x
Gents fall in behind Partner, Right Hand Star 1x
A2: Neighbor Promenade Clockwise [1] [2]
Flip [3], Neighbor Promenade Counterclockwise; across
from Partner, "unfold" with Ladies back-to-back in center
B1: Neighbor Balance Right, Box the Gnat
Neighbor Pull-by Right, Ladies Pull-by Left, Partner Pull-by
Right, Gents Allemande Left 1x
B2: Partner Right Shoulder 'Round & Swing
[1] This is a "skater-hold" promenade from the Right Hand Star, with both dancers' hands connected left-to-left and right-to-right in front of their bodies
[2] Clearly indicate direction of progression at the beginning of the walkthrough — Gents will be promenading in their direction of progression with Ladies on the inside of the set
[3] "Flip" the promenade so that, without letting go of hands and by turning toward one another, the Gents remain on the outside of the set and the Ladies remain on the inside
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Notes:
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Part of this dance came to me in a dream. In the dream, I was demoing the transition from the A2 to the B1 of this dance with my friend Abigail Golden, for whom the dance is named.
​​​October 01, 2017
Amble On East see video
Becket, Intermediate
A1: Long Lines Forward & Back
Ladies Chain Across
A2: Ladies Dosido 1x
Neighbor Swing
B1: Give & Take to the Gents' side, Half Pousette [1] [2]
With Next Neighbors, Facing Star ¾ (Ladies Backing Up)
B2: Partner Right Shoulder 'Round & Swing [3]
[1] I usually teach this dance by first prompting "This figure is going to begin like a Give & Take to the Gents' side, but instead do a Half Pousette to trade places with your current neighbors." It's been pointed out to me, however, that in prompting with the music, shortening the call to just "Give & Take" sometimes causes dancers to go into autopilot and swing immediately instead of completing the Half Pousette.
[2] There's a ton of music to fill with this move, so encouraging contra dancers to take their time and use four full beats to move out, and four beats to move in to join the Facing Star is really important.
[3] Some dancers prefer to do a long (16-count) swing here instead of a Right Shoulder 'Round & Swing. I let dancers know that either is fine!
Notes:
This dance was written on the road while returning from Youth Dance Weekend 2017 to Cambridge, MA, where I was calling for the BIDA Dance that same night. I had done a lot of really fabulous English Country Dancing while at YDW, and felt the need to bring some of that flowy, beautiful vibe to the contra dance that night.
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November 12, 2016
Come At Me, Bro
Becket R [1], Beginner
A1: (Gents cross right diagonal to) Neighbor Right Shoulder
'Round & Swing
A2: Long Lines Forward & Back
Gents Allemande L 1½
B1: Hey (Partner R to Start)
B2: Partner Balance & Swing
All end swing facing new couple on Right Diagonal.
Ladies stay put [2], Gents cross directly [3] to New Neighbor,
beginning the Right Shoulder 'Round from across the set.
[1] This dance is most easily taught from Improper formation, though the savvy among us will recognize that the dance is secretly in Becket formation, ending with a Partner Swing. At the ends of the line, dancers will sometimes wait out in Becket, sometimes in Improper, and it doesn't matter much either way.
[2] This is super-important to stress during the walk-through. The Ladies will have an urge to meet their next Neighbor, especially if their timing is late. If the Ladies don't anchor the location of that swing, however, things might get a little tricky. Fortunately, the Long Lines figure in A2 allows for ample recovery from most flubs!
[3] Gents pass their previous (current) neighbor Gent by the Left shoulder.
Notes:
This is a much improved version of the first dance I ever wrote, by the same name. I love using it to teach the Hey in the first half of my program, since it includes a new figure for the experienced dancers to chew on while being otherwise pretty benign. The timing is forgiving, and aside from requiring a careful walk-through, I'm very proud of this dance's overall accessibility. This modified dance was completed in Luke Donforth's Kitchen in Burlington Vermont.
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February 28, 2016
Dr. Whiting's Delight see video
Becket R, Intermediate/Challenging​
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A1: Circle L ¾
N Swing
A2: Long Lines Forward, Gents Rollaway Neighbor on way Back
Half Hey (Begins Gents by Right)
B1: Gents Right Shoulder 'Round and Cross-hand-grip Swing [1]
While Ladies Orbit Counterclockwise All the way around [2]
B2: Gents keep Right, take Left with Neighbor in Short Wave, all
facing Direction of Progression [3]
Balance Wave Forward & Back
All walk forward, New gents pass by Right [4]
Partner Swing
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[1] The Gents' Cross-hand Swing often begins with a Right Allemande grip, before the left hand grip and buzz-step are incorporated. When done correctly, this swing will be comfortable and safe for the Gents, and will also transition effortlessly into taking hands in the short wave across.
[2] Taking the time to teach the ladies to pass adjacent orbiting ladies by the Left, Olympic Rings Style, does a lot to make this part of the dance more interesting for them.
[3] It's super useful to outline direction of progression for the dancers at the beginning of the walk-through.
[4] I used to call this as a short "Hook" Right Allemande when I led it, but Lisa Greenleaf advised me to modify it so add to not involve hands. Either way, It's easy for folks to autopilot in this part of the dance and expect to form a new wave, when it's really more like a swing through.​
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Notes:
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While this dance requires incredibly careful teaching and incorporates lots of new choreography for most dancers, it is a pleasure to dance. It is at once smooth and jaunty, and it tells a really good story:
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This dance was written for a good friend and Florida dancer, Dr. Bernard Whiting, a physicist at the University of Florida who in 2016 was one of the leading scientists responsible for the historical first observation of Gravitational Waves. This dance describes the process of that observation, with two black holes (the Gents) first orbiting and then colliding (swinging). The resulting "Wave" made in the fabric of spacetime (largely represented by the Ladies' interweaving trajectory) travels through space, and is observed here on Earth (for a Partner Swing).
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December 14, 2013
60 Times Around the Sun see video
Becket R, Challenging​
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A1: Circle Right ½, Slide Right with Neighbor
Slide Left to Circle Left ½ with Neighbor and Shadow
A2: Pass through up-and-down, Passing Shadow by the Right
Gents Allemande L 1½ while Ladies Orbit Clockwise ½
Half Hey (Partner R to start)
B1: Partner Right Shoulder 'Round & Swing
B2: Right & Left through, Courtesy Turn with Partner
Promenade Across, Gents passing Left shoulders
and couples Looping Left [1] to face New Neighbors
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[1] Sometimes referred to as a "J-Hook Promenade"​
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Notes:
This dance requires a well-educated walk-through, since it includes so many unusual features: circling right, leaving the minor set, even circling half-way and promenading with a loop to the left. For a capable crowd, however, this dance provides beautiful flow and long phrases; dancers never stop moving.
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Written for my mother, Anne Gilroy, for her 60th birthday.
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