Greenfield Tornado – Becket – Don Veino 20161218

Type: Contra Dance, Becket Left/CW Formation
Status: Public, Proven

The Chain to Allemande Left 1+1/2 (the “Tornado”) is another instance of an “I’ve not encountered it yet” transition – to the best of my knowledge it’s an new use (but… see comments). This move enables the Gents getting a good ride into the Hey (without using a Gent’s Chain to set it up) and the A2 rotation being CCW mitigates the dizziness factor from the Swings.

Turns out Linda Leslie and I wrote virtually the same dance independently (two clever folks coming up with the Slice & Take!). Her Greenfield Storm has as the A2 LLF&B and then the Chain vs. my take below. I renamed this dance to Greenfield Tornado to honor hers coming (well) before.

First called (by me) at the Thursday Contras dance at the Concord Scout House on February 2, 2017.

A1
Left Diagonal Slice & Take to Gent’s Side (Neighbor Swing)
[First time can be straight across Give & Take; Alternate A1 = Diagonal Circle Left 3/4, N Swing]

A2
Ladies Chain (to P)
Partner Allemande Left 1+1/2x

B1
Full Hey, Gents Pass Right to start

B2
Partner Balance & Swing

End Effects: Wait out crossed over on Left Diagonal at ends.

Video: Thursday Contras 2/2/2017

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One Response to Greenfield Tornado – Becket – Don Veino 20161218

  1. Don says:

    In a related thread on the SharedWeight Caller’s list, Jacob Bloom offers the following:

    My dance You Married My Daughter (written in 1987) has a Ladies Chain into an Allemande Left, although I find it less confusing to teach it as “ladies pull by, allemande left with the opposite gent.

    You Married My Daughter
    Jacob Bloom
    Duple Improper

    Balance in long lines (gents facing out), slide past to right
    Balance left and right, slide to left
    Balance in long lines, allemande right 3/4
    Gents allemande left once and a half
    Balance and swing partner
    end facing across
    Promenade across
    Ladies pull by, allemande left with opposite gent to long lines

    Jacob’s idea came three decades before mine (and may have had further precedents). The difference for me between the two is Greenfield Tornado uses both a complete Ladies Chain with Courtesy Turn and Allemande Left (1+) in succession, as they are traditionally done by contra dancers, while You Married My Daughter uses moves similar to a Chain and Allemande Left 1/4 to fit the choreography while avoiding the actual Courtesy Turn itself.

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