KJ's Birthday Waltz

Source: Composed by John Sweeney, Karen Sweeney & Lani Graham
Formation: Three Dancers in a Circle

A1 Chevron CW x3 (#1 work out who #2 is - on your right) (6)
Shoot the Owl: #2 & #3 Arch - everyone dance forwards, #1 curving to the right (2)
A2 All: Turn Single Right (2) - #1 goes 1 & 1/4 and flows into a CW Orbit
Allemande Orbit x3 (6): #2 & #3 Allemande Left while #1 Orbits CW
#1 & #2 Allemande Right while #3 Orbits AC - #1 passes #3 then
#1 & #3 Allemande Left while #2 Orbits CW - #1 offers Right to Right with #2 to finish in a Wave
B1 Wave: Balance F/B (2)
Twirl to a Line of Three (2): Ends change hands, bringing their spare hand under #1's hand and raising it to twirl under it - you turn towards each other, following the hand that you are raising
Line of Three: Balance F/B (2) Wrap & Touch (2): Keep hold in a line of three, Ends roll in to wrap themselves inside #1s arms and place the palms of their free hands together on the last beat of the music
B2 Ends Unwrap to a Line of Three (2); Balance F/B (2)
#1: Right Hand High, Left Hand Low (2): #3 dances through the arch followed by #1 while #2 dances around the outside
#1: Left Hand High, Right Hand Low (2): #2 dances through the arch followed by #1 while #3 dances around the outside - finish in a Circle

Music:
32 bar waltz. I use ECDB's track "Waltzes; Green Valley, Louis Beaudoin's, White Rose" from the album TAK, available at ecdb.bandcamp.com.

Notes:
I had some ideas for a new three-person dance, so while Karen and I were staying with Lani Graham in Colorado, we worked on the ideas and together came up with this dance. We practiced it in Lani's kitchen and finished refining it on KJ's birthday (KJ is my nickname for Karen).

Chevron: Balance the Ring, going in and out diagonally so that you move one space to the left.

During the Chevrons, decide who is the new #1 (normally the old #2) and that person works out who is their #2, the person on their right. Remember them; in the Allemande Orbits #1s first Allemande is right hand to their right hand person (#2).

Emphasise that the Turn Single is at the start of the next music; don't rush it.

AC means anti-clockwise, known by some people as counter-clockwise.

When you "Wrap" make sure you keep your spare hand above your other arm.

The orientation of the lines and the facing of the active dancer are undefined - dance whichever way you are facing and make it flow.

Throughout the dance, each #1 can make everything flow more smoothly if they lead many of the moves with their fingertips. But this takes a lot longer to learn and the details of lead and follow are not included here. The dance is written above with the individual dancers each taking their own initiative to make the dance work.





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Contrafusion