Andrew says…The theme this year was 'any dance'. We wanted to see what people would come up with without constraints, and we had a strong and truly varied mix.
As in previous years, the dance order was randomised and no-one except Mecki (the Festival Director) knew who had submitted each dance until the end of the competition. After dancing each dance, we took an average of scores from those who danced it, according to the following scale:
1. Would avoid In its current form, I'd sit out this dance if I knew it was being called. 2. Indifferent An OK dance but it wouldn't be one of my favourites. 3. Enjoyable A good dance I'd look forward to doing again. 4. Exceptional This is a great dance I'll be talking about – I'd actively ask to do it again or would call it myself. While there was no theme this year, it still had to be “suitable for an ordinary UK country dance club, rather than for a display team or workshop, or a Modern Western Square Dance club”. We asked dancers if they felt it had not met that brief, and if so, effectively reduced the score by one.
While we obviously have to have some winners, a competition like this can never be truly fair — the “best” dance for one event, group of dancers, or even point in the programme might not be the best elsewhere! Also, inevitably the people dancing the dances wasn't constant during the session — while we take an average of the votes and try to be as fair as we can, it's not super-scientific. See if you agree!
I'd like to extend my congratulations and thanks to all of the entrants for their time, creativity, and the fun it gave all of us who attended the competition.
Here are the dance instructions and information about some of the choreographers — the others haven't given any. This is my standard layout rather than the way the individual choreographers may have written their instructions. Unless otherwise stated, a full stop (period) is 4 or 8 bars (8 or 16 steps); a semicolon is 2 bars (4 steps).
If you're the choreographer and you think I've misrepresented your instructions please contact me and I'll change my wording.
Formation: 3 couples longways.
Music: 3 x 32 bar jigs/reels.
| A1: | Ones right hand in right lead down, cross down through the bottom couple, cast up to the top, take inside hands and lead down the middle slightly. |
| A2: | With your spare hand make stars on the side: lady right with the men, man left with the ladies, and turn them once around. Ones lead down (inside hand) followed by twos and threes. |
| B1: | All turn in and lead back. Leaders (threes) cast into stars on the side, just over once around until the ones reach the top. |
| B2: | Ones cast to invert the set, followed by threes, then twos. All swing partner, ones finish proper. |
For many years he was part of a music group that played for numerous bush dances, calling and playing the accordion.
His first calling gig was accidental. It was at a fairly laid back folk festival, where even the organised events were run ad hoc. It was time for the evening dance, but the stage was empty: the musicians had been jamming all day and were having their dinner. So a budding concertina player rounded up some musicians of similar ability, put a microphone in front of him and told him to start calling. The only calling he had done was the occasional dance at dance class, and he had no notes or preparation. So… he called all night, from memory, and had a great time. And yes, the dancers enjoyed themselves too.
Andrew says…Shiftin' Bobbins is a great dance, and it's well worth finding a way to make the core concept available to English Country Dancers. Everyone really enjoyed this dance — it flows really well, is easy to teach and lets those with energy let off steam in the lead down without requiring everyone to.
Formation: Square set numbered anticlockwise with a fifth couple in the middle.
Music: 
5 x Own tune by Chris Carpenter (24 bar slow reel)
Note: 4 steps to the bar, so this time a semicolon is 1 bar (though still 4 steps).
| A: | 1s and 5s circle left and right while 3s face corner's back as 2s and 4s pass right shoulder with partner into parallel reels of three to place. All set to corner except 5s who set to partner; all set to partner. Two-hand turn (5s three-quarters, others all the way) and keep hold. |
| B: | 1s single-hand arch over the 5s into the middle whilst 5s poussette out and open out in 1s' place; 1s poussette out whilst 2s arch over. 2s poussette out whilst 3s arch over; 3s poussette out whilst 4s arch over into 5s place. All side right shoulder. Side left shoulder. |
| C: | Middle couple walk right shoulder around each other (or admire the other dancers) whilst outer 8 circle right half-way while going in and out twice. All arm left with partner. Step right and honour. |
Andrew says…The arch and pousette concept has been used before in An Enchanted Place by Anthony Heywood, but that certainly doesn't mean other dances shouldn't be written to use it!
The dancers enjoyed the variety in this dance. It's quite complex, with some “meanwhile” moves, but recoverable.
In the C part, the right shoulder round for the couple in the middle is quite long and some dancers found they preferred doing a right shoulder round followed by a left shoulder round.
Formation: 4 couples Becket.
Music: 4 x Fifty Not Out — 32 bar reel by John Stapledon. Suggested recording 
by Sue Stapledon
| A1: | Circle left (slip-step). Circle right. |
| A2: | With opposite couple, right-hand star. Left-hand star. |
| B1: | Give right hand to partner: Grand chain half-way round the set (two skip-change steps per hand). |
| B2: | Ladies pass partner right shoulder moving one place clockwise (two skip-change steps accentuating the curve); men pass new lady left shoulder to move one place anticlockwise. All four ladies chain across to original partner. |
Andrew says…This was enjoyed by all, not too difficult, with good recovery time in the first half. Dancers enjoyed the flow from the grand chain into the passes in the B2.
Formation: Longways Becket.
Music: 32 bar waltzes
| A1: | Left-hand star. Men pull by left, then right-hand turn your opposite just under halfway and face in, improper. |
| A2: | Right hand star. Women pull by right, then left-hand turn your partner just over halfway and face in, proper. |
| B1: | All set facing into middle of square; Petronella right one place (turn single right shoulder into the place on your right). Repeat to finish back home. |
| B2: | With the couple diagonally to right, circle left not quite once around, to finish opposite them while couples at the ends without a right diagonal two-hand turn to the other side of the set. Repeat that with the next couple diagonally right (everyone has a right diagonal this time), so that all have a new couple to face, having progressed anticlockwise around the set. |
Andrew says…A good variety of moves, and dancers enjoyed the flow. I was worried about the flow of the two circles left at the end, but the dancers found that this worked well.
In the first part, you might wish to treat the pull bys as half turns instead, especially the first, because the following right-hand turn is really not very far at all!
Formation: 3 couples longways.
Music: Any driving 32 bar tune such as “Hilda's Jig” and “Elasticity” by Van Kaynor.
| A1: | All right-hand turn partner to finish men facing up, ladies down. Dance forwards 6 steps and about turn to the right. |
| A2: | Dance forwards (men down, ladies up) 6 steps and left-hand turn partner half-way. Dance forwards (men up, ladies down) 6 steps and about turn to the left. |
| B1/2: | Man 3 and lady 1 pull by right into a progressive grand chain (20 steps); when you meet your partner for the second time, turn single left into your line (4 steps). Lines forward and back — tops roll middles away with a half sashay on the way back — Now 2, 3, 1. |
Andrew says…This is a fun dance with a great storyline — once people understand the concept, it's easy to drop the call as it's obvious what happens next, so everyone can just enjoy the dance.
Formation: 4 couple square with another 4 couples inside, each facing an outside couple.
Music: 4 x 32 bar reels.
| A1: | Do-si-do partner. Do-si-do opposite. |
| A2: | Ladies chain across and back (inside men could continue turning single after the courtesy turn to flow into Nova) |
| B1/2: | “Nova”: Inside men right-hand star all the way round while outside couples and the inside lady (who's been left behind) left-hand star all the way round. Inside men turn out (over left shoulder/anticlockwise) to pick up your partner and left-hand star promenade all the way back to place while outsides grand chain all the way around the set. (Post-competition modification: make this a half grand chain.) Inside couples keep their shoulder-waist hold, pass between the outside couple, and move one place anticlockwise (odd times) or clockwise (even times) while outsides move in either side of the inside couple and California twirl to face out. |
After the competition, the authors suggested that a half grand chain would be preferable to a full grand chain, and the progression will still work.
Despite the alternate directions of the progression at the end, each couple always progresses round the outside the same way. The authors say the dance can be simplified by progressing only in one direction, at the expense of only dancing with two couples.
Andrew says…We failed to complete this dance, but had fun trying. I misinterpreted the progression (the above description is what was intended) but there wasn't really time for the full grand chain around the set. The authors have since recommended a half grand chain instead, which I expect to be far more successful!
Despite this, people liked the idea, and thought it would be a great display dance; one person said she'd take it back to try with her advanced class. I'd be interested how the half grand chain changes it!
Formation: Longways duple improper
Music: American contra-style 32 bar jigs
| A1: | “Give and take”: Lines advance, women draw their partner home. Swing partner. |
| A2: | “Swirl”: Partners allemande right ¾ (briefly forming a wave of four across the set); women allemande left 1½ while men orbit clockwise half-way (again briefly forming a wave) (8 steps); partners allemande right ¾ to finish in long waves, right hand to partner, men facing out, women in. |
| B1: | Balance the wave (right and left); slide or spin to the right past partner and reform long waves (left hand to partner). Balance the wave (left and right); slide or spin to the left past partner and reform long waves (right hand to partner). |
| B2: | Balance the wave (forward and back); box circulate: men loop right, women cross the set. Swing neighbour. |
Andrew says…This was fun when it worked. The timing of the “swirl” is doable but quite tight, and the end effects are confusing, so long sets recommended to let those dissipate. The swing into an allemande right was the weak point of the dance, as the flow there is a challenge.
Formation: 3 couples longways
Music: A gentle jig such as “La Maison de Glace” by Réjean Brunet. We don't have permission to publish this, but search for it on the web and you'll find many versions — it's a great tune!
| A1: | Middle couple right-hand turn once round, top couple 2-hand turn half-way then turn up and away to face down, bottom couple 2-hand turn half-way then turn down and away to face up. Middles go left for half reels of 3 across the ends of the set. |
| A2: | Middles go left for left-hand stars at each end. Middles go right for half figure eight through that couple to get home. |
| B1: | All back to back partner. Circle 6 half-way. |
| B2: | Back-to-back partner. Bottom two couples circle left half-way while top couple two-hand turn half-way, all finishing close to partner; fall back. Progressed position is 3, 1, 2. |
Andrew says…As one of the dancers said, “flows beautifully”. The A1 requires careful timing for the ends.
In the half hey, middles finish in each others' places; it was useful to point out that this feels like a half figure 8 for the middles.
Formation: 4 couples longways, progressive.
Music: Black Nag (John Playford 1657) played AABB: 24 bars, 16 times through.
Note: When I say change places, I would like dancers to use whatever their local convention is for the diagonal crossing in Black Nag. For me, that would be lead with your right shoulder and pass with your back to the other dancer, using a sideways slip step. That's entirely compatible with lead with your left shoulder and pass with your face to the other dancer; and with go forward and pass with your right shoulder to the other dancer; and, if you really want to, with go backwards and pass with your left shoulder to the other dancer. Please don't try to pass on the other side of the approaching dancer unless your whole set agrees that they want to do that.
| First figure: | |
| A1+A2: | Lead up a double and back, twice. |
| B1: | “One at a time” First long corners (top and bottom on the right diagonal; top Lark, bottom Robin) change places while second long corners (their partners) turn single and align themselves ready for their diagonal crossing; second long corners change places while first “middle” corners (2nd and 3rd places on the right diagonal; 2nd Lark, 3rd Robin) turn single and align. First “middle” corners change places while second “middle” corners (their partners) turn single in preparation for their diagonal cross; second “middle” corners change places while first long corners turn single in preparation for crossing back. |
| B2: | Repeat to places. |
| Second figure: | |
| A1+A2: | Side into line right shoulder. Side left shoulder. |
| B1: | “Two at a time” On the right diagonal, the top two people change places with the bottom two people (1st Lark with 3rd Robin, 2nd Lark with 4th Robin); the other four people change places on the left diagonal. All change places with partner; turn single. |
| B2: | As B1, with the right diagonal still going first, but remember that you've changed sides, so these are different people. |
| Third figure: | |
| A1+A2: | Arm right. Arm left. |
| B1: | “Three at a time” The intention is to keep on leading with the right shoulder on all these diagonal crossings. However, some dancers may find that that involves too much turning round and that it's more natural to alternate shoulders. If you lead with your left shoulder, remember to pass with your face to the other dancer, even if they have their back to you. Or you might prefer to go forwards with your right shoulder to the other dancer every time. Those who can, cross on the right diagonal; those who can cross on the left diagonal. Repeat. |
| B2: | Repeat, finishing in original places. |
| Fourth figure: | |
| A1+A2: | Back-to-back right shoulder. Back-to-back left shoulder. |
| B1: | On your own side, middles face ends, pass right shoulder into parallel straight heys for 4. There genuinely is time for this, as long as you don't try to fit in a turn single as well. Don't short-circuit the hey. |
| B2: | Bottom couple (4s) take 2 hands and slip up the middle to the top of the set, while the others side-step down the outside; new bottom couple (3s) repeat. New bottom couple (2s) repeat; all turn single. Finish in order 2-3-4-1, ready to start again. |
Andrew says…As one dancer said, “great Playford fan fiction”.
A dance that is harder than it looks on paper. This came very close to falling apart, but we had a lot of fun nonetheless! All agreed it's a great concept and potentially a great display dance, but the third figure especially is challenging and needs nimble dancers, and it's easy to get confused about the shoulders you're using.
While this won't be for everyone, I can imagine it being superb for the right occasion, and very satisfying if you can do it.