MR. OSKO'S WALTZ (Circle) (Gender Free - no partner necessary; no progression) -- EASY

Tune:  32-bar Waltz

​

A1  Circle Left (8 Waltz steps)

A2  Circle Right (8 Waltz steps)

B1  Turn Single to the Right (4 Waltz steps); Turn Single to the Left (4 Waltz steps)

B2  Join hands in a circle - take 2 steps in, 2 steps out, 2 steps in, 2 steps out)

​

 

BOX'NSWAT (Circle) (2017) -- EASY

A1  Women dance into the center & back (8); Gents dance into the center & back (8)

A2  All make a quarter turn to the right & walk single file to the right (ladies are walking ahead of

     their partners) (16)

B1  Women turn around to face their (current) partner & they shake Right hands & Balance (4), Box

     the Gnat to trade places (4); change hands, Balance (4) & Swat the Flea (4)

B2  All Do-Si-Do with Partner (8); all Allemande Right with partners 1-1/2 to trade places & end

     standing between original partner & new partner (8) (women are facing into the center ready to go

     into the middle & back)

​

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference (RYLA) kicks off their week of training with an annual dance I've been leading for the last 15+ years.  They call their event "Swat the Flea."  I never found an easy dance for 200+ high energy 18-year olds that contained a Swat the Flea figure, so I finally wrote this one.

​

​

NELLA WAFER (Sicillian Circle) (Gender Free) (2007) -- EASY/INTERMEDIATE

​

A1  In a ring of 4, Balance in & out (or side to side); Petronella Twirl to the Right one place   

     (8 beats); Repeat

A2  Repeat A1 two more times until all are back in original places

B1  All face partner; join hands with neighbors on either side of you to make two circles - Circle

     Left (inner circle will be traveling a different direction from outer circle) (8 beats)

     All drop hands, make a quarter turn to the right and walk back to Partner (8 beats)

B2  2-hand turn Partner once around and end facing original neighbors (8 beats)

     Hang on to Partner and Zig Zag left then right to face next neighbors (8 beats)

​

​

CATCH SOMEBODY -- EASY

(Circle - line of 3 dancers standing behind line of 3 dancers, all facing ccw, likes spokes of a wheel)   

Note:  If any spare one or two dancers, they "hover" in the center

Tune:  Spirited

​

A1  Lines of three dance foward 4 steps; clap 3x; stomp 3x (8 beats); Repeat

A2  Center dancer Right elbow swing with Left-hand partner 1-1/2 to change places (8 beats)

     New center dancer Left elbow swing with Right-hand partner 1-1/2 to change places, ending

     with Right-hand dancer, now in center facing clockwise (two end dancers are facing ccw)

     NOTE:  Cue center dancers:  "Spares get ready"

     B1  End dancers make a 2-hand arch and center dancers, joined by "spares," dive under the

     arches, moving clockwise under all the arches

     B2  At the signal "Catch Somebody," arches are dropped over whoever is nearest and 2-hand

     circle left around the "victim" (8 beats) (Note:  Spares move into the center)

     2-hand Circle Right; end in a line of 3 facing ccw with "victim" in the center of the line (8 

     beats)

​

Suggested calls:

Forward 4 (2); Clap & stomp (2); Forward 4 (2); Clap & stomp (2)

Turn right on the inside once and a half (2)

Now left on the outside once and a half (2)

Spares get ready! (2)

Arch and dive (10)

Catch somebody and circle left (8)

     Circle right (2); Line up 3, go forward 4 (2)

​

Written for no particular reason in 1999.  Dance friend, Karen Comer, liked it so much, she asked me to call it at her wedding and she gave it the name, too.  If danced correctly, everyone gets to be the victim at some point.