Laura's Leap (final) by Nicholas Rockstroh
Becket CCW
A1: Right and left through (8)
Left diagonal ladies chain (8)
A2: Star left 3/4 to long waves, partners taking right (men face in, ladies
face out) (8)
Balance forward and back, CW box circulate WITHOUT retaking long waves (men
walk forward, ladies loop into empty position) (8)
B1: New neighbors gypsy and swing (new neighbors are the people who would be in
your right hand if you retook long waves after the box circulate) (16)
B2: Men allemande left 1 1/2 (8)
Partner swing on original side (8)
The end effects require the couples that are out to come back in with the
ladies on the left and the men on the right so that the waves can form
properly.
Everyone who talked to me afterwards said they liked the dance a lot, and Laura
was incredibly happy with her gift. Based on this reaction, I'm going to make
this the official final draft. I give full permission to copy it, call it, and
modify it as long as I'm given credit for the original dance.
The B1 was partly inspired by Michael Fuerst's dance It Started on Facebook
since that dance also uses a box circulate into stuff with new neighbors
without retaking waves (circle left without hands 3/4 in its case).
The B1 and B2 were inspired by comments from friend and fellow caller/writer
Bradley Smith about how (in the B1) he thought the dance didn't need a double
progression based on how complex it already was and about how (in the B2) he
thought the swing, cross, gypsy, swing combination didn't alternate momentum
enough to prevent dizziness.
And of course, the dance as a whole was written for and with some input from my
good friend, fellow dancer, and intelligent conversation partner Laura
Valentine, who has her 23rd birthday today (13 January).