I wrote:

>The shining exception was Deer
>Park Lancers, which I immediately adopted . . .

Ridge Kennedy wrote:

<<Would you be willing to share? I know it's in your book
on contra calling, but the copy I purchased has escaped
from my library.>>

DEER PARK LANCERS (author and date unknown)
According to the late Ed Moody of New Hampshire, Ralph Page
found a nineteenth-century Lancers figure that he thought
would be of interest to his dancers, and started calling
it. Several other callers picked it up and modified it to
make more couples active more of the time. I added the
do-si-do in the early 1970s, although others may have
thought of it independently.

A.1 Heads promenade outside (all the way)
A.2 Heads face right, two ladies chain (over and back)
B.1 Sides arch, dip and dive (all the way -- four passes)
B.2 Do-si-do with the same couple (as individuals)
    Swing partner to place

Repeat with heads promenading to the left and working with
their left-hand couple

Repeat twice with sides promenading (heads arch to begin
the dip and dive)

With an experienced group, I change "ladies chain" to
"right and left" in the second and fourth figures. If they
don't know right and left or they look shaky in general, I
just call ladies chain each time. If they take longer than
16 beats to do the dip and dive, I leave out the do-si-do.

I use "marchy" music (either 6/8 or 4/4) and end the
opening and middle breaks with a grand square (if the group
knows it or can learn it quickly). It avoids the problem of
ending the break with a promenade and having the active
couples immediately promenade again.

It's one of my all-time favorite squares. I'm always
looking for material that feels so "right" in so many
situations.

Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
tony@hands4.com


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