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Wedding and special occasion dances
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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THE DOUBLE RAINBOW
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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In honor of the wedding of Susan Elberger and William Kemler Stewart
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Duple Improper
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Actives split the Inactives with mirror image allemandes
once and a half around
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Inactives swing, end facing down
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Inactives mirror allemande with actives once and a half
around (same sex together)
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Actives swing
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Down four in line, Actives turn as a couple in the middle, return
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Circle left once around
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Balance the circle, California Twirl with partner to face new couple below
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YOU MARRIED MY DAUGHTER
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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In honor of the wedding of Kris Arnold and Lynn Buddington.
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Recommended music: You Married My Daughter But Yet You Didn't.
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Duple Improper
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Balance right and left in long lines, slide past one below.
4 bars
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Balance left and right in long lines, slide back to place.
4 bars
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Balance below, Allemande R 3/4, Gents Allemande L once and a half.
8 bars
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Balance and Swing partner.
8 bars
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Promenade across.
4 bars
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Ladies pull across, Allemande L with opposite Gent to long lines.
4 bars
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FRIENDS AND FLOWERS
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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In honor of the wedding of Diane Biglow and Michael Resnick
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Duple Improper
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Actives right shoulder gypsy once and a half around
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Allemande R with person of same sex twice around
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Actives left shoulder gypsy once and a half around
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Swing neighbor
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Down four in line, turn as couples, return
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Actives pass right shoulders to start a hey for four
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NANCY'S FANCY
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Written by Jacob and Nancy Bloom, for their wedding
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Four facing four, up and down hall
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Hey for four with couple you face (up and down hall)
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Four ladies circle right, right hand star back, go past partner
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Allemande left corner, swing partner
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Forward and Back, 1/2 R+L up and down hall, turn to face original direction
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THE TAILOR AND THE MOUSE
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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A Morris dance in the Brackley tradition.
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Music: The traditional English song The Tailor And The Mouse.
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Figures: Foot up, DF, Side by side, DF, Back to back, DF, Whole hey, DF.
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Distinctive Figure:
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The first corners take six bars to cross with each other, turn, and
come in to meet in the center. The footwork is single steps, ending
with a quick ending.
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The second corners wait for two bars, then take four bars to cross with
each other, turn, and come in to meet in the center. The footwork is
single steps, ending with a quick ending.
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The third corners wait for four bars, then take two bars to cross with
each other, turn, and meet in the center. The footwork is one single
step and a quick ending.
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All six dancers have now done a quick ending simultaneously in a tight
ring in the center of the set. They now do a slow ending, using it
to back out to a set again.
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Ending: On the last chorus, in place of the slow ending, the dancers do four
plain capers. On the first caper, the dancers turn to face down. On
the remaining capers the dancers continue turning so as to end the dance
facing up in the positions from which they started the dance. (The call
is 'Caper down and up'.)
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THE DANCE GYPSY
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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Duple Improper
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Right shoulder gypsy with the one below
4 bars
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Women pass left shoulders to start a hey for four
8 bars
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Right shoulder gypsy with same neighbor
4 bars
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Swing the same neighbor
8 bars
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Long lines go forward and back
4 bars
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Actives swing partner
4 bars
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EAT, DANCE, AND BE MARRIED
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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In honor of the wedding of David Pasternack and Deborah Krause
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Duple Improper
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| Actives Circle Left with the Lady below
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Actives Circle Left with the Gent below
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Actives Circle Left with the couple below
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Same four balance in and out twice
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Actives Swing with the person below
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Active Couple Balance and Swing
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WELCOMING MATTHEW
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Written by Jacob Bloom
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In honor of Matthew Alexander Resnick
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Suggested music: Road to Boston
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Formation: Circle of Threesomes.
Middle person of each threesome is "active".
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Circle three hands round to the left
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Middle person passes right shoulder with
right hand person to start hey for 3
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Circle three hands round to the right
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Middle person passes left shoulder with left hand person to start hey for 3
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Same three people right hand star
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Middle person swings their choice of the other two people
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Same three people circle left
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The two who swung make an arch and pop the third person through,
to become the new middle person in the next threesome forward
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| Sher |
| (This is a version of Sher that I collected,
as it was danced in the New England Region of United Synagogue Youth,
circa 1968. I'd be interested in seeing other versions of
this dance, or any other dances readers know in the Klezmer tradition.
Please e-mail information about and descriptions of dances to me at
jacob@aklezact.com.)
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| Collected by Jacob Bloom |
| Chorus (danced with running step) |
| All circle left 4 bars |
| All circle right 4 bars |
| Couples one and three cross, couple one ducking
under arch made by couple three 2 bars |
| Couples two and four cross, couple two ducking
under arch made by couple four 2 bars |
| Couples three and one cross, couple three ducking
under arch made by couple one 2 bars |
| Couples four and two cross, couple four ducking
under arch made by couple two 2 bars |
| Basic Figure |
| Two people of same sex dance over two each other's partner,
swing the other's partner, dance back to own partner,
and swing own partner. |
| Four bars of music for each cross, and
four bars of music for each swing. |
| Crossing is done with four twosteps. On each twostep, one hand is raised
to eye level, and the other touches the elbow, with the hands reversed
on the next twostep. |
| Swinging is done with right side to right side,
right arm around the
partner's waist, left hand up in the air, and a running step. |
| Final Figure
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Lead dancer pulls rest of line through arch formed by last and next-to-last
dancer, then successively through each arch until all dancers are wound up
with their hands joined, and each dancer's right arm over their
left shoulder. |
| Dance around in circle until end of phrase of music.
Unwind by successively
pulling leading dancers through. |
| Pattern of Dance |
| Chorus |
| First lady do crosses and swings with
second lady, third lady, fourth lady |
| Chorus |
| Second lady do crosses and swings
with third lady, fourth lady, first lady |
| Chorus |
| Third lady do crosses and swings
with fourth lady, first lady, second lady |
| Chorus |
| Fourth lady do crosses and
swings with first lady, second lady, third lady |
| Chorus |
| First gent do crosses and swings
with second gent, third gent, fourth gent |
| Chorus |
| Second gent do crosses and swings with third gent,
fourth gent, first gent |
| Chorus |
| Third gent do crosses and swings with
fourth gent, first gent, second gent |
| Chorus |
| Fourth gent do crosses and swings
with first gent, second gent, third gent |
| Chorus |
| Final Figure |
| Chorus |
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Need a dance written for a wedding, anniversary, holiday,
Bat Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah or any special event?
Contact Jacob Bloom at jacob@aklezact.com.
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