Cowboy Dances

A collection of Traditional Western Square Dances By Lloyd Shaw

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	54	COWBOY DANCES
	regular fashion. Inside them there will be an inner ring of only women, facing toward the men (pretty side out) and holding each other by the hands in a circle. When the two rings have formed, call: Everybody circle right. Since the two rings are facing each other it makes each go opposite the other or past each other. When they have passed far enough to assure a new partner for everyone, call: Everybody pick the prettiest gal and dance—and they are off on the two-step again. Since the two circles must always go in opposite direc­tions a new caller often calls Ladies go right and gents go left hoping to make them do so. But since the two rings are facing each other this means that they will then both go in the same direction or in a sort of double column. So, in order to send them past each other, be simple and call either Everybody circle right or Everybody circle left, and that will send the two rings past each other. Once they are familiar with this variation the caller can call either figure after the two-step and arrange all the parts in any way to suit his fancy. Another pleasant variation after the two-step is to call Promenade noiv two by two. They should march side by side, lady on the right and holding both hands crossed over in front like a pair of skaters. And as soon as they are promenading smoothly (to the right, of course, or counter­clockwise), you can call Gents go forward and the ladies turn back (or The ladies go forward and the gents turn back, as your fancy dictates, and never twice alike). When they are well mixed you again call Everybody choose the prettiest gal and dance. This variation is very helpful when the crowd is large and the hall is small, for then the Grand circle can hardly fit around the room without loops and scallops in the circle, and the allemande is very difficult to do with such crowding. When they Promenade two by two it makes the circumfer­ence of the circle just half as large and simplifies every­thing, in addition to being good fun. A third variation can be enjoyed by calling Promenade four by four when two couples march four abreast with arms hooked in elbows. This often causes a little confusion by some couple being left stranded without another couple to fill out their four. But if they look around the circle they can usually find another single couple who are also stranded,