Cowboy Dances

A collection of Traditional Western Square Dances By Lloyd Shaw

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	98	COWBOY DANCES
	return by moving backward. Step back with the left, then back with the right, then close the left to the right. Con­tinue backward with a right, left, close; left, right, close; etc., until back in position. Couples, of course, can practice this together in the regular dance position, the lady moving backward while the gentleman moves forward and return­ing vice-versa. In this pursuit or forward step it often helps to go around the square a couple of times and then start forward. If this much is mastered the turn will probably come instinctively: but the old dancing masters had a device for teaching the turn that is quite enlightening and a surprising amount of fun to do. If you would like to try it, chalk a larger square on the floor, forty or more inches on each side, and with your chalk draw a diagonal in each corner chop­ping off about eight or nine inches of the corner. And when you are directed to step in a corner of the square you step along the side only as close as this diagonal, or truncation, will permit. Begin this time by standing with both feet together in the upper left-hand corner and with both heels against the top line facing the center of the square. As you count one, step your right foot forward to the left side with the toe touching the left line immediately next to this upper left diagonal. On count two, step with your left foot so your left toe touches the left line immediately adjacent to the lower diagonal line (this, of course, leaves your back to the middle of the square), and on the third count, close your right foot to your left, leaving both feet together toeing the left side line next to the bottom diagonal. On the next count one, step with your left foot along the lower diagonal with the heel next to the near end of the bottom; on count two, step with your right foot so its heel touches the far end of the bottom line (you are now facing the center of the square) ; and on count three, close your left foot to your right, both heels against the bottom line. Continue for the next mea­sure, on count one, with the right toe against the lower end of the right side; count two, the left toe touches the upper end of the right side (back now to the center) ; and count three, the right foot is closed to the left so both toes are against this side line. On the last measure, count one, the left heel is moved to touch the near end of the top line; count two, the right heel to the far side of the top (now facing