Contra dance: Left-hand Gypsy
Left-hand Gypsy
Erik Erhardt
Type: Contra
Formation: Duple-Indecent
Level: Easy-Int
A1 ———–
(4) Partner Swat the Flea, (left-hand box-the-gnat)
(4) Partner Swat the Flea back
(8) Star Left 3/4 with same neighbors (partners on lady’s home side)
A2 ———–
(8) Partner left-hand gypsy
(8) Partner right-shoulder swing
B1 ———–
(4) Gents forward
(4) Gents balance a long wavy line of gents, stay in wavy line
(4) Ladies cast over their right shoulder, then forward (to the left of their partner)
(4) Ladies balance a long wavy lines of ladies
B2 ———–
(8) New neighbors, Gypsy star 3/4, Gents drop right back up, Ladies drop left walk forward
(8) Neighbor swing (on everyone’s home side)
Notes: A2 – Left-hand gypsy (like a right-hand gypsy) has left hand at your waist, palm facing your own hip, and linked with your partner as you gypsy. Turn this into a swing by pulling the joined left hand into an allemande position, put right hand on partner’s right shoulder, and reverse body momentum to swing in usual direction.
Other Notes: The handed-gypsy comes from Richard Wilson’s “Right hand Gypsy”, the sexiest move in contra. Written for Katherine Sanden.