Texas Star
Formation: Square of four couples
Download RTF file: Texas Star
TEXAS STAR
From the Community Dance Program Handbook
Ladies to the center and back to the bar
Gents to the center, right hand star
Back by the left and don’t get lost
Meet your partner pass her by
Pick up the next with an arm around
Star promenade go round the town
Gents back out and the ladies go in
Form that Texas star again
Now the gents go in and the ladies back out
And you turn that Texas star about
Gents back out with a full turn around
Like a jaybird walking on frozen ground
Now the ladies back out, full turn around
Like a scared old rabbit, chased by a hound
Break in the center, everybody swing
Promenade around the ring
The dance is repeated three more times; each time the gent gets a new partner. After a total of four times through, the gent will end with his original partner.
Description:
— Ladies walk in four steps, turn to their left and walk back out to home.
— Gents form right hand star in centre of the set. Use a wrist grasp, grasping the wrist of the gent in front.
— Gents reverse direction. Form a left hand star.
— Gents pass their partner and pick up the next lady with an arm around her waist or shoulder to Star Promenade.
— Men break their left hand star but keep their partner on their right arm, back out of the star one half turn and the ladies form a right hand star.
— The ladies back out and let the men go forward into a left hand star again, still keeping their ladies on their right.
— Men back out and turn once and a half and the ladies star as before.
— Ladies break the star and back out once and a half and the men star as before.
— Men break in the center and everybody Swings with the one they were holding.
— All Promenade back to the gent’s home spot. After the first time, all gents should have their right-hand lady as their new partner.
THE TEXAS STAR
From CALLERLAB, Dallas, Texas, 1999, Jon Jones
LADIES TO THE CENTRE AND BACK TO THE BAR
GENTS TO THE CENTRE WITH A RIGHT-HAND STAR
Right hands crossed and how-de-do
BACK TO THE LEFT and how are you
MEET YOUR pretty GIRL and PASS HER BY
PICK UP THE NEXT girl on the fly
STAR PROMENADE and around you go
INSIDE OUT AND THE OUTSIDE IN
GO ONCE AND A HALF put the pretty points in
And you STAR PROMENADE go the other way ‘round
GIRLS ROLLAWAY that’s what I say
STAR PROMENADE in the same old way
SPREAD THAT STAR way out wide
GIRLS DUCK UNDER THE GENT’S RIGHT SIDE
ALLEMANDE LEFT that old left hand
Here we go in a RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND
Hand over hand till you meet your maid
Take her by the hand and all PROMENADE
Home you go and you SWING and whirl
Round and around with the pretty little girl
Repeat three more times
Description:
— Holding onto joined hands, gents lead the ladies into the center. Then ladies turn left to face their partner and twirl under the arch made by the joined hands to return to home.
— Then the gents go to the center and make a right-hand star using a wrist grip. (Each gent holds the wrist of the gent ahead).
— The gents turn around changing hands to make a left-hand star.
— The gent goes past his original partner and picks up the next lady with an arm around her waist or shoulder to Star Promenade.
— The gents swing out backwards with a one and a half turn and the ladies swing in making a right-hand star.
— The star is now moving clockwise with the gents on the outside.
— The ladies release their inside handhold and rollaway turning to their left across in front of the gent. The gents move sideways inward joining their right hands in the Star Promenade.
— The gents spread out their star handhold as much as possible to make space in the center. The ladies duck under the gent’s right side and then give their left to the gent coming behind for an Allemande Left and Grand Right and Left.
— When the same dancers meet again they Promenade to the gent’s home and Swing.
TEXAS STAR
From Herb Greggerson, Herb’s Blue Bonnet Calls, Copyright 1937, Sixth Edition 1949
LADIES TO THE CENTER AND BACK TO THE BAR
GENTS TO THE CENTER AND FORM A STAR
RIGHT HANDS CROSSED AND HOW DO YOU DO
BACK WITH THE LEFT AND DON’T GET LOST
MEET YOUR PRETTY GIRL, PASS HER BY
AND HOOK THE NEXT GAL ON THE FLY
THE GENTS SWING OUT, LADIES SWING IN
FORM THAT TEXAS STAR AGAIN
BREAK THAT STAR WITH A DO PASO
NEW PARTNER LEFT AND CORNER RIGHT
GRAB THAT GIRL, DON’T LET HER FALL
PROMENADE YOUR PARTNERS ALL
Repeat call three times until ladies are returned to original Partner.
Description:
— Holding onto joined hands, gents lead the ladies into the center. Then ladies turn left to face their partner and twirl under the arch made by the joined hands to return to home.
— Then the gents go to the center and join right hands with the opposite gent forming an X moving clockwise.
— Gents turn around changing hands and reversing the turning direction of the star.
— The gent goes past his original partner and takes the next lady by the arm and carries her around the circle. Ladies hook their left into the gent’s right elbow. The star continues counter-clockwise.
— The gent swings out backwards and the lady swings in and they form an X with right hands crossed.
— The star is now moving clockwise with the gents on the outside.
— Each dancer now has a new partner. For the Do Paso dancers do a left turn with their new partner, a right turn with their new corner, and a left turn with their partner. In this case hold on to partner and the men turn an extra half to face the same way as the lady for the promenade.
This page from http://dances.callerlab.org (CALLERLAB Dance Resource)