Barley and Oats

Formation: Contra Lines of 4 or 5 couples with all the gents in the line on the prompter’s right and all the ladies in the line on the prompter’s left. For other partner pairings designate them as “Barley and Oats” or whatever is appropriate. This may be danced with more couples if an extra set of 8 beats is used each time to allow completion of the Promenade and Arch section. (Six energetic couples might just finish in 64 beats.)
Music: “14 Karot” on Ute UR9, or “Paddlin’ Madelin Home” on Blue Star 2455

Download RTF file: Barley and Oats

Prompts:
Intro or
57-64   – – – -; Everybody Forward and Back;
    1-8   – – Gents Arch; Ladies Duck Thru and all U-Turn Back;
  9-16   – – – -; Everybody Forward and Back;
17-24   – – Ladies Arch; Gents Duck Thru and all U-Turn Back;
25-32   – – – -; Top Couple Sashay to the foot;

33-40   – – – -; Sashay back to the heat of the set;
41-48   – – – -; Promenade Single File to the foot;
49-56   – – – -; Actives Arch and others Duck Thru;
57-64   – – – -; Everybody Forward and Back;

Description:
    1-8   Long lines join hands, all forward 3 and touch, back 3 and touch.
  9-16   The men maintain their handholds along the line & raise their arms to make arches. All walk forward 6 steps as the ladies duck thru the arches passing right sides with their partner. (The lady at the foot should imagine an extra man to make her arch.) Everyone U-Turn Back in 2 beats to end standing where their partner began.
17-24   (Repeat 1-8).
25-32   The ladies maintain their handholds along the line & raise their arms to make arches. All walk forward 6 steps as the men duck thru the arches passing right sides with their partner. (The man at the foot should imagine an extra lady to make his arch.) Everyone U-Turn Back in 2 steps to end standing in their home line.

33-40   The top couple step to the center, join both hands and Sashay to the foot of the set in eight beats – three quick “Side, Closes” and one “Side, Touch”. (Alternatively, for those less agile, strut down the center.)
41-48   The same couple Sashay back to the head of the set. (Using the alternative version, dancers U-Turn Back alone and strut back.)
49-56   The top couple Separate and lead their individual lines in a Single File Promenade down the outside of the set to the foot and then face and join both hands to make an arch. Dancers must move out quickly in order to complete this and the next action in 16 beats.
57-64   All the other dancers Duck Thru the arch in pairs and then follow the original second couple up the set. The second couple becomes the new top couple, the others move up, and the original top couple stays at the foot.

Vocabulary Comment: What should we call the move down the center?
The term “Sashay” is usually used as the colloquial alteration of “Chassee”.

Choreography by: Ken Kernen
Source: Printed in CD Journal, October 2006 and in Dancing For Busy People, page 149
Usage: This is a nice alternative to the Virginia No-Reel.

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