Tunnel Contra
Formation: Proper Contra lines of 6 couples or less. (Gents on the prompter’s right, Ladies on the prompter’s left.)
Music: “Tunnel Contra” on Lloyd Shaw LS E-40 or “Pass Me By” on TNT 271
Download RTF file: Tunnel Contra
Prompts:
Intro or
57-64 – – – -; Everybody go Forward and Back;
1-8 – – – -; All Pass Thru and U-Turn Back;
9-16 – – – -; Everybody go Forward and Back;
17-24 – – – -; All Pass Thru and U-Turn Back;
25-32 – – – -; Top Couple Slide down (others arch);
33-40 – – – -; Lady up inside, gent up outside;
41-48 – – – -; Gent down inside, lady down outside;
49-56 – – – -; Everybody Swing with partner;
57-64 – – – -; Everybody go Forward and Back;
Description:
1-8 Long lines go Forward and Back in eight counts.
9-16 Pass right sides with partner to cross the set in four steps and turn alone half around in four steps to end standing on the opposite side.
17-24 Long lines go Forward and Back again.
25-32 Dancers repeat counts 9-16 to return to their original place.
33-40 The top couples (nearest the prompter) join both hands and slide down the center of the set to the foot. (Or the top couples join inside hands and strut down the center.) After the active couple passes by, the other couples form a two-hand arch to make a long tunnel.
41-48 The lady in the active couple dances up through the tunnel while the gent walks up the outside behind the gents.
49-56 The gent in the active couple dances down through the tunnel while the lady walks down the outside behind the ladies.
57-64 Everybody Swings their partner (across the set) and then steps back into their home line. This may be eliminated if there isn’t enough time for the tunnel action.
Choreography by: Herbie Gaudreau, Massachusetts
Source: Printed in Dancing For Busy People, page 148
Usage: This dance works best for dancers who can comfortably bend and walk through the tunnel. See “Tunnel of Love” for a similar dance without the tunnel.
This page from http://dances.callerlab.org (CALLERLAB Dance Resource)