Slaunch to Donegal

Formation: Couples facing couples, lady on partner’s right, in long lines down the hall. An even number of couples is desirable, if there is an odd number see note at the bottom.
Music: “Slaunch to Donegal”, Windsor 4183

Download RTF file: Slaunch To Donegal

Prompts:
Intro or
57-64   – – – -; With your corner Allemande Left;
    1-8   – – – -; Everybody Swing your own;
  9-16   – – – -; Those who can slant left for a Right and Left Thru;
17-24   – – – -; Straight across Right and Left Thru;
25-32   – – – -; Same Two Ladies Chain;

33-40   – – – -; – – Chain back;
41-48   – – – -; Same four Star Left;
49-56   – – – -; – – Star Right;
57-64   – – – -; With your corner Allemande Left;

This is the singing version of Slaunch to Donegal

Allemande Left your corner, go home and Swing you do,
Swing your girl, then slant to the Left, do a Right and Left Thru.

To the left you go, then straight across, new two Right and Left Thru,
Take your time, turn ’em there, then the Ladies Chain.

She’s not yours, what a shame, Chain her back again,
Keep in step with the piper’s band, Star with the old Left hand .

Around you mill, around you wheel, come back with Right hands all,
Turn the star go home again, back to Donegal.

Description:
    1-8   Gents should look to their left and Ladies should look to their right to find their corners. All corner pairs do an Allemande Left (left arm turn once around).
  9-16   Partners Swing and finish facing across the set with the lady on the gent’s right.
17-24   Couples face diagonally to the left and do a Right and Left Thru with the facing couple (Right pull by and Courtesy Turn with partner). Two couples, one on each end of the set, will have no couple diagonally to the left. They face across the set and wait in place for 8 beats of music.
25-32   With the new couple directly across the set do a Right and Left Thru. The two couples left idle during the previous call, will change sides of the set during the Right and Left Thru and this line will be their new home line.

33-40   Two Ladies Chain across (ladies right pull by and Courtesy Turn with the opposite gent).
41-48   Same Two Ladies Chain back across to their original partner.
49-56   As dancers finish the Courtesy Turn at the end of the Ladies Chain, they maintain the Lady’s left hand in the Gent’s left hand and reach out to make a Left-hand Star with the opposite couple. Turn the star for 8 beats.
57-64   The same four dancers individually turn around a make a Right-hand Star. Turn the star for 8 beats back to their home lines. At the end of the Star, look for the same corner ready to begin again.

Notes: If there are an odd number of couples, place the extra couple at the far end of the line on the caller’s right. Explain to all that they must not move from that spot except to participate in the Slant Left Right and Left Thru.
Variations: (See the original Becket Reel which uses the same calls in a different order.)

Choreography by: Adapted by Ede Butlin from “Becket’s Reel” by Herbie Gaudreau.
Source: Printed in Caller/Teacher Manual for Contras by Don Armstrong.
Printed in CDP Journal, November 1992.
Usage: This is a classic Becket contra with lots of action in a beautiful smooth flow. It includes both “Ladies Chain” and “Right and Left Thru” so it is most successful when the dancers are comfortable with both of these calls. Every call involves turns so beware of using this if there are dancers prone to dizziness in the group.

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