Ohio River Contra

Formation: Contra lines with couples standing beside their partner facing up or down. (From long facing lines each pair of facing couples Circle Left one-quarter.) The couple facing down the hall is the “Active Couple”.
Music: A jig with clear 8-beat phrasing.

Download RTF file: Ohio River Contra

Prompts:
Intro or
57-64   – – – -; Actives As Couple Dosado Lady;
    1-8   – – – -; Same 3 Circle Left once around;
  9-16   – – – -; Actives As Couple Dosado Gent;
17-24   – – – -; Same 3 Circle Left once around;
25-32   – – – -; Pick up Lady, Lines go Down;

33-40   – – – -; Turn Alone and Come Back;
41-48   – – – -; Face in, Slow Square Thru;
49-56   – – – -; – – (continue);
57-64   – – – -; Actives As Couple Dosado Lady);

Description:
    1-8   The couple facing down the hall Dosado with the Lady in the couple facing up the hall. (The Ladies pass right shoulders, couple and lady slide back to back, then back up to home.) The inactive Gent move aside to make room.
  9-16   The same three dancers Circle to the Left once around.
17-24   The couple facing down the hall Dosado with the Gent in the couple facing up the hall.
25-32   The same three dancers Circle to the Left once around.

33-40   The active gent pick up the inactive lady to make a line of four facing down the hall (actives in center). The line marches down the hall 6 steps. On the last two beats the dancers turn individually to face back up the hall.
41-48   Dancers march back up the hall. Then each half of the line turn as a unit to face in making long lines. Partners should be facing.
49-64   Each group of four do a slow Square Thru using a jig step at each turn. (Right pull by with partner, turn 1/4 to face neighbor, left pull by with neighbor, turn 1/4 to face in, right pull by partner, turn 1/4 to face neighbor, left pull by.

Neutrals at the end: Couples facing out at the ends after the Square Thru should Partner Trade to face in and then wait one sequence.

Choreography by: Jerry Helt, 1976 when the river never froze
Source: CD Journal, March 2011
Usage: This is a relatively simple contra except for the Square Thru. It is not necessary to use the name “Square Thru”, there is time to cue the action.

This page from http://dances.callerlab.org (CALLERLAB Dance Resource)