Down the Center Cut Off Six

Formation: Square of four couples
Music: A jig or other music with clear cadence

Download RTF file: Down Center Cut Off Six

Prompts:
Intro or
89-96   First Couple down the centre and cut off six,
                Lady go right and gent go left;
    1-8   Right and Left Thru on the sides,
                Swing when you meet and do it up neat;
  9-16   Swing your head, your toe swing too (Heads),
                Roll ’em around like you used to do;

17-24   Now down the centre and cut off four,
                Lady go gee and the gent go haw ,
25-32   Right and Left Thru on the sides,
                When you get home you swing some more;
33-40   Swing on the head, the toe swing too,
                You swing her and she’ll swing you;

41-48   Down the centre cut off two;
                And all swing out like you used to do;
49-56   Now if she slips don’t let her fall,
                Go Allemande Left to the corners all;
57-64  Grand Chain all over the hall,
                – – – -;
65-72  Honor your partner, pass her by,
                Wink at the next one on the sly;
73-80  When you get home your swing your own,
                – – – -;
81-88  Now settle down for the next go round,
                – – – -;

Repeat for Couple #2, Couple #3, and Couple #4.

Description:
    1-8   The first couple walks across and between the third couple. The gent turns left while his lady turns right and they return outside back to place.
  9-16   While the heads are returning to place outside, the side couples do a Right and Left Thru.
17-24   Heads swing their partner at their home position.
25-32   The first couple walks across but turns either left or right one person earlier than for “cut off six” so they go out between the side couple and the opposite couple.

33-40   While the heads are returning to place outside, the side couples do a Right and Left Thru back across to their home location.
41-48   Heads again swing their partner at their home position.
49-56   The first couple walks into the center and turns either left or right to “cut off two” by going out between the two dancers in each side couple.
57-64   All four couples Swing at home.

65-72   Grand Chain is a Grand Right and Left that usually goes all the way around the square.
57-64   All dancers bow to their partner when they meet on the far side.
65-72   Continue the Grand Right and Left on around and back to home.
73-80   When dancers meet again at home they Swing.

Simplification:
Right and Left Thru is right hand to opposite, pull by, then courtesy turn half around with partner. If this is too hard, it can be replaced with Sides Circle Half.

Choreography: Traditional square dance figure
Source: This was published in Wes McVicar’s 75 Favorite Square Dance Calls (printed 1949). Wes was the Director of the Y.M.C.A. Square Dance Club in Toronto, Ontario.Printed in CD Journal, March 2011
Usage: Walk this through once or twice and the dancers should be ready to go. Good for a Beginner Square Dance Party or Community Dance.

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