Grapevine Twist

Grapevine Twist

Formation: Square of four couples.
Music: “Turkey in the Straw” or other traditional music.

Download RTF file: Grapevine Twist

Prompts:
Intro or
113-120   First gent take your lady by the wrist,
                Gent lead right for a grapevine twist;
    1-8   Go between the couple there,
                And go left around that lady fair;
  9-16   Into the center with a whoa haw gee,
                And round that gent from Tennessee;
17-24   Circle four with four hands round,
                Your right foot up and your left foot down,

25-32   Lead to the next and go between,
                Go left around that lady queen;
33-40   Into the center with a whoa haw gee,
                And round that gent from Tennessee;
41-48   Now lead round the gent, you’re doing fine;
                Six join hands and circle in time;
49-56   Circle six with six hands round,
                Mind your step or you’ll fall down;

56-64   Same gent lead all six on to the last;
                Repeat the twist and keep moving fast;
65-72   Go round the last lady fair;
                Into the center and loop right there;
73-80   It’s a big loop round to let them through;
                Then lead round the last gent you do;
81-88   After all six dancers go by;
                The last couple joins them on the fly;

89-96   Eight join hands and circle around the ring,
                When you get back home it’s time to swing;
97-104   Swing the girl in the calico gown,
105-112   All promenade go round the town.

Repeat for each gent as leader.

Description:
    1-8   The first gent takes his partner’s hand and leads her between the second couple and to his left around the second lady into the middle.
  9-16   He then bears left (haw) and loops to his right (gee) in the middle bringing his partner along behind.
17-24   He next leads again between the second couple and goes around the second gent.
25-32   As the first lady comes around the second gent they connect hands and he also connects hands with his partner to make a circle of four. Those four dancers circle left once around.

Then the leading gent goes on leading those four dancers to repeat the pattern with the third couple, and then he leads six dancers between the fourth couple.

Choreography: This a traditional square dance
Source: The above choreography came from Wes McVicar’s 75 Favorite Square Dance Calls. Similar choreography is listed under “Whoa Haw Gee” in All American Square Dances by “Allemande” Al Muller
Usage: This is a lively dance with lots of action. Dancing the center loop to the right is tricky. It helps to demonstrate the haw and gee action of the gent as he leads the clockwise loop in the center. Luckily, mistaken pathways usually end up in the right place and just generate some laughter.

YouTube: The Grapevine Twist with a fancy twisted circle ending is at the following Dare To Be Square link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-S6a8WxrgI

The Fancy Twisted Circle Ending is described separately.
A different Grapevine Twist is described under “Grapevine Twist From Arizona”.

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