Sally Goodin variations

Sally Goodin is a square dance based on picturesque names for the other dancers in your set. (See Carl Herzog diagram). The active dance turns other dancers in a particular sequence, occasionally following a hand turn with another dancers by turning your partner.

In general, when the callers say to "swing" someone else, they are expecting dancers to do a hand turn. In the Related Items, though, traditional West Virginia caller Bill Ohse wants the dancers to swing, not allemande.

Within this general framework, there's considerable variation in the sequence, timing, patter and the overall calling style as shown in the following examples.

Arkie Woodchipper:
First couple out and you come home
Dance around and swing your own
Go to the right and swing Sally Goodin
Right back now and swing your taw
On the left, swing the lady from Arkansas
Where the bullfrog married his mother-in-law
Right back now and swing your taw
Go go across the hall and swing Grandma
You ain't swung her since way last fall
Back home now and swing your own...
First and second gents do the pattern, then three gents...
 
Carl Myles:
First couple bow and swing
First gent out to Sally Goodin (pronounced Good EEN)
Home you go and swing your taw
And now that gal from Arkansas
Home again and turn your taw
And now across, your mother-in-law
Home again and turn your taw
Two couples bow and swing...
 
Les Gotcher:
First couple bow and swing
First gent out to the right of the ring
And swing Sally Goodin
Right back home and swing your taw
Now that girl from Arkansas
Right back home and swing your taw
Across the hall and swing Grandma
Right back home and swing your taw
And everybody swing
First and second gents do the pattern, then three gents...
 
Carl Journell:
First gent swing Sally Goodin
And now your taw
And now that girl from Arkansas
Now swing Sally Goodin
And now your taw
And don't forget your old Grandma
And home you go and everybody swing ...
First and second gents do the pattern, then three gents...
 
Eddie Carol
Number one man, swing Sally Goodin with your right hand
And now come back and swing your taw
Then the gal called Arkansas
Now come back and swing your taw
Across the hall and swing Grandma
With a two-hand swing, don't let her fall
Then come back home, you all
Promenade with corner
Repeat with each gent in turn leading the figure
 
Jim Lackey seems to be thinking of your partner as Arkansas, then moving around the ring counter-clockwise as Sally Goodin, Grandma and Grandpa, and then Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa:
First couple balance and swing
First lady out to the right of the ring
Swing your Ma
Now swing Pa
And now swing old Arkansas
Lead right on and swing Grandma
Now swing Grandpa
And now swing old Arkansas
Lead right on and swing your Great-Grandma
Your Great-Great-Great-Grandpa
And now go home to Arkansas
And everybody swing. ...
Second couple repeat, and so on
 
Wayne Walker:
First couple out with a right-hand swing
A left-hand swing
Now two hands round like a Highland fling
Now go to the right, now swing Sally Goodin
Step right back and swing your taw
And across to the girl from Arkansas
Now swing Sally Goodin
And now your taw
Now don't forget your old Grandma
Now swing, swing, everybody swing
then second couple repeat, and so on
 
Two others follow the idea attributed to Ray Smith, taking the basic pattern of turning another dancer and then your partner, but allowing time for extended hand turns, the Colorado Docey-Do:
 
Marvin Shilling - Sally Goodin with a Dosido
          Shilling uses the special names for each dancer.
 
Bill Litchman - Sally Goodin with a Docey-Do
Litchman follows Shilling's pattern, but allows extra time for the Colorado docey-do figure, alternating right hand turns with the new dancer and left hand turns with partner.

Ralph Sweet - Sally Goodin
In the Related Item, Ralph Sweet follows a Sally Goodin pattern but without using the folkloric names for the various other dancers, instead calling them by their position.