Nils Fredland – Four Square
Nils Fredland calls a contemporary composition as part of the "Square Dance" Retrospective session at the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH. The musicians are Old New England (Bob McQuillen piano; Jane Orzechowski, fiddle; and Deanna Stiles, flute); the tune is Mrs. Frasier's.
The dance was choreographed by Ron Buchanan. In his introduction to the dance, Nils Fredland commented, "He has a mind like few other choreographers out there. I feel like this captures some of the interest and complexity of the modern square movement. it's phrased, which appeals to contra dancers."
Complete instructions for the dance, as notated by printed in the Syllabus of the 2013 Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend (page 13), edited by David Smukler:
Intro
Bow to your partner, bow to your corner (~12); face your corner and you allemande left (~4)
Do-si-do your partner (8); all four gentlemen into the middle and left-hand star (8)
Allemande right with your partner 1½ (8); four ladies star left in the middle (8)
Back to your partner and swing, square your sets (16)
Figure
Circle to the left (8)
And back to right, gents roll partner from right hand to left (8)
Swing the next, end by squaring your set in the gent’s home place (16)
Head couples pass the ocean (see note) to make a wavy line down the center of the square (4), and balance the wave (4)
Turn by the right hand ¾ and join hands with those on the sides to make wavy lines at the head and foot (4), balance (4)
Turn by the left hand ¾ to make wavy lines at the sides (4), balance (4)
In the middle of the line turn by the right hand ¾ to make one wave across the center (4), balance (4)
Two center ladies turn by the left hand halfway and re-form the wave (4), balance (4)
Turn by the right hand ¾ to waves at the sides (4), balance (4)
Turn by the left hand ¾ to waves at the heads (4), balance (4)
Gents turn by the right hand ¾ to make one wave of gentlemen through the center (4), and balance (4)
All walk forward to your corner and allemande left (~6)
Come back and swing your partner (~10)
Promenade (16)
Ending
Face your corner and you allemande left (8); do-si-do your partner (8)
Gentlemen left-hand star (8); allemande right with your partner 1½ (8)
Four ladies star left in the middle (8); do-si-do partner (8)
Allemande left your corner (4); swing partner (~8); thank your partner, that’s all (~4)
Sequence: Intro; figure as above; figure starting with sides; ending. You can also add a break and repeat the figure for heads and for sides.
To “pass the ocean,” two facing couples begin to pass through, ladies catch each other’s left hand and gents walk all the way across and take right hands with the lady you started with, thus forming an “ocean wave” (or “wavy line-of-4”: a line of dancers facing in alternate directions).
Two variations suggested by Ron:
On the third and fourth time through, you can go straight into the grand right and left from the corner allemande left without the partner swing. It is also possible to vary the first segment of the figure as long as it ends in the gent’s home place with the original corner as your partner.
Subjects: Northern / Prompt & Patter
Tags: Four Square, Nils Fredland, Old New England, Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, Ron Buchanan
Citation
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
Description
The dance was choreographed by Ron Buchanan. In his introduction to the dance, Nils Fredland commented, "He has a mind like few other choreographers out there. I feel like this captures some of the interest and complexity of the modern square movement. it's phrased, which appeals to contra dancers."
Complete instructions for the dance, as notated by printed in the Syllabus of the 2013 Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend (page 13), edited by David Smukler:
Intro
Bow to your partner, bow to your corner (~12); face your corner and you allemande left (~4)
Do-si-do your partner (8); all four gentlemen into the middle and left-hand star (8)
Allemande right with your partner 1½ (8); four ladies star left in the middle (8)
Back to your partner and swing, square your sets (16)
Figure
Circle to the left (8)
And back to right, gents roll partner from right hand to left (8)
Swing the next, end by squaring your set in the gent’s home place (16)
Head couples pass the ocean (see note) to make a wavy line down the center of the square (4), and balance the wave (4)
Turn by the right hand ¾ and join hands with those on the sides to make wavy lines at the head and foot (4), balance (4)
Turn by the left hand ¾ to make wavy lines at the sides (4), balance (4)
In the middle of the line turn by the right hand ¾ to make one wave across the center (4), balance (4)
Two center ladies turn by the left hand halfway and re-form the wave (4), balance (4)
Turn by the right hand ¾ to waves at the sides (4), balance (4)
Turn by the left hand ¾ to waves at the heads (4), balance (4)
Gents turn by the right hand ¾ to make one wave of gentlemen through the center (4), and balance (4)
All walk forward to your corner and allemande left (~6)
Come back and swing your partner (~10)
Promenade (16)
Ending
Face your corner and you allemande left (8); do-si-do your partner (8)
Gentlemen left-hand star (8); allemande right with your partner 1½ (8)
Four ladies star left in the middle (8); do-si-do partner (8)
Allemande left your corner (4); swing partner (~8); thank your partner, that’s all (~4)
Sequence: Intro; figure as above; figure starting with sides; ending. You can also add a break and repeat the figure for heads and for sides.
To “pass the ocean,” two facing couples begin to pass through, ladies catch each other’s left hand and gents walk all the way across and take right hands with the lady you started with, thus forming an “ocean wave” (or “wavy line-of-4”: a line of dancers facing in alternate directions).
Two variations suggested by Ron:
On the third and fourth time through, you can go straight into the grand right and left from the corner allemande left without the partner swing. It is also possible to vary the first segment of the figure as long as it ends in the gent’s home place with the original corner as your partner.