Countercurrents

Tune: Joy by Jeff Bigler (2008; revised 2022) Set: 6 dancers; 28 ¼“(medium) sticks; skipping (single steps) Source: Red Herring / Jeff Bigler, Laura Bigler, Jon Pfeffer and Rex Powell (2017; revised 2022) Chorus: middles (#3 and #4) dance clockwise, clashing with stationary dancers on the downbeats of bars 1, 3, 5, and 7 as they pass. Everyone else starts with #1 clashing with #3, #6 clashing with #4, and #2 and #5 tossing diagonally across the set. Then the inner 4 dancers rotate one person to the left and clash forehand-backhand-forehand, then rotate left again and clash outwards or toss. Continue the pattern. Figures: grand right & left on, , , ,

Detailed Description

This dance was initially written and attempted in 2017. The original dance used a tune with 8-bar phrases, and the triangles went through two of the three processions, with dancers ending each figure in a different position from where they started. This proved too challenging, so the dance was rewritten in 2022, and additional bars were added to the tune to accommodate the need for 12-bar phrases.

Chorus

Summary: The chorus is the figure “Solar System”:

Solar System

Beat 1: Dancers clash as they pass by the right shoulder. The clash defines which direction they travel around the circle and how far out. Beat 2: Dancers continue around in their orbit. Beat 3: Dancers clash as they pass, ¼ of the way around the circle (90°) from their starting point. Beat 4: Dancers continue. Beat 5: Dancers clash as they pass, ½ way around the circle (180°) from their starting point. Beat 6: Dancers continue. Beat 7: Dancers clash as they pass, ¾ of the way around the circle (270°) from their starting point. Beat 8: Dancers continue.

Repeat on beats 9-16.

Dance Sequence

Dancers start from the audience in their separate triangles. They dance on to the first six bars of the 1½-length (12-bar) tune, with the first triangle dancing counterclockwise and the second triangle dancing clockwise. The last 6 bars (12 beats) of the tune are a standard grand right & left figure.

Grand Right & Left

The figure starts with #1, #4 and #5 facing counter-clockwise, and #2, #3 and #6 facing clockwise. This means the figure starts with #1 facing #3, #2 facing #4, and #5 facing #6. The dancers dance around the circle, clashing on the odd-numbered beats. Beats 1-2: Dancers pass right shoulders with a clash (beat 1) and continue to the next person. Beats 3-4: Dancers clash (beat 3) and pass the next dancer by the left shoulder and continue. Beats 5-12: Continue passing alternate shoulders, with clashes on the odd-numbered beats.

[Chorus]

Hexagonal Bombast (or "Hex Bomb")

The full name of this figure should be “Bidirectional Hexagonal Bombast”. It is a 1½-length figure that requires 12 bars of music.

Bars 1-4: The first triangle are the “sliders.” They dance counterclockwise to the next position within their triangle.

The second triangle are the “hookers.” They hook clockwise around each other, passing right shoulders with a “basket” clash on beat 3 (the downbeat of bar 2) as they move through the center, advancing two open places within their triangle.

Bars 5-8: Repeat, with second triangles sliding counterclockwise and first triangles hooking clockwise.

Bars 9-12: Repeat, with first triangles sliding and second triangles hooking.

At the end of the figure, the dancers are in back in their home positions.

[Chorus]

Staggered Starburst

This a 1½-length figure that requires 12 bars of music. All dancers start facing into the center.

Bars 1-4: First triangle dance in on beats 1-2, jump up in the air with sticks held high and shouting “Ho!” on beat 3 (turning 60º to land on the “and” after beat 3, and turning another 60º on beat 4). Dancers are now in the next position around the first triangle.

Meanwhile, second triangle back up on beats 1-4, then come in on beats 5-6, jump up in the air with their sticks held high on beat 7 (turning 60º to land on the “and” after beat 7, and turning another 60º on beat 8). Dancers are now in the next position around the second triangle.

Repeat on bars 5-8 with first triangles backing up and second triangles coming in.

Repeat on bars 9-12 with first triangles backing up and second triangles coming in.

At the end of the figure, dancers are back in their home positions.

[Chorus]

Through & Throw

This a 1½-length figure that requires 12 bars of music. Dancers start facing into the center.

Bars 1-2: The “first triangle” (dancers #1, #4 and #5) dance clockwise to the next first-triangle position, with all three dancers clashing with each other in the center on the second half of bar #1 as they pass through. Meanwhile, the “second triangle” (dancers #2, #3 and #6) toss counter-clockwise (also on the second half of bar #1) around their triangle.

Bars 3-4: Repeat, with first triangle tossing and second triangle dancing through.

Repeat bars 1-4 twice for bars 5-8 & bars 9-12.

At the end of the figure, dancers are back in their home positions.

[Chorus]

Triangles Off

Bars 1-2: The first triangle (dancers #1, #4 and #5) dance into the center and dance clockwise in a tight circle. Bars 3-4: The second triangle (dancers #2, #3 and #6) dance into the center and join the tight circle. Bars 5-6: First triangle dancers exit and dance off. Bars 7-8: Second triangle dancers exit and dance off.

Tune