Dances by Lynne Render

Covid Contra

Lynne worked with Mark Elvins to create Covid Contra - one of the very early "lockdown dances".

Lynne's Lockdown Contras

A growing collection of contras specifically written for one or two people dancing in isolation. It will be interesting to see how they work when we are able to dance in sets again!

Lynne's Lockdown Contras (PDF file).

The dances are named "Lynne's Lockdown #1", "Lynne's Lockdown #2" and so on, in the style of the Ted's Triplet series. The first few were written for the July 2020 London Barndance online event, with more being added for the Whitby Online Festival in August.

Lynne’s Lockdown Levi

Formation: Couple dance or single person with a soft toy as partner.

Choose a position in the normal Levi Jackson set (5 couple dance with 4 couples in Becket formation and spare couple at the top of the set facing down). Dance as a side couple for 4 times and a head for 1 – your choice as to where you start in the set. Stand next to your partner in your chosen position in the set.

Music: Levi Jackson Rag

Dancing as side couple

A1 Old style right and left through across set and back – i.e. Pass through across set, give nearest hands and wheel turn round Pass through across set, give nearest hands and wheel turn round

A2 2H turn ptn (clockwise) Dosido ptn

B1 ‘Everybody chain’ Face ptn and pull by RH and loop left Face ptn and pull by RH and loop left

B2 Take ptn in promenade hold and promenade 1 place round the set Set R+L to ptn and swing

Dancing as head couple

A1 Holding inside hands with ptn facing down the room Balance away and together and lead half way down the set Balance away and together and lead down to bottom of the set

A2 Cast away from ptn back up to the top of the set Dosido ptn

B1 ‘Everybody chain’ Face ptn and pull by RH and loop left Face ptn and pull by RH and loop left

B2 Take ptn in promenade hold and promenade 1 place round the set Set R+L to ptn and swing

Lynne’s Lockdown #8 – Ragtime Ricochet

Written Feb 2021 to go with Cincinnati Rag for the London Barndance March video project.

Dance for 2 people at home

32 bar rag

Start facing the camera (up the room) as a couple

A1 Forward and back to camera, 2 Hand turn partner Clockwise

A2 Petronella for 2, Petronella for 2

B1 Dosido Partner, Swing Partner and face camera (up)

B2 Ricochet hey off the camera: Man ricochet, lady ricochet, man ricochet, lady ricochet

N.B. Petronella for 2 just means that you take both hands with your partner, balance towards and away and then let go hands and spin one place right and take hands again. You have rotated through 90 degrees.

Changes when done as a normal dance

Longways Becket

A1 Lines Forward and back – moving diagonally left going forward and back straight to progress one place
Circle left with new opposite couple

A2 Petronella, Petronella

B1 Dosido Opposite, Swing Partner and face across

B2 Ricochet hey to get back to original side: Men ricochet, ladies cross, men cross, ladies ricochet