Heymania

By Ron Buchanan

Levelhard (assigned by the editor)
TypeSquare-Keeper, H S H S
FormationSquare
(4,8,4) Head partners balance, dosido and allemande right until the gents are in the center (approx. once), don't let go
(4) Head gents take left hands to form a wave of four and balance
(16) Hey, head gents pass left shoulders to start
(12) Partners swing (at home)
(4,8,4) Corners balance, dosido and allemande right any amount, don't let go
(4) Make waves of four at the heads (anyone in the middle)
(16) Hey for four, centers passing left shoulders to start
(12) Corners swing
(4,8,4) New corners (original opposites) balance, dosido and allemande right until gents are in the center (nearly once), don't let go
(4) All four gents take left hands across to form crossing waves of four
(16) Grand hey, gents passing left shoulders to start
(12) Swing that one (original opposite)
(8) New corners dosido
(8) Those two allemande right 1 1/2 "keep it tight"
(8) Wrong-way weave the ring, passing original partner by left to start

Author's Notes:
This dance requires a marathon teaching session, so reserve it for a workshop at a dance camp or a similar venue.
To teach the grand hey, walk it through three times. First walk it slowly using hands (left-hand star 1/2 in the middle, allemande right 1/2...). Next walk it through slowly without hands. Finally walk through it up to speed without hands.
Walk the whole dance through twice, first for the heads, then for the sides. The second time omit the simple heys for four (e.g. just say "pshht; you heyed"). When you get to the grand hey the second time note that everybody is right where they were the first time (whew!), then walk it through to cement it.
Kathy Anderson suggests using a chorus that involves one's right-hand lady (there is no interaction, otherwise). Ron suggests using a simple chorus to give the dancers a rest.

Editor's Notes:
The moves are divided to clarify the sequence rather than to match the music.
Needless to say, this is a difficult dance to put into writing. So far to our knowledge nobody has taught or called this dance to this particular sets of notes. We hope the information is complete enough to make this possible and we encourage you to try. The editor and author would be grateful for any suggestions you think would be helpful for others.
Collected from Ron Buchanan January, 1997.

This dance is from American Country Dances On Line
All rights reserved by the author; used by permission.
Added to database 3/9/1997; last revised 3/5/1999; edited by Russell Owen