Dances I Have Written

I have written over 100 dances and these are listed in the searchable table below. Some of these have been published in 2 books: Country Bumpkin and Rhonda's Romance. In due course these books will be available for sale directly from this website. Currently they are available at $8 each from the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) Store. They are:

Country Bumpkin Booklet Of Dances28 new English dances of diverse formations, including 7 mixers by Michael Barraclough Rhonda's Romance Dance Booklet21 new Contras, 1 Triplet, 1 Circle Mixer, and 2 Mescolanzes by Michael Barraclough

 

I have also 'reconstructed' many dances first published hundreds of years ago. These are listed below the table.



DanceYearFormationContraCeilidhUSA ECDUK ClubONSFamilyBook
2 MANY LIES2012improperyes      
35 4 THE ROSENS2006becketyes     RR
4 MORE YEARS2012becketyes      
5 LEAF CLOVER2012circle mixeryes  yesyes  
ABBEY, THE2004double sicillianyesyes  yes  RR
ADDINGTON TUNNEL DANCE1980L4-6    yes CB
ALL THE EIGHTS2008becketyes     RR
AMATEURS AND ACTORS2012L3  yesyes   
ANNANDALE EXCHANGE2012C3  yesyesyes  
BARBARA WOODHOUSE REEL1980L3  yesyes  CB
BAUBLES2022proper  yesyes   
BEBBINGTON BELLE1984L4 improper yesyesyes  CB
BESIDE THE RIVERSIDE2016whole set becket   yesyesyes 
BILL(Y) AND MILLY2022properyesyes
BLUE KNICKERS2000circle mixeryesyes    CB
BOB2008improperyes     RR
BOB'S BIRTHDAY2009circle mixeryesyes yesyes RR
BRIDGEGATE2015improperyes  yes   
CALIFORNIA TWIRLITZER, THE2009impropryes     RR
CATIE GETS AROUND2011becket  yesyes   
CATIE'S IN THE CLOVER2011becket  yesyes   
CATIE'S LINE DANCE2011becket  yesyes   
CATIE'S QUARTET2011two couple (becket)  yesyes   
CHAIN GANG?sicilian becket  yesyes   
CHARLIE PILZER, or CHARLIE'S IN THE MIX2012sicillian circle (3s) yes     
CONTRA SONIC2011becketyes      
COUNTRY BUMPKIN, THE1990L4-6 yesyesyesyes  
DES PLAINES REELc2001improperyes     RR
DICK SQUIRE'S JIG1982proper yes yes  CB
DIRECTOR, THE2010 improper  yesyes   
EZPZ2010improperyes  yes   
EZPZ22010improperyes  yes   
FADED HOPES2009improper  yesyes   
FARNWORTH FLING1998siciliian circle   yes  CB
FLIGHT TO FREEDOM2011scatter sicillian    yes  
FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW2016improperyes  yes   
GATE TO THE GRAVEYARD IS ONE WAY ONLY, THE2005improperyes     RR
GREEN STOCKINGSc1973circle mixer yesyesyesyes CB
GYPSY AROUND2003improperyes     RR
HAYSTACK ROUNDABOUTc1970triple circle mixer    yes CB
HEDGEHOG HELPER2013improperyes  yes   
HUGGERS WALTZ c1970couple    yes  
HUNTERS HOEDOWNc2010 longways whole set    yesyes 
HYPER-INFLATION REEL c1970improper   yes   
INSTITUTE, THE1983sicillian becket mixer yesyesyes  CB
INSTITUTU2012sicillian circle improper mixer yesyesyes   
JOAN’S PLACKET1970simproper circle mixeryesyesyes
JIM'S SQUARE2013square (3s)  yesyesyes  
JULIAN'S JOLLY1970slongways whole set    yes  
JUMP FOR JOYc1975sicillian circle   yesyes CB
JUNE APPLE2013improperyes  yes   
KENT SHORT DANCE1980L5-6 yes yesyesyesCB
KEYMER CLOMP1979L4   yes  CB
KIMBI’S A SUPERSTAR2022L3 top impriperyes
KNITTING DANCE, THEc1975L5 yes yesyes CB
LEESBURG ASSEMBLY TOO2012improper  yesyes   
LESSON, THE2009improperyes  yes   
LEYLAND CROSS2022properyesyes
LIBRARIAN AND THE CATERER, THE2022L3yesyes
LIFE IS A BOWL OF PERRIES2014becketyes      
LOOP THE LOOP2013improperyes  yes   
LOSING WEIGHT2010improperyes  yes  RR
LOVE SHACK, THE2012becketyes      
MADEIRA DREAM REVISITED2017improperyesyes
MICHAEL LEFT HIS BRAIN IN BED2003improperyes  yes  RR
MICHAEL'S TRIPLET #12005L3yes  yes  RR
MOLL IN THE WAD1970sproper yesyesyes   
MORTAL WOMBAT2009improperyes     RR
NIGHTDRESS, THE1998L4    yes CB
NOT ANOTHER BALANCE2012becketyes      
NOT GODFREY'S GALOPc1990sicillian circle yesyesyesyes CB
OLD BRUN'S BARN DANCE1981circle mixer    yes CB
OVER THE TOP SQUAREc1982square +1    yes CB
PAULA'S PIT STOP2005becketyes  yes  RR
PEEPING TOM THE NEW WAYc1970L6 yes yesyes CB
PETAL, THE1983sicillian circle  yesyesyes CB
PETRONELLA SWING #22013becketyes      
PLAZA REELc1970mescolanzes yes yes  CB
PORTSMOUTH REVIEW1980s  L5 yes yesyes  
POTLUCK #2 c2005improper yes   yes   
PYEWACKETT GALOPc1980sicillian circle yes  yesyesCB
READING ROOM RUBIES2022improperyesyes
RED ADMIRAL1975sicillian circle yes  yesyesCB
RED AND GREEN CHILLY2014improperyes  yes   
RHONDA'S ON THE RAZZLE2004improperyes     RR
RHONDA'S RESOLUTION2004imporoperyes yesyes  CB, RR
RHONDA'S RETURNING2007becketyes     RR
RHONDA'S RICHES2008improperyes     RR
RHONDA'S ROMANCE2000improperyes  yes  RR
RICHARD'S WET NOODLE2016becketyes  yes   
ROW WELL YE MARINERS1970scircle improper yesyesyesyes  
RUGGETS ROUNDABOUT1977triple circle    yes  
SELSDON PARK1981square yes yesyes CB
SHEILA'S ON THE FIDDLE1996sicillian circle  yesyes  CB
SMOOTH RIDE2008improperyes      
STOLEN FROM ERIK2005improperyes     RR
STUDIO PLUS2003improperyes     RR
SUMMER OF 96.5 c2005becketyes      
SUMMER STORM2006improperyes      
SWINGING FOR IT2013L4 + 1 yes  yes  
SYLVIA'S SAUNTERc1980circle mixer improper yes  yes CB
TRIP TO FLORENCE2010proper  yesyes   
TRIP TO SANTA BARBARA2015improper  yesyes   
URSA MAJOR2011proper  yesyes   
WAITING FOR THE VISA2007improperyes  yes  RR
WE DON'T HAVE NO SNOW SHOES HERE2014improperyes  yes   
WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AT HALSWAY2004becketyes  yes   
WHITBY CHAINS2004mescolanzesyesyes    CB, RR
WHO'S IN THE CENTER2013sicillian circle (3s)yesyes yes   
ZAG ZIG WHIRL2006improperyes     RR

Many of the dances we dance at English Country Dance Clubs (USA) or Folk Dance Clubs (UK) were originally published in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. What we do today are modern interpretations. In many cases, these interpretations differ, sometimes significantly, from how the dance might have been done originally. This is quite understandable - today's audience is very different from the original audience for whom the dance was written. What might have been very desirable then, eg doing nothing for a long time (except for having a chance to talk to one's partner unchaperoned), would be considered boring today. Sometimes, however, a 'correct' interpretation is required. Perhaps for a period ball. Perhaps in a play or a film where great attention has been payed to getting other historical details correct in the music, language, clothing, mannerisms, etc.

There are 100+ dances which were originally published in the seventeenth & eighteenth centuries which I have reconstructed as closely as I can to the way I believe that it was done when it was published. I am slowly publishing these on my website. Some of these have never been reconstructed by anyone and some are reconstructions where I disagree with what has been published elsewhere. The following is a list of the reconstructed dances published so far.

  Akeroyde's Pad  ,   Bishop, The  ,   Black Joak  ,   Black Nagg  ,   Cuckolds All Arow  ,   Excuse Me  ,   Green Stockings  ,   Lilliburlero/Lilli Burlero  ,   Moll Peatley The New Way  ,   New Bo Peep, or, Pickadilla  ,   Newcastle  ,   Nonesuch  ,   What You Please  



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