Murry 21

Source: Composed by John Sweeney
Formation: Square

Figure
A1 Heads* Gallop In WHILE Sides* Gallop Out (4) (Men pass back to back each way)
Heads* Gallop Out WHILE Sides* Gallop In (4)
Repeat in reverse (8) (So Heads go In 4, Out 8, In 4; Sides go Out 4, In 8, Out 4)
A2 Set to Partner (4); Gypsy around Partner (4)
Set to Corner (4); Gypsy around Corner (4) - Ladies flow into:
B1/2 Grand Hey: Heads & Sides simultaneously Hey for Four with hands - Ladies Start Right Shoulder
Partner Allemande Left to Place

Break
A1/2 Circle Left; Circle Right; Up a Double & Back (Into the Middle)
Partner Two Hand Turn
B1/2 Grand Square

Music:
7 x 32 bars. Murry doesn't have a tune listed. I use Saint Martins or Black & Grey, but any suitable tune will do.

Notes:
There are lots of great figures in the 17th century Square Dances. But the usual format is three different figures with three different choruses, This means that it can take a long time to teach a single dance. The modern style of doing one Figure and one Break in the format BFFBFFB means that you spend far less time teaching and far more time dancing. So I have taken some of the figures I like and cast them into a 21st century format.

The * indicates a call that changes each time through the figure.

The main figure is taken from Murry, but I have doubled the first move, decided that the ladies do get to move in the Set & Gypsy, and that it fits the music better if you do the two Heys at the same time. Having updated it for the 21st century, I called this version Murry 21.

For the Grand Hey, the four ladies put their right hands in to form a star, turn it a little, then reach out to pull their opposite in with the left hand, the men come into the middle making a right-hand star and so on.

Any 32 bar break can be used, preferably using moves from the 17th century. The Grand Square is from Old Hunsdon House (c. 1648), but with a reverse as well, as is common today.

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Contrafusion