Baskets of Brew

Baskets of Brew is a New England Contra Dance. It was devised by Al Olsen in about 1983 and published in Zesty Contras. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. It is a double progression dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

The end effects are complex.

In a double progression triple, when there are 4 couples out at top the 2nd couple in line should start, not the first (otherwise it becomes a quadruple minor)

In an improper triple minor people at the ends should switch sides when there is only one couple out (not when there are two at that end).

In an improper double progression triple, when there are 2 couples out at top and bottom they should switch places. At the top, the original top couple should become improper, at the bottom both couples should become improper.

The basket swing has fallen out of fashion (at least in Santa Barbara): Dancers form a small circle with arms across each other's shoulders and spin round.

Here, when there are 2 couples out at top the figures are:

1s cross, 2s balance
circle left once and a half
partner allemande right once and a half
forward four and back
neighbor balance and swing
forward four and back
partner swing

Here, when there are 2 couples out at bottom the figures are:

all balance
circle left once and a half
partner allemande right once and a half
forward four and back
neighbor balance and swing
forward four and back
partner swing to proper

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.

The dance contains the following figures: hand turn (allemande), circle, swing (and probably others).

If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.

If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=BasketsOfBrew

This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.