By: Charlie Watkins
Formation: Square
Music: 32 bar reel (suggested: March of St Timothy)
A1 Men left-hand
star* across the set, right-hand turn your opposite (8)
Alemand
left your corner (4)
Gypsy
right partner (the
one you've just right-hand turned) (4)
A2 Melt down to a swing (16)
B1 Heads right &
left through (8)
Sides right
& left through (8)
B2 Ladies star ¾
(12)
Short swing (4)
*
In the original dance this was a man's chain, but after a suggestion by
Geoff Cubitt the chain courtesy turn was changed to a right-hand turn
to improve the flow and timing.
Man's chain: Man
approaches lady with his right hand extended, left hand behind his back.
Lady takes his right hand in her right hand and his left hand in her
left hand for the courtesy turn. He finishes on her left side as usual.
This dance was inspired by an association of ideas: In 1818 Sir William Cubitt
invented the treadmill as a form of penal punishment. Square dances put
you back where you started, making all that walking around seem rather pointless. However,
dancing is a lot more fun than walking on a treadmill! Having danced many times
with Geoff Cubitt calling, I thought 'Cubitt's Treadmill' would be a good name
for a dance.
A dance name with no dance ... the dance was finally written in April 2015 during
the American Contra and Squares week at Halsway Manor as an entry to a dance
writing competition. It was called for the first time by Geoff Cubitt with music
by the English Contra Dance Band. Oh, and it won the competition which had six
entries.
By: Charlie Watkins
Formation: Square
Music: 32 bar reel (suggested: March of St Timothy)
A1 Ladies
RH star across the
set, LH turn opposite (8)
Alemand right your corner
(4)
Gypsy right partner (that you've just left-hand
turned with) (4)
A2 Melt down to a swing (16)
B1 Men
left-hand star ¾ (12)
Allemande right once around (4)
B2 Heads
right & left through (8)
Sides right & left
through (8)
Men move clockwise around the square
(Under development, yet to be called)
By: Charlie Watkins
Formation: Square
Music: 32 bar reel (suggested: March of St Timothy)
A1
Heads forward & back,
roll away (men now on
right) (4)
Sides
forward & back, roll away (men
now on right) (4)
Men RH star chain
across, courtesy turn a little bit further (8)
A2 Alemand
right your corner (4)
Melt down to a swing (the
one you've just chained with) (12)
B1
Heads right & left through (8)
Sides right & left
through (8)
B2
Ladies right-hand star ¾ (12)
Short swing (4)
By: Charlie Watkins
Formation: Circle
Music: 32 bar reel
A1 Circle left, circle right
A2 Into the middle and out x2 (second time women stay in and face out)
B1 Do-si-do partner, right-hand turn partner 1¼ to meet new partner
B2 Gypsy and swing
(Men travel anti-clockwise, women travel clockwise)
A1 Long lines go forward and back
Two
men allemande right 1½ (then flow into the hey)
A2 Hey for four. Men start by passing left shoulder with partner
B1 Balance & swing partner
B2 Circle
left ¾
Swing
neighbour (then flow into long lines forward & back)
A1 Holding hands in long lines - forward and back
Ladies chain across with twirl into promenade hold
A2 Double mad robin - left hand couple going inside first
Two-hand turn the person you are moving with in the mad robin
B1 In fours, at each end of the set, circle left ¾
Swing your original partner (in the line)
B2 Circle eight ½ way
Balance forward & back then california twirl to face new line
Written by the dance composition group, Midweek Contra May 2012 at Halsway Manor with Jim Kitch, Ros Batchelor, Ilfra Carlick, Al Green, Derek Gregory, Beryl Jukes, John Portlock, Pat Watkins, Charlie Watkins, John Watson and Norma Watson.
Called at Chippenham Folk Festival 2013 by Sue Rosen. Click here to see it on youtube.