The Anniversary Two-Step is a Two-Step mixer described by Charles Crathorn in 1963.
Facing each other with no hands, Lead facing outside wall.
Part I - Back and Forward (4 bars): Walk back away from partner three steps and close (1, 2, 3, 4), then walk forward three steps to the right and close (5, 6, 7, 8), offering left hand to partner, and right hand to the dancer to your right, forming a circular wave, Leads facing out, Follows facing in.
Part II - Pas de Basque and Turn (4 bars): Pas de basque? to left and right (Follows right and left), moving the whole circle counterclockwise and clockwise (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then left hand turn your partner, walking forward around them four steps, changing places, and offer right hand to new dancer to your right, forming a circular wave, Leads facing in, Follows facing out.
Part III - Pas de Basque and Turn (4 bars): Pas de basque to left and right (Follows right and left), moving the whole circle clockwise and counterclockwise (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then right hand turn the dancer to your right, and approach the next dancer coming at you (5, 6, 7, 8), taking closed position.
Part IV - Two-Step* (4 bars): Two full turns of two-step.?
Repeat from the beginning.
* Crathorn's description has a side, close, side, close along LOD and then a single two-step, but the living tradition is four bars of two-step.
"Blaze Away" by Abe Holzmann.
© 2018 Nick Enge
For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.
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