Lady Right with the Right Hand Round is a square dance described in Boyd and Dunlavy's Old Square Dances of America (1932), one of the earliest sources on modern American square dancing.
The fundamental figure of the dance is the same as the fundamental figure of the 18th/19th century La Boulangere (a French contredanse) and 20th century Shoo-Fly Swing (a Kentucky big set dance).
A square of eight dancers, Follows on the right.
Couples are numbered 1 through 4 counterclockwise around the set starting with the couple with their back to the music.
The dance starts with Boyd and Dunlavy's standard introduction:
Introduction (40 counts)
All eight balance and all eight swing,
A left allemande
And a right hand grand,
Meet your partner and
Promenade eight
Till you come straight
All eight balance and swing, in one of two ways:
1) Facing partner, back away from partner four steps, approach partner four steps, and swing eight counts (16 counts total), OR
2) Facing partner, step right, close without weight, step left, close without weight, and repeat that, then swing eight counts (16 counts total).
Then turn your corner halfway around by the left hand (8 counts), and start a grand chain with your partner, offering right hand to partner, passing by, offering left hand to the next person you meet, passing by, and offering right hand to partner halfway around the set (8 counts). Then promenade counterclockwise around the set to your home place with right hands crossed over left (8 counts), or arm in arm, with her left elbow linked to his right.
Figure (64 counts)
First lady right with right hand round,
Left hand back.
On to the next with the right hand round,
Left hand back.
On to the next with the right hand round,
Left hand back.
Seven hands round with the lady in the center,
Lady swing out and gent swing in,
Gent swings out and...
First Follow turns the second Lead by the right hand (8 counts), then her partner by the left hand (8 counts), then the third Lead by the right hand (8 counts), her partner by the left hand (8 counts), the fourth Lead by the right hand (8 counts), and her partner by the left hand (8 counts).
The first Follow stays in the center as the other seven dancers circle left around her (8 counts), then she trades places with her partner in the circle, which continues to move to the left (8 counts). At the end, the first Lead takes his own place in the set, to the left of his partner, and you repeat the introduction.
Repeat Introduction (40 counts)
Second Couple Does the Figure (64 counts)
Repeat Introduction (40 counts)
Third Couple Does the Figure (64 counts)
Repeat Introduction (40 counts)
Fourth Couple Does the Figure (64 counts)
Repeat Introduction (40 counts)
Boyd and Dunlavy recommend "Buffalo Girl," "Silver Threads Among the Gold," or "Broken Lantern," but any square dance tune will do.
© 2020 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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