Agitator

{1966}

Introduction

Agitator is an easy walking mixer described by Fran Riel and Buleah Davis in their 1966 book Happy Dancing, Handbook of Dance Mixers.

The Position

Lines of three holding inside hands, all facing LOD.

The Dance

Part I - Promenade (2 bars): Walk forward steps forward (1, 2, 3, 4), then step forward (5), tap behind (6), step forward (7), tap behind (8).

Part II - Agitate (2 bars): The outside person goes through an arch formed by the center person and inside persons raised hands, as the outside person walks forward across LOD to the outside, and the center person turns halfway counterclockwise in place (1, 2, 3, 4). Now everyone is facing against LOD. Repeat to return to original orientation (5, 6, 7, 8), noting that the original inside person now does the outside person's part, and vice versa.

Part III - Promenade Again (2 bars): Repeat Part I (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Part IV - Change Partners (2 bars): The outside person and inside person both turn in and walk forward under the arches formed by their own hands and the center person's to meet a new partner, as the center person takes four steps in place, then four steps forward to meet new partners.

Repeat from the beginning.

The Music

The recommended music is "Devil's Dream," or "any good hoedown."

Sources

• Fran Riel, Buleah Davis. (1966). Happy Dancing, Handbook of Dance Mixers. Minneapolis.

© 2019 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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