Silver Anniversary Reel

by Jim Kitch

Is it possible to imprint on a dance? Are one's first dances destined to be first loves? That's quite possible here.

I learned to dance at Glenside, Philadelphia, with lots of open caller nights. Jim Kitch would often choose this or "Alternating Corners," as they were (and are) classics. It's one of the earliest dances that stood out for me as a dancer.

One of the neat tricks of this dance is that you can maintain eye contact with your partner for the first three-quarters of the dance. (Actually, I'd argue you can keep it for the first half of the B2 as well.) The first three quarters flows wonderfully, with a very nice B2/A1 transition. But.

But I'm still uneasy about the B2. It's got a piece count of four, plus a move that often feels like a clunky hack -- the pass through to a wave and a random balance. It all feels out of place, even though it delivers you on the correct vector and facing for the next A1. But despite all this, the rest of the dance still remains a favorite.

Instructions for this dance can be found in "Give and Take."
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