Western Trio Mixer

WESTERN TRIO MIXER
American

PRONUNCIATION: WEHS-tern TREE-oh MIK-ser

TRANSLATION: Western Trio Mixer

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Vyts Beliajus who taught this version (called the Kentucky version), which he learned from Mary Ann Herman, at the 1960 Stockton Folk Dance Camp and in 1963 in Kentucky. A similar dance by the same name was introduced by Jane Farwell, although the original dance, Minnesota Three-H, was described in Swinging Threes, a 1960's book from the Agricultural Extension Service (University of Minnesota) by Edmund "Luke" Lukaszewski.

BACKGROUND: This dance is sometimes done "north of the border" as an alternate dance to a popular French-Canadian party song called "La Bastringue." According to Dale Hyde, a Canadian folk dance teacher, responding to a query by Ron Houston, "You mention that Dick Oakes made a comment about the dance being done on this side of the border to the music of "La Bastringue." It makes me think of an incident that happened when Dick taught at Ontario Folk Dance Camp in 1976. Those were the days when we still had to carry all the records with us to camp. At the party one night, the dance was requested and I had the 78 rpm recording for "Glise a Sherbrooke" ready to put on the turntable when someone asked me a question. I turned to answer it and 'Wham', that was the end of that recording as I hit it against the Bogen record player. In a bit of a panic I reached for anything that would work and it happened to be the recording of "La Bastringue." Not intentional but just a quick decision to keep the dancing going! For the next few camps we used that music again but then finally got the 78 rpm replaced with a recording on 45 rpm! It makes us appreciate having our music on computer now -- a lot lighter to carry!"

MUSIC: Festival Records (7"EP) F 801b-1;
Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH 2004b;
Bowery (45rpm) BF-208

FORMATION: Trios, M between two W, facing CCW around dance area, W inside hands joined with M and held up in "W" pos at shldr height, free hands down at sides.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: BUZZ-STEP TURN: In Closed dance pos (ptrs facing each other, W R hand in M L hand and held at shldr height with bent elbows, M R hand around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr), step R next to and outside of ptrs R (ct 1); step on ball of L fwd and around ptr (ct &). Repeat.
The dance is smooth but lively.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

Wait until beg of musical phrase.

I. PROMENADE

1-8 Trios walk fwd 16 steps, beg R, CCW in LOD.

II. CIRCLE AND BUZZ

1 Step R,L as M raise L hand to make an arch with W on his L and, leading that W across in front of himself, sends W on his R under the arch twd ctr of cir (cts 1,2);

2-7 M and W (who was on his L) do Buzz-Step Turn as the other W (who was on his R) joins hands low in "V" pos with other W in inside cir and walk CW to L in RLOD;

8 As cpls open up to face LOD with W on M R, the W in the inside cir release hands and try to find an outside cpl with which to form a trio.

NOTE: After a few steps, a M with no second W might raise his L hand to attract the attention of a W without a ptr.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

WESTERN TRIO MIXER American

PRONUNCIATION:	WEHS-tern TREE-oh MIK-ser

TRANSLATION:	Western Trio Mixer

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Vyts Beliajus who taught this version (called the Kentucky version), which he learned from Mary Ann Herman, at the 1960 Stockton Folk Dance Camp and in 1963 in Kentucky. A similar dance by the same name was introduced by Jane Farwell, although the original dance, Minnesota Three-H, was described in Swinging Threes, a 1960's book from the Agricultural Extension Service (University of Minnesota) by Edmund "Luke" Lukaszewski.

BACKGROUND:	This dance is sometimes done "north of the border" as an alternate dance to a popular French-Canadian party song called "La Bastringue." According to Dale Hyde, a Canadian folk dance teacher, responding to a query by Ron Houston, "You mention that Dick Oakes made a comment about the dance being done on this side of the border to the music of "La Bastringue." It makes me think of an incident that happened when Dick taught at Ontario Folk Dance Camp in 1976. Those were the days when we still had to carry all the records with us to camp. At the party one night, the dance was requested and I had the 78 rpm recording for "Glise a Sherbrooke" ready to put on the turntable when someone asked me a question. I turned to answer it and 'Wham', that was the end of that recording as I hit it against the Bogen record player. In a bit of a panic I reached for anything that would work and it happened to be the recording of "La Bastringue." Not intentional but just a quick decision to keep the dancing going! For the next few camps we used that music again but then finally got the 78 rpm replaced with a recording on 45 rpm! It makes us appreciate having our music on computer now -- a lot lighter to carry!"

MUSIC:	Festival Records (7"EP) F 801b-1; Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH 2004b; Bowery (45rpm) BF-208

FORMATION:	Trios, M between two W, facing CCW around dance area, W inside hands joined with M and held up in "W" pos at shldr height, free hands down at sides.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	BUZZ-STEP TURN: In Closed dance pos (ptrs facing each other, W R hand in M L hand and held at shldr height with bent elbows, M R hand around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr), step R next to and outside of ptrs R (ct 1); step on ball of L fwd and around ptr (ct &). Repeat. The dance is smooth but lively.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	Wait until beg of musical phrase.

I.	PROMENADE

1-8	Trios walk fwd 16 steps, beg R, CCW in LOD.

II.	CIRCLE AND BUZZ

1	Step R,L as M raise L hand to make an arch with W on his L and, leading that W across in front of himself, sends W on his R under the arch twd ctr of cir (cts 1,2);
2-7	M and W (who was on his L) do Buzz-Step Turn as the other W (who was on his R) joins hands low in "V" pos with other W in inside cir and walk CW to L in RLOD;
8	As cpls open up to face LOD with W on M R, the W in the inside cir release hands and try to find an outside cpl with which to form a trio.

	NOTE: After a few steps, a M with no second W might raise his L hand to attract the attention of a W without a ptr.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes