Made in USA

May 2009
Duple longways, Becket formation
32 bars of 2/4
Music: Washington Post March (Sousa)

Fig. 1	A1	Neighbors in a double & back; set (to partner) & turn single.
	A2	Partners in a double & back; set (to neighbor) & turn single.
Chorus	B1	Neighbors full poussette (men push first)
	B2	All cross set, turn right & walk two steps along line, then cross set back Partners two-hand turn
Fig. 2	A1	Partners side right; set & turn single.
	A2	Neighbors side left; set & turn single.
Chorus
Fig. 3	A1	Partners arm right; set & turn single.
	A2	Neighbors arm left; set & turn single.
Chorus

Notes

This is something of a novelty dance, playing on the English Country Dance abbreviation USA (up a double, siding, arming) as well as the United States of America. It has the USA ECD elements, but also distinctively American elements such as Becket formation and the music, a Sousa march. I'd suggest dancing it near July 4th.
Becket formation is an American dance formation in which couples face couples across the longways set. It was introduced by Herb Gaudreau in the mid 1950s in a dance called the Becket reel.
In the instructions above, "neighbor" really means "opposite." It is the opposite-gender-role person in the minor set (not along the line) who is not the partner.
All figures begin with partners facing. Thus, Figure 1 begins with the opposite toward partner.
The progression is like three changes of a circular hey, but it is not the same. Everyone crosses the set by passing (or pulling by) neighbor by the right. Then everyone turns right for two steps, those on the men's line moving up and those on the ladies' line moving down. This breaks up the minor set. When crossing back to the original line, the dancer passes the new opposite.
End effects: When a couple passes out of the major set, they should cross back to their own side of the set during the progression, even though they pass no new neighbor in the process. While standing out, they should change places with partner while they stand out side by side on the same side of the set. (Couples stand out on the ladies' line at the top, men's line at the bottom.) At the end of the time standing out, the couple standing out will cross the set to their new side.
If the couple forgets to change places, they can fix it on the final two-hand turn, making it a turn halfway.

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