Devil's Dream
Use the same tune, Devil's Dream, if possible
Duple improper

A1	All the 1's go down the center and back while all the 2's come up the outside and back; meet with a "handy hand" and turn half way
A2	Now the 1's go down the outside and back while the 2's come up the center and back; meet with a left hand and turn enough to send the ladies to the center
B1	Ladies chain over and back
B2	Half promenade Half right and left through

The "handy hand" in A1 is a right hand for the first gent and second lady, and a left hand for the first lady and second gent. Be sure the dancers know that the handy hand turn is just halfway round. It helps to realize that couple #1 always starts by going down and couple #2 by going up.

The tune Devil's Dream is a classic in its own right, and lends its buoyant energy to the dance. The dance Devil's Dream is unusual among chestnuts because everyone is in motion throughout, which gives the dance a somewhat modern feel. In a crowded hall all the line movement creates a kaleidoscopic feeling.

At the end of A2 notice the surprising left hand turn for half of the dancers (#2 gents and #1 ladies). Done well, it can be a bit like a good comedian's punch line - all the more satisfying for being somewhat unanticipated. Although you needn't do this literally, imagine it as a feint with the right hand, and then a (wink and a) switch to the left. In any case, gent #2 can be a hero if he anticipates the moment, drops his partner's hand to free up his left hand, and, without hesitation, bears right to surge into that left hand turn with his neighbor. (Note that the left-hand turn must also go farther around for these two dancers than it does for their partners.) If gent #2 is prompt enough, the ladies are repaid with a moment of strong satisfaction as they meet on the beat for the beginning of the chain. If the opportunity is missed occasionally, however, it doesn't harm the dance as a whole, because the timing of the chain is more than forgiving enough to allow for catching up.

Do we dare point out the absence of a swing? Try the dance anyway! You will see that, in fact, it allows for wonderful partner interaction, both for the couple in the center and those on the outside. This is because throughout all the movement in the A-parts your partner is your anchor. The neighbors flying by will feel like "scenery," but your partner remains a constant.

Apparently, Devil's Dream has become a favorite at dances in England, and is still often the last dance of the evening there. In the 1960s Ralph Page wrote, "I'd completely forgotten about the nice old-timer until I saw and danced it to Keith Uttley's calling at a weekend in Cliftonville, England. You have to go thousands of miles to rediscover one of your own New England traditional dances! That ought to prove something!" (Northern Junket, Vol. 8 #10, p.33)