Download this dance

Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight

Formation: Square
Difficulty:  3
Style:  English

Break:
Allemande left with the lady on your left.
Allemande right with the lady on your right.
Allemande left with the lady on your left,
And it's grand right and left round the square.
You meet your partner with a do-si-do.
You swing her round; you swing her high and low, and then you
Promenade home with the sweetest girl you know - there'll be a
Hot time in the old town tonight.
Figure:
The first couple lead-to-the-right and circle four hands round.
Pick up two more, and circle six hands round.
Collect all eight, and circle till you're straight - there'll be a
Hot time in the old town tonight.

Colin says   It's a singing square, so if you don't have a decent singing voice don't call it!  Break and Figure use the same tune, twice through, so if you start and finish with the Break it will be 18 times through the tune.  The band don't want to hear that: they just want you to stop them at the end.

I think most of the dance is clear from the call, but you may need to explain that in the break you pass your partner by after the allemande left with your corner and again after the allemande right with your right-hand lady / left-hand man.

In the figure you may need to explain that after the first circle the first man lets go with his left hand to pick up the threes, and then to pick up the fours.  If you think he might pick them up in the wrong sequence you can sing "Pick up the twos" instead of "Pick up two more", but of course you have to change this each time through!

There's a link to Ted Sannella singing it.  He's doing it as a patter call for the first couple just to make sure everybody understands the call.  For the second couple it's mainly singing, and for the third and fourth couples it's singing all the way.

Music:  You can change the key if G doesn't suit your voice, so try singing to it.
Thumbnail:  Allemande, grand chain, do-si-do, promenade, swing, pick-up circle.