I wrote this Contra for the 50th anniversary of the Sidmouth folk festival in 2004. They asked for submissions of dances and having never written a dance before I thought I had nothing to lose. Contras have been growing in popularity at sidmouth thanks to amzing callers such as John Meachan and Cis Hinkle and bands Fiddling aAound and Rodney Miller's Airdance and I think it will be an important part of the jigsaw of folk dance is going to continue for another 50 years.

The moves are supposed to be inspired by waves and swirling sea water and it was very important to me to end with a swing since it alway feels slightly odd to end with pretty much anything else.

The name is a riff on the popular contra Devil's Dream and the fact the festival is in Devon.

Devon Dream
Longways Improper contra

A1	1/2 ladies chain up and down the set
	3/4 promenade with neighbour to end on sidelines in progressed places
A2	Ladies cross right to start whole reel for 4
B1	Ladies in to make ocean wave down centre of the set, Balance
	Ladies stay still, Men in to make woven waves, All balance
B2	All swing, end facing up and down

Comments
My local Folk Club has nicknamed this dance Devon nightmare but I don't think it should prove any real problem for a contra Dancer. The similarity of the name with Devil's dream is starting to feel like a liability since the difference is only relaly noticeable when it is written down.

Since the woven waves figure seems to prevent the sets spreading out, the swing is quite friendly. I don't consider this is a problem since it encourages you to get closer to your partner but I think the dance can be re-written fairly easily to eliminate the squash.

Dreaming of Devon
Longways Becket contra

A1	1/2 ladies chain across the set
	1/2 promenade with neighbour to end on sidelines
A2	Ladies cross right to start whole reel for 4
B1	Ladies in to make ocean wave down centre of the set, Balance
	Ladies stay still, Men in to make woven waves, All balance
B2	in new fours, gypsy star 3/4 Men going backwards, to progressed places
	All swing, end facing up and down

I haven't tried out the new version apart from on paper.

If you do try and call either version could you email me to let me know what worked/didn't work,