The first and third of these are just what the title suggests – imaginary dances with particular characteristics that imply certain physical behaviors.  The middle one, “Longing” is more of an emotional/mental dance implying a different kind of movement.

The forebear of “The Shmagoon” is the tango: sultry, invasive, dangerous, and hot. Besides invasive, it also has evasive, flirtatious, and insistent elements.

“Longing,” unlike the other two dances, is dead-serious, full of memory and pungent reflection.  It has a middle section that is less somber, bordering on the playful, but with interruptions that return us to the essential motif of longing.

“The Poit” is all play –– darting, feinting, tripping.  It also has moments of strutting and mockery, but is mainly good-natured fun among friends.  The first pair of notes in the violin part recall the central gesture of “The Shmagoon.”