Location: Atlantis, Spiky Tower
Depth: 392

Solution to Lead Right

Author: Veronica Boyce Videographer: Kevin Chen Dancers: Victor Lopez, Lisa Zahray, Jason Lynch, Molly Kosiarek, Adam Kalinich, Asya Bergal, James Rowan, Shi-Ke Xue

Answer: GRAPHITE

The first step is to identify the square dance calls, either from memory or using something like Taminations.

In order, the calls were the following:

The next step is to postpend each square dance call with the text it was subtitled with. This results in a set of crypic clues. Solving them yields the following.

SolutionClueConstruction
INVEST Heads star thru after broken vein deposit (6) INVE+ST (VEIN anag.)
NATURAL Centers turn thru into birth familiar (7) NAT(UR)AL
TWIRLS Right and left thru into disarrayed wits and pivots (6) TWI(RL)S (WITS anag.)
OOZE Pass thru hidden back in one zoologist (4) reverse cleartext
DRIVE Chase right into saloon (5) D(R)IVE
EPISTLE Peel off surrounding unstarted list and letter (7) EP((l)IST)LE (PEEL anag.)
RENOUNCE Cast off 3/4 rent before unit (8) REN(t)+OUNCE
ADORE Dosado research containing love (5) cleartext
NEURON U turn back nor after neon brain cell (6) NE+U+RON (NOR reversed)
GODSEND Ends cross run into hot dog windfall (7) GO(DSEN)D (ENDS anag., DOG anag. )
EARMARK Tag the line after sense organ (7) EAR+MARK
DIAL Face in cordialness (4) cleartext
PARKING Load the boat into echo request positioning (7) P(ARK)ING
INSTEP Left touch 1/2 insane preceding top of foot (6) INS(ane)+TEP (PET rev.)
GARBAGE Circulate a beggar for trash (7) ABEGGAR anag.
HEARTACHE Spin chain the gears without gins or chest pain (9) anag. of (CHAINTHEGEARS-GINS)
ALOOF Allemande left of beginnings of remote (5) ALO+OF
THREADING Weave the ring around modern era lacing (9) THRE(AD)ING (anag. THERING)
ESPLANADE Promenade asleep and jumbled (9) ASLEEPAND anag.

Reading the first letters of the answers in order, one gets INTO DERANGED PIG HATE. Recognizing that the title “Lead Right” is a square dance call, you repeat the process of postpending and solving the cryptic. The clue is “Lead right into deranged pig hate” which clues the answer, GRAPHITE. (G(R)APHITE anag. PIGHATE).