Thursday, October 29, 2015

Dances for November 2, 2015


Video: Chased Lovers

Chased Lovers
32-bar jig for three couples in a four couple set

1-8    1st couple set then, without giving hands, cross down one place and face out in second place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4. 1st couple dance down behind 3rd couple and up between them to finish in the middle of the dance, 1st woman in front of her partner.

9-16    1st woman, followed by 1st man throughout, dances a reel of three on the diagonal with first corners. 1st couple pass 2nd man by the left to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple pull back right shoulders individually to finish in the middle of the dance, facing down, 1st man in front of his partner.

17-24    1st man, followed by 1st woman throughout, dances a reel of three on the diagonal with second corners. 1st couple pass 3rd man by the right to begin. 1st couple finish facing first corners.

25-28    1st couple and forst corners dance corners pass and turn. Corners turn with right hands in the centre. 1st couple finish facing second corners.

29-32    1st couple and second corners repeat bars 25-28. 1st couple pass partner by the right to finish in second place owne side.

Repeat having passed a couple

Devised by Tim Wilson, an IB Member living in San Francisco, California, USA

Music: Fun, flirty jigs with flight

Note: You may notice that 1st couple do not actually youch in this dance. I liked the play on words with “chased” and “chaste” and tried to incorporate both ideas. The dance was first taught to the combined class at the 2013 International Branch Weekend in Kilarney, Ireland.




Video: The Montgomeries' Rant

The Montgomeries’ Rant
Book 10 – No. 1
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8        1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, cross over and 1st woman casts up one place while 1st man casts off one place. 1st woman finishes between 2nd couple facing 2nd man with 1st man between 3rd couple facing 3rd woman. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

9 – 16    1st woman with 2nd couple and 1st man with 3rd couple dance reels of three across the set. 1st woman and 2nd man and 1st man and 3rd woman pass by the right to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple, with nearer hands joined, face 2nd woman.

17 – 24    1st couple set to 2nd woman. 1st couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 3rd man and set. 1st couple move round to face 3rd woman and set. 1st couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 2nd man and set. 1st couple finish facing second corners.

25 – 30    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. 1st couple pass second corners by the right to begin.

31 – 32    1st couple, giving right hands, cross to second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, 1749.
Original tune: Lord Eglintoune (John Riddell, c. 1766) but usually danced to Lady Montgomerie (Lord Eglintoune, 1796).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
17-24    1st woman is on her partner’s left to begin &, on bar 24, turns L about, with assistance from her partner, to face her second corner.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Dances for October 26, 2015




Ardbrae Christmas Social Cribs

Video: Chrysanthemum

CHRYSANTHEMUM
SBBC Silver Jubilee Book
96 bar Reel for 4 couples in a 4 couple square set
Devised by Betty Grant

1–2        Each woman casts to right behind partner and into centre.
3–6        Right hands across once round (past partner).
7–8        Each woman casts to left behind partner to original place.

9–16    Men repeat by casting to left behind partner into centre, then dance left hands across once round (past partner) and cast to right behind partner to finish in place facing partner.

17–24    STAR GRAND CHAIN halfway round (2 steps each hand). Women finish with backs to the centre facing partners. Men are slightly outside circle facing in to partners.

25–32    Dance back to back with partner and turn with the right hand one and a quarter times to finish in circle. Retain right hands.

33–40    Continue STAR GRAND CHAIN halfway round and women again finish with backs to centre facing partner. Men slightly outside circle facing in.

41–48    Dance back to back with partner and turn with the right hand one and a quarter times to finish with women facing out and men facing in.

49–64    SCHIEHALLION REELS (16 bars)  Finish in place.

65–72    In couples nearer hands joined, slip step to left (2 bars) one quarter round and set once (2 bars). Slip step to right (2 bars) to place and set. Bar 8, women advance set towards centre and retaining nearer hands with partner form a cross facing clockwise.

73–80    Dance right hands across in couples. Bar 8, release right hands in centre and curve out to original positions ready to form a circle.

81–88    Eight hands round and back. Retain hands in circle.

89–92    Advance using 2 short skip change of steps, then with nearer hands still joined with partner only, retire using 2 long skip change of steps to original size of square. Finish facing corner.

93–96    Turn corner with LEFT hand once round. Finish facing partner for bow and curtsey.

This dance was devised by Betty Grant, Toronto, Ontario in 1986 to commemorate her visit to Tokyo as a member of the Oriental Fling tour led by the late Bob Blackie and was presented to the Tokyo Scottish Bluebell Club.

Chrysanthemum –
A native of China, the ‘pompom’ originated from the Chusan Daisy, Elaborate Japanese varieties have been developed over hundreds of years. The first chrysanthemum in Britain was grown at Kew Gardens in 1790 and came from France. Chrysanthemums are a worldwide family of flowers. We Scottish Country Dancers are also a worldwide family.                                Betty Grant

Suggested tune: ‘Natal Day’ by Kerr’s Third Collection
Suggested Music: ‘Da Turlers’ – music tape CWGR057 by John Ellis
Suggested Music: ‘Chrysanthemum’ – Accompanied CD ‘To Be A Wind’ by Fred Moyes

Note on Chrysanthemum:
In the Star Grand Chain men give right hand to partner and dance into the centre, left shoulder to left shoulder, as woman dance outside the circumference but holding hands and extending arms longer than usual.  They then release hands and give left hands to next woman to bring women into the centre left shoulder to shoulder, again extending arms.  Repeat right hand and left hand, adjusting on the last left such that women are in the centre facing partner, on the outside, ready for back to back.  Then turn partner 1 ¼ times to form the square set again (releasing hands as usual), then repeat the Star Grand Chain back to place followed by back to back and a 1 ¼ turn before the Schehallion reel.  The Star Grand Chain is, therefore, making the regular grand chain into a series of points of a star. The idea of the Star Grand Chain and the Schehallion Reel is to form the petals of a Chrysanthemum.





Video: The Lea Rig


The Lea Rig
RSCDS Book 21 - No. 5
32-bar strathspey for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–16    1st couple dance a petronella turn to face each other up and down the middle and set. 1 st  couple repeat this three times to finish in original places. On bars 1-2, 2nd couple step up and, on bars 3-4 set. 2nd couple dance petronella turns and set, following the 1st couple one place behind. On bars 15-16, instead of setting, 2nd couple dance a petronella turn to original places.

17–24    1st couple lead down the middle and up.

25–28    1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across once round to finish facing partners in a diagonal line across the set with 1st woman and 2nd man back to back in the middle.

29–32    1st and 2nd couples dance a half poussette.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Collected from an old MS.
Original tune:  The Lea Rig  (Surenne)
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TACNotes:’
17-24    1st cpl finish in original places on sidelines.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Dances for October 19, 2015 - Combined Class

Combined Class

Flowers of Edinburgh
Book 1 – No. 6
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–6        1st woman casts off two places, crosses to the opposite side and dances up behind 2nd and 3rd men to her partner’s original place. 1st man follows his partner, crossing over and dancing behind 2nd and 3rd women, and up the middle to his partner’s original place.

7–8        1st couple set to each other.

9–14    1st couple repeat bars 1-6, with 1st man casting off and 1st woman following. 1st couple finish in original places.

15–16    1st couple set to each other.

17–24    1st couple lead down the middle and up to finish facing each other in the middle of the set with both hands joined. 2nd couple step in.

25–32    1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette.

Repeat, having passed a couple.





THE GALLOPING CAROUSEL

25 DANCES FOR 25 YEARS, RSCDS Ottawa Branch, 1991
32 bar jig for 4 couples

The dance tells the story of painted horses on a carousel who tire of prancing in endless circles and dream of breaking away to gallop freely. But even in their dreams they always return to the carousel.

1–4        1st couple with 2nd couple, and 3rd couple with 4th couple, dance right hands across once round, ending with 1st woman and 4th man facing out.

5–8        1st woman, followed by her partner, dances behind the women’s side of the dance into fourth place on opposite sides, while 4th man, followed by his partner, dances behind the men’s side into first place on opposite sides.

9–12    Top two couples and bottom two couples dance right hands across once round, ending with 4th man and 1st woman facing out.

13 – 16    4th man, followed by his partner, dances behind the women’s side of the dance back to place, while 1st woman, followed by her partner, dances behind the men’s side back to places, ending with the 1st couple facing down the dance and 4th couple facing up. On bar 16, 2nd couple faces up and 3rd faces down.

17–20    On the sidelines, 1st and 2nd couples set and change places right hands, while 3rd and 4th couples do likewise.

21–24    On the sidelines, 1st and 4th couples set and change places left hands. (The order is now 2, 4, 1, 3.)

25–28    4th couple dances up between 2nd couple and casts back down to second place, while 1st couple dances down between 3rd couple and casts back up to third place.

29–32    All four couples turn partners once round back to places with right hands.

Devised by John de Chastelain
Music:    “Killearn”, or
        “Genevieve’s Jig”, Music for Book 32




Ca’ the Ewes tae the Knowes, 32S 2C (4C Set), RSCDS Bk 16
1–8    1st couple cast off, dance down behind their own lines and cast up to original places.
9–16    1st couple, giving right hands, turn once round, cast off one place and dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple. On bars 15-16, 1st couple lead up to top, 1st man passing his partner in front of him to finish in the middle of the set facing up. 2nd couple step in.
17–24    1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.
25–32    2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.






Knit the Pocky
RSCDS Book 11 – No. 1
32-bar reel for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4        1st woman and 2nd man advance and retire.

5–8        1st woman and 2nd man, giving both hands and using skip change of step, turn once round and return to places. (Note)

9–16    1st man and 2nd woman repeat bars 1-8.

17–20    1st couple, followed by 2nd couple who dance up the sides to begin, lead down the middle.

21–24    2nd couple, followed by 1st couple, lead up the middle to finish with 2nd couple in first place and 1st couple in second place.

25–32    2nd and 1st couple dance rights and lefts.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Note: In bars 5-8 and 9-12, turning with both hands gives the appearance of a stitch being made. Therefore, two hands should be given although four skip change of step are danced.



Sunday, October 4, 2015

Dances for October 5, 2015

Sorry for sending this out late. I was busy with the Montreal workshop on Saturday.


Timepiece, 32J 3C (4C Set)
G. Thomas, Dances from the Redwood Forest
1–8 1c cross RH | cast (2c up) ; cross LH | cast L to between end couples (M down, W up)
9–16 1c turn LH while{4} 2c+3c turn P RH ; 1c dance through ends (M down, W up) and cast L to 2plx while{4} 2c+3c set and petronella to midline
17–24 1c turn LH while{4} 2c+3c turn P RH ; 1c cast L through opposite side and between end couple to 2pl while{4} 2c+3c set and petronella turn
(to 2x,1,3x)
25–32 2c+3c set | La Baratte while{8} 1c petronella to midline | set advancing to join RH ; join in the last 4 bars of La Baratte (2,1,3)





Scott Meikle
RSCDS Book 46
32-bar reel for four couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4        1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

5–8        1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple.

9–16    1st and 3rd couples dance right hands across and left hands back to finish on own sides, 1st and 3rd women facing up, 1st and 3rd men facing down.

17–24    1st woman, followed by 3rd woman, dances a reel of three across the set with 2nd couple. At the same time, 3rd man, followed by 1st man, dances a reel of three across the set with 4th couple. To begin, 1st woman and 2nd man, 3rd man and 4th woman pass by the left. 3rd couple finish in second place, 1st couple in third place.

25–28    1st and 4th couples dance half rights and lefts.

29–32    4th and 1st couples, giving right hands, turn one and half times.

Repeat with a new top couple.

Devised by Alice McLean, Monklands Branch.
Scott Meikle is the son of well-known bandleader, George Meikle, and was a member of the team that danced for HM the Queen at Edinburgh City Chambers as part of the Society’s 75th Anniversary celebrations in 1998.