Thursday, April 28, 2016

Dances for May 2, 2016


Video: The Inimitable Derek

The Inimitable Derek
TSCDS Three Dances, 2006
(32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple set)

1–4    1st and 2nd women, giving left hands, and 1st and 2nd men, giving right hands turn one and a quarter times to finish in a line across the dance with 1st couple back to back in the middle.

5–6    1st and 2nd couples set.

7–8    1st and 2nd women, giving right hands, and 1st and 2nd men, giving left hands, turn three quarters to finish with 1st couple in second place and 2nd couple in first place, facing out.

9–16    Reels of three on the sides. To begin, 2nd and 1st women and 1st and 3rd     men pass right shoulders.

13–14    1st woman crosses down to third place on the opposite side and 1st man crosses up to first place on the opposite side.
15–16  1st woman and 3rd man and 1st man and 2nd woman (second corners) turn with the right hand to finish in balance in line position, while 2nd man and 3rd woman (first corners) curve into place.

17–18    1st couple and second corners balance in line.

19–20    1st couple turn with the left hand to finish in balance in line position with    first corners.

21–22    1st couple and first corners balance in line.

23–24    1st couple turn with left hands to finish side by side in the middle of the set, woman facing up and man facing down.

25–28    1st woman with 2nd and 3rd women and 1st man with 2nd and 3rd men, dance right hands across once round to finish with 1st woman facing up and 1st man facing down.

29–32    1st woman dances up to the top and casts off round 2nd woman while 1st man dances down and casts up round 3rd man to second place on their    own side.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by:   Roy Goldring, 2005
Original Tune:   The Woody Woodpecker, Donald Ridley
In memory of the greatly gifted Derek Haynes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
1-4 Cpls finish in a straight line across the set between 1st & 2nd positions.






A Trip to Ottawa

Strathspey
Malcolm Brown

1-4    1s Set, cast one place (2s step up)

5-8    1s ½ figure of eight up through 2s

9-16    1s & 2s Helice
1-2    1s & 2s ¾ turn partners RH, to finish in promenade hold, top couple (2s) facing men's side, bottom couple (1s) facing ladies side, forming a line up and down the dance
3-4    1s & 2s promenade ½ way round anticlockwise (not too close togeher)
5-6    1s & 2s still in promenade hold, turn to finish in middle of set facing partners – 1s above  2s, [top couple on own side (1s), bottom couple on opposite side (2s)]
7-8    1s & 2s pull back R Sh and cast into sidelines

17-24    2s set, cast up one place (1s step down), ½ figure of eight down through 1s, All finish in middle, (1s & 3s dance in on left foot), ready for

25-32    1s 2s 3s Promenade

* Helice is pronounced “hell-eese” (eese as in (g)eese
September 2008
Version B – 2 couple dance
Version C – 3 couple set (1s cast to 3rd place on bar 32, while 3s dance up to 2nd place)

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Dances for April 25, 2016

Video: Miss Eleanor

Miss Eleanor
RSCDS Book 49
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–8        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance reels of three on own sides, 1st couple dancing in and down to begin.

9–12    1st couple set and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 11-12.

13–14    1st couple, giving right hands, turn once round and face out.

15–16    1st woman casts off to third place while 1st man casts up to original place, 2nd man steps down and 3rd woman steps up to finish in the order 1, 2, 3 on the men's side and 2, 3, 1 on the women's side.

17–18    All three couples dance a bourrel.

25–32    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat from new positions

Devised by Ann Dix, Berks/Hants/Surrey Border Branch.
Miss Eleanor is Ann Dix’s granddaughter.


Video: The Plantation Reel
Video: The Plantation Reel

THE PLANTATION REEL
A 32-bar reel for 5 couples

1–4        First and third couples cross by the right and cast off one place, second and fourth couples stepping up.

5–8        First (third) couple lead down between fourth (fifth) couple and cast back up to second (fourth) place, still on wrong sides.

9–12    First and second couples, half rights and lefts; third and fourth couples, the same.

13–14    First and second couples dance a Petronella turn one place to the right around their square; third and fourth couples, the same.

15–16    Repeat bars 13–14; this brings you all back to where you were at the end of bar 8.

17–20    Right hand wheels: first man with second couple; first lady and third man with fourth couple; and third lady with fifth couple. All end on the sidelines.

21–24    Left hand wheels: first lady with second couple; first man and third lady with fourth couple; and third man with fifth couple. Again, end on the sidelines.

25–28    First and third couples cross by the right and cast off one place on your own side, fourth and fifth couples stepping up.

29–32    All turn partners once by the right hand.

Repeat with a new top couple.
The fifth time through, “birl as you will” on bars 29–32.

Tony Moretti, Auburn, N.H.
Dedicated to Andrew Rankine for his contributions to Scottish Country Dancing.

Suggested music: “The Plantation Reel” on Andrew Rankine’s record “Westering Home” (Emerald GES 1141) –a medley of folk tunes from the southern U.S.A., played in S.C.D. style!

The Pinewoods Collection of Scottish Country Dances, Vol. 2

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Dances for April 18, 2016

Video: Timepiece

Timepiece
32 bar Jig for 3 couples
FROM THE REDWOOD FOREST by Gary Thomas and Ron Wallace

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

5-8    1st couple cross over with left hands and cast left, 1st woman up around 2nd woman and 1st man down around 3rd man

9-12    1st couple turn once round by the left while 2nd and 3rd couple turn once round by the right

13-16    1st couple cast left, 1st woman dances between 2nd couple and 1st man dances between 3rd couple, to finish in 2nd place on opposite sides, while 2nd and 3rd couples set and petronella turn one place to the right

17-20    1st couple turn once round by the left while 2nd and 3rd couples turn once round by the right

21-24    1st couple cast left, 1st woman dances between 3rd couple and 1st man dances between 2nd couple, to finish in 2nd place on own side, while 2nd and 3rd couples set and petronella turn one place to the right

25-26    1st couple petronella turn one place to the right to end 1st man between 3rd couple to face up, 1st woman between 2nd couple to face down, while 2nd and 3rd couples set

27-32    2nd and 3rd couples La Baratte*, while 1st couple set advancing to join right hands then dance the last four bars of La Baratte

Repeat having passed a couple

Music: “Timepiece” by Gary Thomas
Devised by Gary Thomas, 1990.

La Baratte (The Churn) This figure was danced in the Quadrilles in Canada.

3-4    Each man, giving right hand, turns the woman opposite him halfway round. They retain hands, but dance sufficiently past each other to stretch their arms almost to the full extent

5-6    Each dancer returns on the line along which he, or she, has just travelled. During bar 5, the woman dances under the man's right arm (pulling back by the right) so that she has her back towards him. The man is now directly behind the woman and he extends his arms sideways with his hands palm upward, just above her shoulder height. The woman puts her left hand under the man's left hand curling her fingers over his so that both handholds are symmetrical. Releasing right hands, the woman dances under the man's left arm, again pulling back by the right. The dancers retain left hands

7-8    All turn partners half way by the left to end on own sides


Video: Strathglass House

Video: Strathglass House
Video: Strathglass House

Strathglass House
RSCDS Book 13 – No. 9
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set and dance six hands round to the left halfway.

5–8        3rd, 2nd and 1st couples repeat bars 1-4 to original places, again moving to the left.

9–12    1st couple lead down, cross over below 2nd couple and dance behind 3rd couple to meet below them facing up.

13–16    1st couple lead up to the top and cast off one place on opposite sides to face first corners. 2nd couple step up on bars 15-16.

17–24    1st couple turn first corner with right hand, partner with the left hand, second corner with the right hand, partner with the left hand to finish between corners.

25–28    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples advance and retire.

29–32    1st couple, giving both hands, turn one and a half times to finish in second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

R Bremner: A Second Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances c. 1765.

Original tune: Mr Muir Mackenzie’s Favourite (Mr Sharpe of Hoddom)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
1 – 8    On second setting step (bars 2 & 6) 1st man & 3rd woman must begin to move into circle shape so that the     half circle is completed in two steps (bars 3-4 & 7-8).
13 – 16    Nearer hand lead. 2nd cpl step up on bars 15-16.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Dances for April 11, 2016


Video: The Festival Man
Video: The Festival Man

The Festival Man
RSCDS Book 48
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4    1st couple set and, giving right hands, cross down to second place on opposite sides. 2nd couple step up on bars 3–4.

5–8        1st couple set and, giving left hands, turn three quarters round, to finish 1st woman between 2nd couple and 1st man between 3rd couple, facing opposite sides.

9–12    1st woman and 2nd couple, 1st man and 3rd couple dance a half reel of three across the set. 1st woman and 2nd man, 1st man and 3rd woman pass by the left to begin. On bar 12, 1st couple pass by the left.

13–16    1st man and 2nd couple, 1st woman and 3rd couple dance a half reel of three across the set. 1st man and 2nd woman, 1st woman and 3rd man pass by the left to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple finish in the middle of the set, 1st woman facing up, 1st man facing down.

17–20    2nd, 1st and 3rd women and, at the same time, 2nd, 1st and 3rd men, dance right hands across.

21–24    1st woman dances up and casts to second place and 1st man dances down and casts up to second place. At the same time, 2nd and 3rd men, 2nd and 3rd women set and, giving right hands, change places.

25–32    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance set and rotate for three couples.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Sheila Trafford, Newcastle Branch.
For John Cass who founded the Newcastle Festival of Scottish Country Dancing and has convened it for 30 years.



Video: Blooms of Bon Accord


BLOOMS OF BON ACCORD
THE DEESIDE BOOK OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES, Part 2  by John Drewry

Reel    :    4 couples    :    32 bars
Tune   :    “Blooms of Bon Accord”  by J. Scott Skinner,   The Scottish Violinist, page 32

In this dance 3rd and 4th couples start on wrong sides.

1–8         1st and 2nd couples, joining nearer hands, set on the sides, dance right hands across once round, then 1st couple cast off to second place while 2nd couple dance up to top place. 3rd and 4th couples dance similarly.  On bars 7– 8, 4th couple cast up to third place, while 3rd couple dance down to fourth place.  (They are still on wrong sides)

9–16    1st couple, giving right hands, cross the dance, cast up on wrong sides behind 2nd couple, then dance in to join hands in promenade hold facing down. 4th couple, similarly, cross the dance, cast off on own sides behind 3rd couple, then dance in to join hands in promenade hold facing up.

13–16     1st and 4th couples dance round one another, the ladies passing right shoulders, so that 1st couple finish in the middle of the men’s side facing up, while 4th couple finish in the middle of the ladies’ side facing down.

17–24     1st couple, dancing together, dance a reel of three on the men’s side with 2nd man and 3rd lady.  1st couple pass 2nd man by the right to begin, and finish in the centre of the dance in third place facing up. 4th couple, similarly, dance a reel of three on the ladies’ side with 3rd man and 2nd lady.  4th couple pass 3rd man by the right to begin, and finish in the centre of the dance in second place facing down.

25–28     Dropping left hands, 1st and 4th couples dance right hands across once round. At the end, 1st and 4th men retain hold of their partners by the right hand and turn towards them, so that 4th couple finish in second place facing up, while 1st couple finish in third place facing down.

29–32     4th couple lead up between 2nd couple, crossing over to own sides, and cast off to second place, while 1st couple lead down between 3rd couple, crossing over to wrong sides, and cast up to third place.

The finishing order is 2, 4, 1, 3 with 1st and 3rd couples on wrong sides.

Repeat with a new top couple.

This dance was devised in 1971 to commemorate the winning by the City of Aberdeen of the “Britain in Bloom” Competition for the third successive year. Since then Aberdeen has won the competition several more times, and has even been barred from entry some years to give other cities a chance.