Ottawa Summer Class
No Video
Silver Darlings
Jean Attwod, Old Wick Castle & 3 more
Reel — 3 Couples — 32 Bars .
1 – 4 1st couple cross giving right hand and cast off 1 place, 2nd couple moving up.
5 – 8 Preparing the net — 1st man and 3rd lady turn once round with the left hand while 1st lady and 3rd man turn with the right, 3rd couple ending facing out.
9 – 16 The net – 1st couple dance “crossing” reel of three with 3rd and 2nd couples, who cast into the reel. (1st couple cross dancing down to 3rd place, cast up, cross dancing up to 2nd place and cast to finish in 2nd place on the wrong side facing up. 2nd and 3rd couples dance the reel on own side.
17 – 20 Hauling in the catch – 1st lady and 2nd man turn once round with the left hand, while 1st man and 2nd lady turn with the right.
21 – 24 1st couple dance half figure of eight round 2nd couple, ending in 2nd place on own side.
25 – 32 Boxing the fish – 1st and 3rd couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
“Silver darlings” was the nick-name the Scottish fishermen gave to the herring.
No Video
The Bonniest Lass in all the World
RSCDS Book 14 – No. 10
40-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st couple set and, giving both hands, turn once round to face down.
5 – 8 1st and 2nd women, 1st and 2nd men set and, giving both hands, turn once round.
9 – 16 1st couple lead down the middle, divide, cast up round 3rd couple to second place and set twice. 2nd couple step up on bars 11-12.
17 – 24 2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.
25 – 28 1st woman with 2nd couple and 1st man with 3rd couple dance three hands round to the left. On bar 28, 1st couple pass each other by the right.
29 – 32 1st man with 2nd couple and 1st woman with 3rd couple dance three hands round to the right.On bar 32, 1st couple pass by the left to finish in the middle of the set facing the women’s side, 1st man below his partner.
33 – 40 1st couple lead out between 2nd and 3rd women, 1st woman casting up and 1st man casting down. They meet in the middle of the set, dance out between 2nd and 3rd men and cast as before to second place on own sides.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances c. 1755.
Original tune: Miss Coxe’s Strathspey (Mrs Mcintyre)
No Video
Autumn Gold
John Morris, Vallin Collection Five
8×32 bar Jig – a 3 couple dance in a 4 couple longwise set
1- 8 1s, 2s & 3s dance a normal diagonal rights & lefts for 3 couples
[ 2s change place RH with 1st corner & LH to “middle” couple, then RH to 4th corner & LH to “middle” couple own side ]
[ finish 3-2-1, with 2s (no polite turns) facing down-out, own side and 3s & 1s on opposite side ]
9 – 14 2s dance 3/4 figure of eight across by casting down behind 1s (bottom place)
[1s step up on bars 13-14]
[ finish 3-1-2, all now on opposite side ]
15 – 16 3s, 1s & 2s dance 1/2 RH turn to face up middle (W polite turn), ready for allemande
17 – 24 3s, 1s & 2s dance Allemande [finish 2-1-3 ]
[ on last bar, 2s start to cast out-down, anticipating turn with 1s ]
25 – 32 1s leading up (inside), turn 2s [ finish 2-1-3, with 1s facing in-down ]
then 1s leading down (inside) turn 3s,
[ 3s finish with polite turns in 3rd place to face 1st corner ]
[ finish 2-1-3-4, with 3s ready to start diagonal rights & lefts ]
Repeat, having passed a couple
at end of 2nd sequence, 1s & 4s turn 1 1/2 to finish 2-3-4-1, with new 3W (old 4W) ready to start diagonal rights & lefts
This dance is for those dancers (including my wife and I) who have been Scottish Country dancing for at least fifty years. We started dancing in the fifties, which was the time when people were becoming interested in this form of “exercise” with its social connotations. On reflection, this era was possibly the heyday of folk dancing, both English & Scottish. So here’s to these mature dancers ( “the golden oldies” ) who are now in the autumn of their lives, enjoying what they love the most – Scottish Country dancing and hopefully encouraging the newcomers, whether they be young or retired !.
recommended music: colin dewar – “the Vallin Suite four” – track 14
devised by John Morris
Video: Desperation
Desperation
Cliff Fryer, Imperial Book 6
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples set and rotate to finish 1st man and 2nd woman facing out.
9 – 12 2nd and 1st couples dance right hands across once round.
13 – 16 1st and 3rd couples dance left hands across. 1st couple finish in second place, facing up.
17 – 24 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. 2nd and 1st couples pass by the right to begin.
25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Devised by Cliff Fryer.
The dance was devised in desperation as the deadline for competition entries loomed.