Monthly Archives: November 2015

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Dances for November 30, 2015

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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

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 first 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.

Dances for November 23, 2015

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Video: Best Set in the Hall

Best Set in the Hall
RSCDS Book 46
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–8        1st couple set and 1st woman, followed by her partner, casts off two places, crosses over below 3rd couple, casts up and dances in to face first corner. 1st man dances up the middle of the set to face his first corner. 2nd couple step up on bars 7-8.

9–12    1st couple and first corners set and, 1st couple, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in partner’s first corner position. At the same time, first corners dance in towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing own places.

13–16    1st couple and first corners set and first corners, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in opposite corner’s position. At the same time, 1st couple dance towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing second corners.

17–24    1st couple repeat bars 9-16 with second corners and pass each other by the right to finish in second place on opposite sides. 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples face clockwise.

25–28    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance clockwise halfway round the set.

29–32    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn once round.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Helen Greenwood, Auckland, New Zealand.
Note: the movement in bars 9-24 was devised by the late Alec Hay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notes Compiled by teachers, Summer School , St Andrews 2010
15-16    1st couple turn on the spot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:1-8    1st woman dances straight in on bar 8 to face 1st corner.

The Moudiewort
RSCDS Book 11 – No. 7
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4        1st man and 2nd woman set advancing and, giving right hands, turn once round.

5–8        1st woman and 2nd man repeat bars 1-4.

9–16        1st couple lead down the middle and up and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 15-16.

17–20    1st couple dance down between 3rd couple, cast up one place and cross over to face first corners.

21–24    1st couple set to first corners and then to 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 over to second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Bowman MS, c. 1755-1760.
Original tune:  The Moudiewort  (Oswald’s Caledonian Pocket Companion, 1752). Burns wrote the song  An’o for ane an’ twenty  to a version of this tune.

Dances for November 16, 2015

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DANCING DOLPHINS
THE DOLPHIN BOOK, 11 SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES  by Barry Skelton, Auckland, New Zealand, 1994
8 x 32 bar Jig Devised by Barry Skelton 28th October 1993
A jig for three couples danced in longwise four couple sets.

1–8        First couple, cross with the right hand and cast off one place. (Second couple step up on bars 3 & 4.) First couple turn each other with the left hand 1 ¼ times. First couple finish facing the lady’s side, the man has his partner on his right. ***

9–16    First couple in tandem, dance a right shoulder reel of three with second and third lady. *

17–24    First couple in tandem, dance a left shoulder reel of three with second and third men. **

25–32    First couple with promenade hold dance out the ladies’ side and down around third lady. First couple dance up the middle, drop hands and cast around second couple to finish in second place.

First couple repeat from second place.

* First lady, followed by her partner, they pass third lady with the right shoulder to begin. First couple turn by the right to face up the set. First man, followed by first lady pass second lady with the right shoulder. First man, followed by first lady pass third lady with the left shoulder. First couple turning by the left they face down the set. First lady, followed by first man. Dance across the set to face third man.

** First lady, followed by her partner, pass third man with the left shoulder to begin. First couple turn by the left to face up the set. First man, followed by first lady, pass second man by the left shoulder. First man, followed by first lady pass third man with the right shoulder. First couple turning by the right they face down the set. First lady, followed by first man, dance across
the set to finish between second and third lady.

*** Note: First couple should begin parallel with the side of the set and remain parallel with the set throughout the reel. This will require good covering. First couple must be aware of their partner especially on the turns. First couple cover with each other not just follow each other. Where the instructions say follow also read cover.

Video: At the Summit

Note: The first two couples in the video do the first turn wrong.
 
At the Summit
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–4        1st couple turn once round with both hands to face up and cast off one place on own sides as 2nd couple step up.

5–8        1st couple cross, giving right hands, cast round first corners by the right and finish back to back in the middle, facing their first corners.

9–12    1st couple set to their first corners. 1st couple then cast around each other by the right to finish in their partner’s first corner position, while their corners dance into the middle and, pulling back right shoulders, finish back to back, facing their original positions.

13–16    1st couple and first corners set to each other. First corners cast round each other by the right to finish on the opposite sides in each other’s original positions, while 1st couple dance into the middle and, pulling back right shoulders, finish back to back, facing their second corners.

17–24    1st couple repeat bars 9–16 with second corners but pass by the right on bars 23-24 to finish in second place on opposite sides. Second corners finish on the opposite sides in each other’s original positions.

25–32    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples set and link twice to finish on their own sides in the order 2, 1, 3.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Tune: The Anglins of Ottawa by Muriel Johnstone
Devised by Craig and Jody Williams

This dance was devised for Bob and Barbara Anglin in appreciation of their support and encouragement as we began teaching in Ottawa and running the Ottawa Valley workshop. 
We had an exceptional day with Bob & Barbara at the summit of Whistler before the TAC AGM in July, 2009.

Note: The movement described in bars 9-24 was first devised by the late Alex Hay and published in his dance “Peter White”.

Dances for November 9, 2015

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Video: Timepiece

Timepiece
Dances from the Redwood Forest
32J 3C (4C Set)

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 to end in lines of three across the set
9-12    1st couple turn once round by the left hand while 2nd and 3rd couple turn once round by the right
13-16    1st couple dance left shoulder around 1st corner positions, to finish in 2nd place on opposite sides, while 2nd and 3rd couples set and petronella turn into the middle of the set.
17-20    1st couple turn once round by the left hand while 2nd and 3rd couple turn once round by the right
21-24    1st man casts up and dances between 2nd couple while 1st woman casts down and dances between 3rd couple. 1st couple end in 2nd place on own side, At the same time, 2nd and 3rd couples set and petronella turn to the opposite side.
25-26    1st couple petronella turn into the middle to end 1st man between 3rd couples 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 and slightly to the left to join right hands then dance the last four bars of La Baratte

*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 hisso 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: The Lea Rig

The Lea Rig
RSCDS, Book 21
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 dance and set. They repeat this three times to finish in original places. On bars 1-2, 2nd couple step up and set on bars 3-4. They dance petronella turns and set, following the 1st couple one place behind. On the last two bars, instead of setting, 2nd couple dance out to original places, pulling back right shoulders.

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 diagonally 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.