Monthly Archives: March 2016

image_pdfimage_print

Dances for April 4, 2016

image_pdfimage_print

Jones Falls Hornpipe
32  Bar Hornpipe 3 Couples

1–4    First couple set and cast off to second place. Second couple step up on bars 3 and 4.

5–8    First lady dances three hands across right hand with second couple. First man dances three hands across right hand with third couple. First couple finish in the middle of the dance, first lady facing up and first man facing down the dance.

9–10    First couple set as in double triangles. First lady with second couple. First man with third couple.

11–14    First lady dances up the dance, casts off round second lady and, passing right shoulders with her partner and finishes in the middle of the dance facing down the dance. First man dances down the dance, casts up round third man and, passing right shoulders with his partner and finishes in the middle of the dance facing up the dance.

15–16    First couple set as in double triangles, first man with second couple, first lady with third couple.

17–20    First man dances up the dance and casts up round first lady’s position to finish in second lady’s position facing down the dance. First lady dances down the dance and casts off round third man’s position to finish in second man’s position facing up the dance. Meanwhile second and third couples dance half rights and lefts starting by dancing up and down the dance and finish facing out on the opposite side of the dance.

21–24    First lady dances left shoulder half reel of three with second and third ladies giving left shoulder to third lady to start. First man dances left shoulder half reel of three with second and third men giving left shoulder to second man to start. Second and third couples finish the half reel facing up and down the dance.

25–28    First couple dance a quick turn left hands 3/4 turn. First man dances down the dance and cast off round third man’s position to finish in second man’s position facing up the dance. First lady dances up the dance and cast up round first lady’s position to finish in second lady’s position facing down the dance. Meanwhile second and third couples dance half rights and lefts starting by dancing up and down the dance and finish facing out on their own side of the dance.

29–32    First lady dances left shoulder half reel of three with second and third lady giving left shoulder to second lady to start. First man dances left shoulder half reel of three with second and third men giving left shoulder to third man to start.

Written by Charlie Inglis to recognise the tremendous amount of work undertaken by Eileen Black in organizing the Jones Falls Weekend Workshop for twenty-five years on behalf of the RSCDS Ottawa Branch

BAULDY BAIN’S FIDDLE
3 – couple Reel
THE LOTHIAN COLLECTION  Eight Scottish Country Dances by John Bowie Dickson
Dedicated to John Armstrong

1–4        First couple, giving right hands, turn each other once round and cast off one place on their own sides (second couple move up on bars 3–4).

5–8        First couple, giving left hands, turn each other one and a half times to finish on opposite sides in second place facing out.

9–12    First man casts up, crosses over at the top and casts down into second place on his own side while first lady casts down, crosses over below third couple and casts up into second place on her own side. Meanwhile, second and third couples dance right hands across once round, dancing out to corners on bar 12, facing clockwise.

13–16    First couple, giving left hands, turn each other one and a quarter times to finish facing their first corner positions. Meanwhile, second and third couples continue to dance clockwise round the outside to finish in opposite corner positions.

17–20    First couple dance half a reel of four with first corners, passing each other right shoulders in the centre for.

21–24    Half a reel of four with second corners, passing each other right shoulders in the centre again to finish in second place on own sides.

25–32    Second, first and third couples dance six hands round to the left and back.

Repeat from second place.

Music: “Old Willie Hunter”.

Dances for March 21, 2016

image_pdfimage_print

The Engine Room
32 bar reel for 3 couples in a 4-couple set

1–8        1st , 2nd and 3rd couples set and mirror reels of three on sides; on bar one, all join hands, on bar two, drop hands to face the direction to start the mirror reels, 1st couple in and down, 2nd couple out and up, 3rd couple in and up

9–16    1st couple back to back, cast off one place as 2nd couple step up, and cross with RIGHT hands to face out.

17–20    1st couple dance around 1st corners, pull back RIGHT shoulders to end back to back, 1st woman facing up, 1st man facing down while: 1st corners dance back to back on the diagonal

21–24    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance half double triangles up and down    (corners set 4 bars)

25–28    1st couple dance around 2nd corners, pull back RIGHT shoulders to end back to back facing opposite sides while: 2nd corners dance back to back on the diagonal

29–32    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance half double triangles; 1st couple finish on own sides second place (corners set 4 bars)

Repeat having passed a couple

Note:  On Bars 31-32 of the second repetition, 1st couple finish the half double triangles by dancing to the bottom of the set as 3rd couple moves up with pas de basque

Devisor:  Ron Wallace and Gary Thomas, 2007
Music:  “The Engine Room” by Muriel Johnstone, To Dance To!

This dance was written for Muriel Johnstone for the occasion of her 60th birthday, and presented to her at the Santa Rosa Class’s annual Beginners Ball.

Gypsy Weaver   
A 32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples

1–2        First couple and third couple dance right shoulder ¾ of the way around partners to finish in a line of four up and down the center of the dance (women facing down, men facing up).

3–6        First couple and third couple dance a half reel of four up and down the center of the dance.

7–8        First couple and third couple dance right shoulder ¾ of the way around partner to finish on own sides, order 3 2 1.

9–12    Second couple and first couple (bottom couples) set and link.

13–16    Third couple and first couple (top couples) set and link (first woman and third man remain facing out).

17–19    Half reels of three on the sides in 3 bars (first couple and third couple pass right shoulder to begin, first woman remains facing out at the bottom).

20–24    First woman, followed by her partner, casts up around third woman and across the dance; first woman pulls back her left shoulder and turns her partner with the left hand to finish facing first corners (3C step down on bars 23-24).

25–32    First couple dance “Corners Pass and Turn”: First couple dance right shoulder around first corner position as first corners turn with two hands and dance back to place; First couple pass right shoulder in the middle to face second corner; First couple dance right shoulder around second `corner position as second corners turn with two hands and dance back to place; First couple pass right shoulder to finish in second place on own sides.

After the second repetition, the fourth couple should begin from fourth position, dancing up slightly as they pass right shoulder round each other while the first couple steps down on bars
1 & 2.

Suggested tune: Gypsy Weaver, by Liz Donaldson
More Memories of Scottish Weekend

Devised by Denise Peet of the Washington, D.C. Branch RSCDS

Dances for March 14, 2016

image_pdfimage_print

Cloud Cover
by Sue McKinnell
3X32 Strathspey for 3C
(Set Dance)

1-8        1C set and turn BH once round then dance down between 2C and 3C and cast up to 2nd place to end facing 1st corners. 2C step up on bars 3-4.
9-16    1C set to and turn 1st corners BH to face 2nd corners; set to and turn 2nd corners BH and pass RS to end in 2nd place on own sides.
17-24    2C and 1C dance the knot.
25-32    1C, 2C, and 3C dance a three-couple bourrel: 1M and 2W, similarly 2M and 3W, set advancing to each other and turn BH halfway then away from each other to end back to back in the center of the set, woman facing up and man facing down. Meanwhile, 1W and 3M chase a little more than halfway CCW around the set to end facing new partners.
All set to partners and turn them BH to their own sides.

Suggested music is Set of Strathspeys from Terpsichore by Elke Baker and Liz Donaldson.
This dance was written when we finally had an overcast day after a long, hot summer drought.

The Porridge Drawer
T. Edward Gardiner
32 bar jig for 2 couples;

Bars 1-8    Ones and twos dance right hands across half way; set; dance left hands back; and set
Bars 9-12    Twos dance half figure of eight through the ones above them
Bars 13-16    Ones and twos dance half rights and lefts
Bars 17-24    Twos and ones dance ladies chain
Bars 25-28    Ones dance half figure of eight through the twos above them
Bars 29-32    Both couples turn with the right hand

In nineteenth century Scotland, a porridge drawer was a common feature in most
households, at least in the northeast part of the country. It was an empty drawer, usually
the top one in a chest of drawers, but sometimes a drawer in an end table or bedside
table. When being used, it was lined with waxed paper and filled with fresh porridge,
which was then allowed to set. Over the next few days anyone could break off a piece
whenever necessary. Children took a “piece of porridge” to school for lunch. Farmers
might take a piece for their lunch if they were working fields relatively far away from the
house and didn’t want to walk back and forth at lunchtime. It can be considered the
ancestor of the Granola bar.

Dances for March 7, 2016

image_pdfimage_print

Video: On the Morning Tide

ON THE MORNING TIDE
THE ISLAND BAY COLLECTION
Sixteen Scottish Country Dances Devised by Members of the Island Bay Club
A three couple, 32 bar hornpipe.

1–8        First and second couples dance four hands across and back.

9-12       First couple turn with right hands once round and cast down round second couple on own sides. Second couple move up on bars 11 – 12.

13–16    First woman dances a half figure of eight up round second couple while first man dances a half figure of eight down round third couple.

17–20    First couple dance diagonal half rights and lefts with second man and third woman.

21–24    First couple dance diagonal half rights and lefts with second woman and third man.

25–26    Third, first and second couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides.

27–28    Third, first and second couples turn partner with right hands once round.

29–32    Third, first and second couples dance a circular chase, clockwise, halfway round the set to finish back on own sides.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Devised by lain Boyd to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Island Bay Scottish Country Dance Club.

Video (Skip to 2:15 for the dance): The Meeting of the Waters
Video: The Meeting of the Waters

THE MEETING OF THE WATERS
Iain Boyd, Strathtay Album (New Zealand, 1969)

“The Meeting of the Waters” is a three couple, 48 bar reel
for four couples in a longwise set.

1–8        First and second couples dance a reel of four across the dance. First man and second woman pass by left shoulders while first woman casts off and second man casts up to commence.

9–16    First couple dance a parallel figure of eight on own sides round second and third couples passing second couple by right shoulders to commence.

17–24    First woman casts off behind second woman, crosses down between third couple, casts up round third man and crosses over to second woman’s place, while first man follows his partner across the dance, casts off behind second woman, crosses down between third couple and casts up round third man to second man’s place. Second couple move up on bars 19 – 20.

25–28    First and third couples dance right hands across once round.

29–32    Second and first couples dance left hands across once round.

33–40    Second, first and third couples dance reels of three on own side. First and third couples pass by right shoulders to commence.

41–48    Second, first and third couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat having passed a couple.

“The Meeting of the Waters” was devised to commemorate the 1964-65 Summer School held in Wanganui, the ‘River City’.