Ardbrae Dancers of Ottawa
Video: Seeing Stars
Seeing Stars
Eilidh Hart, Glasgow Branch 100th anniversary Dances
40-bar reel for five couples in a five-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st and 3rd couples set advancing into the middle of the set and dance right hands across halfway, 3rd man and 1st woman remain facing out.
5 – 8 3rd man, followed by his partner, dances down behind 2nd woman and across the set, while 1st woman, followed by her partner, dances up behind 2nd man and across the set. 1st and 3rd couples finish in original places.
9 – 12 2nd and 4th couples set advancing into the middle of the set and dance left hands across halfway. 2nd man and 4th woman remain facing out.
13 – 16 2nd man, followed by his partner, dances up behind 3rd woman and across the set, while 4th woman, followed by her partner, dances down behind 3rd man and across the set. 2nd and 4th couples finish in original places.
17 – 24 1st and 3rd couples lead down the middle and up to face first corners. 2nd and 4th step up on bars 23-24.
25 – 32 1st and 3rd couples dance set to corners and partner [hello-goodbye setting], with a petronella turn to finish, 1st couple in second place and 3rd couple in fourth place, all on own sides.
33 – 36 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place.
37 – 40 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn one and a half times to their own sides,
Repeat from new positions.
Devised by Eilidh Hart.
Eilidh was helping candidates prepare for their Unit 2 examination in Glasgow and could see the Advanced Class, on the other side of the hall, working on setting steps, which made her think of star formations.
Deviser’s note:
“As there is little time for the dancing couples to rest in this dance, I feel that they may also be seeing stars before the end!”
Video: Langholm Fair
Langholm Fair
The Alexander Dances, Book 3 by Jean Attwood
Strathspey – 3 Couples – 32 Bars.
Tune – Mr. Michie (Skinner)
1 – 4 The boys looking for a partner – 1st man, followed by 2nd and 3rd men, dance across the top of the set and down behind the ladies.
5 – 6 1st man crosses to 3rd place below 3rd lady, 2nd man to 2nd place below partner and 3rd man to 1 st place below 1st lady.
7 – 8 All join hands on the side and set once.
9 – 16 General movement of the Fair – 2nd lady with 1st lady and 3rd man. 2nd man with 1st man and 3rd lady dance right hands across, 2nd couple passing each other by the right to dance left hands across with other “couple”.
17 – 20 Girls choose their partners – 1st lady, followed by 2nd and 3rd ladies, dance across the top of the set and down behind the men, to end side by side with original partner, the men having turned the longways round on bar 20.
21 – 24 1st couple, followed by 2nd and 3rd couples, dance half promenade to original places, 1st couple finishing side by side in the middle of the set facing up.
25 – 26 The handfasting – 1st couple cast off one place on own side while 2nd couple continue dancing up on the side.
27 – 28 1st couple turn once round with both hands.
29 – 30 The marriage – 1st couple cast off another place on own side, 3rd couple moving up.
31 – 32 1st couple turn once round with both hands.
Repeat with a new top couple.
Handfasting was a form of trial marriage which took place in Scotland during the 16th to 18th centuries. Annual Handfasting Fairs were held (one such being near Langholm, in the Borders) where young couples, joining hands before witnesses, would undertake to live together as man and wife for the following twelve months. They would then return to the Fair the next year where, if the handfasting had proved satisfactory, they would be married by a travelling priest.