Ottawa Summer Class
Video: A Trip to the Drakensberg
A Trip to the Drakensberg
RSCDS Book 38
40-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 8 1st couple set, cast off two places and dance up to the top, remaining in the middle of the set. 2nd couple step in on bars 7-8.
9 – 16 1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette. 1st couple release hands at the end of bar 14 and set advancing, passing each other by the left, to face first corners.
17 – 20 1st couple dance a half reel of four with first corners and pass by the left to finish facing second corners.
21 – 24 1st couple dance a half reel of four with second corners and finish in second place on opposite sides.
25 – 28 3rd, 1st and 2nd men dance a petronella turn and set. At the same time, 3rd, 1st and 2nd women set and dance a petronella turn to face partners.
29 – 32 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples, giving right hands, turn partners into allemande hold.
33 – 40 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Devised by Barbara J Rendle, Somerset West, South Africa.
Original tune: The Britches Maker (Nathaniel Gow, Gow’s Fourth Collection)
The Drakensberg is a range of mountains in Natal, South Africa.
TACNotes:
21-24 3rd man must move quickly through half reel, to complete curve to right into 2nd woman’s position ready for bar 25.
No Video
The Camp of Pleasure
RSCDS Book 15 – No. 4
32-bar strathspey for two couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st couple, giving right hands, turn once round.
5 – 8 1st man and 2nd woman, giving left hands, turn to finish in the middle at second place. On bars 7-8, 2nd man dances up and in to meet 1st woman who steps in. All finish facing up.
9 – 16 2nd man with 1st woman and 1st man with 2nd woman dance an allemande.
17 – 20 1st and 2nd couples lead down the middle, 1st man dancing down and 2nd man dancing up to meet partners.
21 – 24 2nd and 1st couples lead up, 2nd couple finishing in first place and 1st couple in second place.
25 – 32 2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
From an old book of Scottish and Irish Dances (title page lost).
Original tune: Charles Leslie of Findrassie’s Strathspey (D Grant)
TACNotes:
7-8 2nd man dances up & in to meet 1st woman, who dances in on bar 8.
17 1st & 2nd women dance in to meet their partners.
No Video
Miss Nicholl’s Reel
Joan Dodwell. Imperial Book of SCDs Book 1-3
32-bar reel for four couples in a four-couple longwise set
Two chords: on the second chord, 2nd and 4th couples cross to opposite sides.
1 – 2 1st couple cast off one place and 4th couple cast up one place. At the same time, 2nd couple dance up to first place and 3rd couple dance down to fourth place.
3 – 6 1st and 4th couples dance right hands across once round.
7 – 8 2nd, 1st, 4th and 3rd couples set to partners.
9 – 14 2nd, 1st, 4th and 3rd couples repeat bars 1-6 from new positions to finish in original places.
15 – 16 All set advancing to meet partners with both hands joined. 1st and 3rd couples face up, 2nd and 4th couples face down.
17 – 24 1st and 3rd couples, 2nd and 4th couples dance interlocking allemandes to finish in the order 3,4,1,2 with 4th and 2nd couples on opposite sides. (Note)
25 – 28 3rd, 4th, 1st and 2nd couples set to partners and, giving right hands, cross over.
29 – 32 2nd couple lead up between 1st couple, cross and dance out between 4th and 1st couples, cast up to first place on opposite sides and, giving right hands, cross to first place on own sides and face out. 3rd, 4th and 1st couples, taking hands on the sides, step down on bars 31-32.
Repeat from new positions.
Devised by Joan Dodwell.
Note: Bars 17-24 are a variation of the interlocking allemandes described in the Manual of Scottish country dancing. In the standard version, the top two couples face up and the bottom two couples face down but it is essentially the same formation. In the original instructions, the formation is referred to as linked allemandes.
Video: King’s Croft
King’s Croft
Ann Dix, Real Friends Book 2
A 32 bar reel for Three 2 couple sets in a triangular spoke formation
1 – 4 1st & 2nd couples dance right hands across,
5 – 8 1st & 2nd couples dance a circle to the left
9 – 12 1st & 2nd couples, set advancing to join right hands with partner, 1st woman and & 2nd man join left hands for a balance in line, the women pull back eight shoulders to be beside partners, all facing anticlockwise.
13 – 16 All promenade ⅓ round anticlockwise and face partner in single line, men with backs to centre
17– 24 All dance a petronella & set twice to single line, now women with backs to centre
25 – 28 All ½ Reels of four;
29 – 32 All turn partner ¾ with the right hand to sides (2,1)
Repeat once, ending with Tulloch turn