SAM’S BUTTER CHURN

Devised by Claude Hutton in February, 2013 to once more honour The Sam Waller Museum in The Pas, Manitoba and danced for the first time at their second annual fund raising gala on St. Patrick’s Day, 2013.

32 bar strathspey for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1-4        1W and 2M set and giving RH change places, while 1M & 2W giving RH change places and set.

5-8        Repeat bars 1-4 to original places.

9-12    2s, followed by 1s, lead down for two bars, then dance RH across half-way.

13-14    2s, followed by 1s, taking nearer hands, dance up and out to the sidelines, 2s at the top finish facing out and 1s in 2nd place finish facing up, all on opposite sides.

15-16    2W, on the men’s side, pulls back LSh and turns 1W LH right round to end facing in on the sidelines with nearer hands joined.  At the same time, 2M, on the women’s side, pulls back RSh and turns 1M RH right round to finish facing in on the sidelines with nearer hands joined.

17-18    With nearer hands joined, 2s & 1s set.

19-24    2s & 1s dance La Baratte.

25-32    2s & 1s dance rights and lefts.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

La Baratte (6.18)

‘La Baratte’ is described during bars 3-8, however, it is usually preceded by setting on bars 1-2 of the eight bar phrase.

6 setting steps in 6 bars in quick time or strathspey tempo

Bars 1-2:    Each man, giving right hands, 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.
Bar 3-4:    Each dancer returns on the line along which he, or she, has just travelled.  During bar 3, 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, palms upward, just above her shoulder height.  The woman puts her left hand under the man’s left hand curling her fingers over his so 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.
Bars 5-6:    Dance a half turn out to opposite sides.

Baratte is the French word for churn, as in butter churn.  It can be danced by one or more couples.

DOWN CORKERY ROAD                                    
48-bar jig for three couples in a three-couple longwise set by Craig Williams

1–8         1st couple lead down the middle and up and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 7-8.
   
9–16    1st couple set to first corners and dance la baratte.

17–20     2nd man, followed by 1st man dances up behind 2nd woman and down the middle while 3rd woman, followed by 1st woman dances down behind 3rd man and up the middle.   

21–24    1st couple and first corners dance left hands across to finish with 1st couple in second place on own sides and first corners having changed places (i.e. 2nd man in 3rd woman’s place and 3rd woman in 1st man’s place).

25–32    1st couple set to second corners and dance la baratte, beginning with a left hand turn..

33–36    3rd man, followed by 1st man dances down behind 2nd man (in third place) and up the middle while 2nd woman, followed by 1st woman, dances up behind 3rd woman (in first place) and down the middle.

37–40    1st couple and second corners dance right hands across to finish with 1st couple in second place on own sides and second corners having changed places (i.e. 3rd man in 1st woman’s place and 2nd woman in 3rd man’s place).

41–44        Half reels of three across the dance, 1st man up, passing 3rd man by the right and 1st woman down, passing 2nd woman by the right to begin.

45–48        1st couple turn partner with the right hand one and a half times to finish in second place on own sides.

Repeat from new positions.