Welcome back to the new season of dancing in the Ardbrae Intermediate class. I am excited about the new year of dancing. Hopefully, we can all have some fun, get some exercise and improve our dancing.

This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ardbrae Dancers of Ottawa.

For the first three weeks we will be focusing on dances for the Ardbrae workshop on October 17-19. Some of the dances on the program have been taken from the book of dances devised by Ardbrae members.

The Jubilee Jig
32J 3C (4C Set)
RSCDS Leaflet 19

1–2        1st man casts off one place. 2nd man steps up.

3–8        1st man and 3rd woman set and turn with right hands to places.

9–10    1st woman casts off one place. 2nd woman steps up.

11–16    1st woman and 3rd man set and turn with left hands to places.

17–20    1st woman dances right hands across with 2nd couple, while 1st man dances right hands across with 3rd couple, 1st couple finish in the centre, with left hands joined, facing the opposite side.

21–24    1st couple set and dance out to opposite side.

25–28    1st man dances right hands across with 2nd couple, while 1st woman dances right hands across with 3rd couple. 1st couple finish in the centre with left hands joined, facing own side.

29–32    1st couple set and dance out to own side.

St. John’s Road
32 bar reel for 3 couples
The Highland Road, Scottish Country Dances Devised by Sandy Gallamore

1–4        1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. (2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.)

5–8        1st woman dances ½ figure of eight around 3rd couple, 1st man dances 1/2 figure of eight around 2nd couple, finish in 2nd place on own side.

9–12    2nd, 1st, and 3rd couple dance ½ reels of three on the side.  2nd and 1st woman, 1st and 3rd men giving right shoulder to begin.

13–16    1st woman with 3rd couple, 1st man with 2nd couple dance 1/2 reels of three across the dance, 1st woman giving left shoulder to 3rd man, 1st man giving left shoulder to 2nd woman.  1st couple finish facing partner’s first corner position.

17–20    1st couple and first corners set and, 1st couple, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in first corner position.  At the same time, 1st corners dance in towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing corner position.

21–24    1st couple and first corners set and first corners, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in first corner position.  At the same time, 1st couple dance in towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing partner’s second corner position.

25–32    1st couple repeat bars 17-24 with second corners and pass each other by the right shoulder to finish in 2nd place on own side.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Note:  the movement in bars 17-32 was devised by the late Alec Hay.

Neidpath Castle
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a three-couple longwise set
RSCDS Book 22 – No. 9

1–2        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set to partners.

3–6        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples, giving both hands, turn twice round.

7–8        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set to partners.

9–16    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a grand chain.

17–24    1st couple dance figures of eight on own sides, dancing in and down to begin and giving nearer hands when possible. 1st couple finish in the middle and, on bar 24, 2nd couple dance in to form a diagonal line with 1st couple, 1st woman and 2nd man back to back.

25–28    1st and 2nd couples dance a half poussette, 2nd couple finishing in top place while 1st couple turn in the middle. On bar 28, 3rd couple dance in to form a diagonal line with 1st couple, 1st woman and 3rd man back to back.

29–32    1st and 3rd couples dance a half poussette to finish in the order 2, 3, 1.

Repeat with a new top couple.

Devised by Derek Haynes, Liverpool Branch.
Original tune: Dr and Mrs Green (K Macaulay-Jones)

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TACNotes:’
25–28       Slow turn for 1st cpl on bars 27-28.

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TACNotes:’
3-4    Emphasize that 1st man stays on the sidelines as he sets to 3rd woman.
24    1st cpl flow through 2nd position on the side, before entry into RH across on bar 25.
32    1st man may finish facing out to flow on into his cast on bars 1-2 of the repetition.

The Deil amang the Tailors
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
RSCDS Book 14 – No. 7

1–4        1st and 2nd couples set to partners and dance right hands across halfwayround.

5–8        2nd and 1st couples set to partners and dance left hands across halfway round to original places.

9–16    1st couple lead down the middle and up to finish in the middle of the set facing up. 2nd couple step in.

17–24    1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.

25–32    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Dale’s Collection of Reels and Dances c. 1799.
Original tune: The Deil amang the Tailors (Gow)