Dances for May 7, 2012

The Beginners Ball was held this past weekend. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Having Laura Risk and Nicholas Williams play for us was a real treat. I thought the dancers from Ardbrae, including the beginners, were well prepared for the program. The beginners deserve a congratulations for showing up and dancing fifteen dances in one event.

The dances for our summer classes will be posted on our web site Ottawa Dance Scottish rather than to this blog. The summer classes begin on May 17, 7:30pm at the Churchill Recreation Center. I hope to see many of you there.

This is the final class of the season. Remember, this class is at the Churchill Recreation Center. We will be focusing on dances on the AGM program. If time permits we will revisit The Minister On the Loch. This dance was covered in one of the combined sessions in March.

I found two videos of The Minister on the Loch. Both have very good dances and are shot from above with may help to see the pattern of the poussette in strathspey time i.e. the first 8 bars of the dance. Here are some instructions for the strathspey poussette.
Video: The Minster On the Loch
Video: The Minister On the Loch

This next video starts with The Highland Fair but continues into other dances. At about the four minute mark they do Fair Donald
Video: The Highland Fair and Fair Donald

Video: The Reel of the 51st Division

Video: The De’il Amang the Tailors

The Highland Fair
RSCDS Graded Book
A 32 bar jig for 2 couples

MUSIC                    DESCRIPTION
Bars
1 – 8    First couple cast off and dance down behind own line for 4 skip change of step, turn outwards and dance four steps back to place.

9 – 16    First and second couples turn partner with right hand and return to place – 4 skip change of step, then repeat, giving left hand.

17 – 24    First couple, followed by second couple, lead down the middle for 4 skip change of step. Second couple, followed by first couple, lead up the middle to finish second couple at top and first couple in second place.

25 – 32    First and second couples dance right and left.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

FAIR DONALD
RSCDS Book 29  No. 4
(Strathspey)

Music                           DESCRIPTION
Bars
1 – 4    First couple, with nearer hands joined, dance down between second couple and cast up to place.

5 – 8    First couple, with nearer hands joined, dance down between third couple and cast up to first corners; second couple step up on bars seven and eight.

9 – 16    First couple reel of four with first corners passing partner with left shoulder at end of reel.

17 – 24    First couple reel of four with second corners finishing as in Fig.

25 – 26    First couple cast off into second place.

27 – 28    Second, first and third couples set.

29 – 32    Second, first and third couples turn partners with two hands.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

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

Bars                        Description

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

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)
   

The Minister on the Loch
RSCDS Four Dances 2008
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a three-couple longwise set

Bars                    Description

1 – 8    1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette right round.

9 – 16    1st couple dance down the middle for two steps and, giving both hands, turn once round to finish in the middle facing up. 1st couple dance up the middle for two steps and, giving both hands, turn once round to finish in the middle facing up.

17 – 24    1st and 3rd couples dance a double figure of eight. To begin, 1st couple cast off and 3rd couple cross up. 1st couple finish in original places, facing out. 

25 – 28    1st and 2nd women, giving right hands, and 1st and 2nd men, giving left hands, turn one and a half times to change places.

29 – 32    1st and 3rd women, giving left hands, and 1st and 3rd men, giving right hands, turn one and a half times to change places.

Repeat from new positions.

Devised by Roy Goldring for Robert MacKay
Original tune: Muriel Johnstone’s compliments to Robert MacKay  (Muriel A Johnstone)
Originally published in 24 Graded and Social Dances devised by Roy Goldring

The dance takes its name from the painting: Reverend Robert Walker (1755-1808) Skating on Duddingston Loch by Sir Henry Raeburn

The Reel of the 51st Division
RSCDS Book 13 – No. 10
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

Bars                        Description

1 – 8    1st couple set to each other and cast off two places, meet below 3rd couple and lead up the middle to face first corners. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

9 – 12    1st couple set to and turn first corners with the right hand, finishing in a diagonal line by joining left hands with partner.

13 – 14    1st couple and first corners balance in line.

15 – 16    1st couple, releasing right hands with corners, turn each other one and a quarter times to face second corners.

17 – 22    1st couple repeat bars 9-14 with second corners.

23 – 24    1st couple cross to second place on own sides.

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

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Jimmy Atkinson, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and Peter Oliver, Seaforth Highlanders (London Scottish), with advice from Tom Harris-Hunter, Royal Army Service Corps while all were interned in the Prisoner of War camp at Laufen in Germany.

Original tune:  The Drunken Piper or Highland Rory Alex. McLeod, c. 1880

The original instructions in the form of notes, written by Tom Harris-Hunter on a scruffy piece of paper when he was a prisoner of war, clearly show that the dance was intended for a five couple set as it is still danced in Perthshire.

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TACNotes:’
1-8    Set (no stealing) bars 1-2, cast bars 3-5, dance in to meet on bar 6, lead up on bar 7 to face corners on bar 8.