Video: Sarona

SARONA
dance devised by John Drewry
for San Francisco Branch of the R.S.C.D.S.
Strathspey – 4 couples — 32 bars.
Tune – “Sarona” by J. Scott Skinner — “The Scottish Violinist” page 49.
In this dance 3rd and 4th couples start on wrong sides.

1–2 1st couple and 4th couple dance petronella-wise into the centre of the dance to form a straight line down the centre with 1st man and 4th man back to back in the middle of the line (2nd couple step up about half a place, while 3rd couple step down about half a place).

3–4 All set to partners in two diamond formations.

5–8 1st couple with 2nd couple, and 3rd couple with 4th couple dance right hands across to the same positions as at the end of Bar 2.

9–12 1st couple and 4th couple dance half a reel of four down the centre of the dance.

13–14 4th couple change places with one another, passing by the right, while 1st couple, similarly, change places with one another. The dancers should still be in a straight line down the centre at the end of Bar 14.

15–16 4th man turns 2nd lady with both hands three quarters round, while 4th lady turns 2nd man with both hands three quarters round to form a straight line across the dance with 4th couple between 2nd couple.

1st man, similarly, turns 3rd lady with both hands, while 1st lady turns 3rd man with both hands to form a straight line across the dance with 1st couple between 3rd couple.

17–20 2nd couple with 4th couple, and 3rd couple with 1st couple, dance half reels of four across the dance.

21–22 2nd couple dance into the centre (passing the 4th couple by the right) then they pass one another by the right to finish in top place facing down with 2nd lady on the left of 2nd man.

3rd couple, similarly, dance into the centre (passing 1st couple by the right), then they pass one another by the right to finish in fourth place facing up with 3rd lady on the left of 3rd man.

4th lady dances out to the ladies’ side, passing 2nd man by the right, then down on the side to second place. 1st lady dances out to the men’s side, passing 3rd man by the right, then up on the side to third place.

4th man dances out to the men’s side, passing 2nd lady by the right, then, pulling his left shoulder back, he dances down to second place.

1st man, similarly, dances out to the ladies’ side, passing 3rd lady by the right, then, pulling his left shoulder back, he dances up to 3rd place.

23–24 With 2nd and 3rd couples and 4th man and 1st lady, and 1st man and 4th lady joining nearer hands, all set in a square formation.

25–26 2nd couple, 4th man with 1st lady, 1st man with 4th lady, and 3rd couple, advance one step to form a circle, then releasing hold of hands they dance in slightly and pull right shoulder back to face out. (This second step is almost a turning on the spot and care should be taken to preserve the circular formation).

27–28 All dance out clockwise in a chase.

29–32 Eight hands round to the left to finish on the side lines in the order 2,4,1,3 with 1st and 3rd couples on wrong sides.

 

No Video for this dance.

TACTFUL DANCERS
32-bar hornpipe for 3 couples in a 4-couple set
Music: David Jones’s Locker, by Chris Dewhurst, or similar hornpipe

1-4 1st and 2nd men, and 1st and 2nd women, facing on the sides, set and turn half way, men with left hand and women with right hand. 2nd couple make polite turns as they finish in top place.

5-8 1st and 3rd men, giving right hands, turn once round; meanwhile, 1st and 3rd women, giving left hands, turn once round.

9-10 1st couple change places with second corners (2nd woman and 3rd man) giving left hands.

11-12 Original second corners (now in 2nd place on opposite sides) change places with first corners (2nd man and 3rd woman) giving right hands.

13-14 Original first corners (now in 2nd place on opposite sides) change places with 1st couple (in 2nd corner positions) giving left hands.

15-16 Giving right hands to partner, all cross over and face in, pulling right shoulder back. Dancers are now on opposite sides in the order 312.

17-24 Dance set and link for 3 couples, twice, to finish on own side in the order 213.

25-32 Circle six hands round and back.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Devised by Chris Ronald, August 2016, in honour of Elizabeth Woodbury.

Notes:
The dance recognizes Elizabeth’s love of sailing, particularly J27s which can have a crew of six.

Bars 1-8 depict greeting the other crew members; bars 9-16 tacking, bars 17-24 ‘all hands on deck’, and bars 25-32 celebrate the successful conclusion of an event.

The title alludes to the tacking figure on bars 9-16. The figure was inspired by a similar movement in Iain Boyd’s dance: The Cashmere Shawl. In that dance right hands are given first, but in this dance left hands are given first, since the starboard tack has right-of-way over the port tack! PS. I find it helps to teach bars 9-16 first.