Dances for August 9, 2018 – Last Class

THE SANDS OF ASILOMAR
dance devised by John Drewry
for the dancers of San Francisco
Strathspey – 4 couples – 32 bars.
Tune – “The Sands of Asilomar” _ See Manuscript – Tune in E flat composed by Paul Machlis

1 – 2 All turn partners with both hands half-way round and stay in the centre of the dance facing partners – 3 to 4 feet apart.

3 – 4 Joining nearer hands up and down the dance, all set to partners.

5 – 8 The men all cast off and, with 4th man leading, cross over to own sides and dance up. The women all cast up and, with 1st woman leading, cross over to own sides and dance down. All are now on own sides in the order 4,3,2,1.

9 – 10 4th couple turn with the right hand half – way round while moving down towards second place; 1st couple, similarly, turn with the right hand half-way round while moving up to third place.

11 – 12 4th and 1st couples dance right hands across half-way round to return to original places.

13 – 14 3rd and 2nd couple turn partners with the right hand half – way round.

15 – 16 3rd and 2nd couples dance right hands across half – way round to return to original places.

17 – 18 1st woman and 2nd man, (and 3rd woman and 4th man), change places passing by the right without giving hands.

19 – 20 All turn partners half – way round with both hands opening up into:-

21 – 24 1st couple with 2nd couple, and 3rd couple with 4th couple, dance four hands round to the left one and a quarter times to finish with all in the centre with nearer hands joined with partners, with 1st and 3rd couples facing down and 2nd and 4th couples facing up.

25 – 26 All set with nearer hands joined with partners. During the setting 1st and 2nd couples, and 3rd and 4th couples, change places – as in “Mary Hamilton”.

27 – 28 2nd couple dance up slightly then out into top place with a “casting off” movement; 3rd couple dance down slightly then out into fourth place with a “casting up” movement. 1st and 4th couples set again and change places while setting.

29-32 4th couple dance up between 2nd couple and cast off to second place. 1st couple dance down between 3rd couple and cast up to third place. The finishing order is 2,4,1,3.

 

Video: Round about Hullachan

Round about Hullachan or
Hullachan round the House
RSCDS Book 5 – No. 4
32-bar reel for any number of couples in a round-the-room
formation. Women face clockwise and men anti-clockwise.

1 – 8 All set to partners four times.
9 – 12 All dance a tulloch turn one and a half times round to the right.

13 – 16 All dance a tulloch turn twice round to the left, finishing back to back with partner and facing next man or woman.

17 – 32 Repeat bars 1-16 with new partner.

Collected in Perthshire.

Original tune: Round about Hullachan (Gow’s Collection, earlier version Bremner c.1760) This is the same tune as Reel of Tulloch.

Notes:

1. Although this is a 16-bar dance, the music is arranged as 32-bars and the dance description reflects that.

2. Traditionally danced until partners meet again but may be done any number of times.

3. The dance is also known as The Reel of Tulloch in a Circle.

Repeat from new places.

 

 

THE OWL’S NEST
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 2 1st and 2nd women set to each other while 1st and 2nd men set to each other.

3 – 4 1st and 2nd women change places with left hands while 1st and 2nd men change place with right hands.

5 – 6 1st and 3rd women set to each other while 1st and 3rd men set to each other.

7 – 8 1st and 3rd women change places with right hands While 1st and 3rd men change places With left hands.

9 – 16 2nd, 3rd, and 1st couples dance reel of three on their own side of the dance. To begin, 2nd and 3rd women past left shoulders while 2nd and 3rd men pass right shoulders. 3rd and 1st couples end in center ready for

17 – 24 Allemande (now order is 2, 1, 3).

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

Repeat having passed a couple.

Devised by Marilyn Blaschke, 2005.

This dance was written for my husband, T ed, who has had the nickname “Owl ” from college days as he liked to stay up very late at night studying and hated to get up in the morning.