Dances for March 25, 2019 - Ottawa Dance Scottish

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Book 38 – No. 3

32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8 1st couple set and, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, turn to join right hands with first corners in balance in line position. 2nd couple step up on bars 5-6.

9 – 10 1st couple and first corners balance in line.

11 – 16 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn first corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by first corners, dance clockwise halfway round the set, passing behind second corners. 1st couple dance in to join right hands with partner and left hands with second corners. 3rd woman finishes in 1st man’s place and 2nd man finishes in 3rd woman’s place.

17 – 18 1st couple and second corners balance in line.

19 – 24 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn second corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by second corners, dance anticlockwise halfway round the set, passing behind 1st corners. 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish in second place on opposite sides facing out. 3rd man finishes in 1st woman’s place and 2nd woman finishes in 3rd man’s place. All are on opposite sides in the order 3, 1, 2.

25 – 28 3rd , 1st and 2nd couples dance half reels of three on the sides, 3rd and 1st men and 1st and 2nd women passing by the left to begin.

29 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands to partners, cross over.

    Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Ellie Briscoe, Alexandria, Virginia.

Original tune: Miss Catherine Stewart, Pettyvaich (William Marshall)

The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing:
Bars 11-16      The half turns should be completed in one bar to ensure the corners finish in new place. Similarly for bars 19-24.

TACNotes:’
11-16 1st cpl half turn corners, on bar 11, & release hands. Corners follow closely without going back through corner position.
19-24 Bar 19 as well as bar 11 above.

Video: The Dream Catcher

The Dream Catcher
RSCDS, Book 45
(96-bar Strathspey for four couples in a square set)

Bars Description
Part 1
1 – 8 All dance eight hands round and back.

9 – 16 The swirl

9 – 10      1st and 3rd couples turn partners with the right hand once round to finish in                       allemande hold facing across the set.

11 – 12     1st and 3rd couples dance round each other half way, men passing left   shoulders, 
        to finish in the middle of the set. On bar 12, 1st and 3rd couples release right hands 
        and retain left hands.

13 – 16    1st and 3rd couples dance left hands across. On bar 16 they dance in and, pulling back 
        left shoulder, dance on to finish back to back with partner facing the side couples. 
       1st woman and 3rd man face 2nd couple, 3rd woman and 1st man face 4th couple. [Fig.]

17 – 24 All dance reels of four across the dance, passing right shoulders to begin.

25 – 26 All set.

27 – 32 1st man with 3rd woman, 3rd man with 1st woman, retaining nearer hands, dance out between
the 4th and 2nd couples respectively, cross and cast to places then, giving right hands, change
places with partners.

    Part 2

1 – 4 All four couples, joining nearer hands with partners, set then advance to join hands in a circle in the middle.

5 – 8 Releasing partners’ hands and retaining nearer hands with corners, all retire on the diagonal and set.

9 – 16 1st woman and 4th man, 2nd man and 3rd woman dance rights and lefts. To begin, 1st woman gives right hand to 2nd man and 4th man gives right hands to 3rd woman.

17 – 24 1st man and 2nd woman, 4th woman and 3rd man dance rights and lefts. To begin, 1st man gives right hand to 4th woman and 2nd woman gives right hand to 3rd man.

25 – 28 All four couples, joining nearer hands with corners, set then advance to join hands in a circle in the middle.

29 – 32 Releasing corners’ hands and retaining nearer hands with partners, all retire to original places and set.

    Part 3

1 – 8 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 9-16 of Part 1.

9 – 16 All dance reels of four up and down the dance, passing right shoulders to begin.

17 – 18 All set.

19 – 24 2nd man with 4th woman, 4th man with 2nd woman, retaining nearer hands, dance out between
the 1st and 3rd couples respectively, cross and cast to places then, giving right hands, change places with partners.

25 – 32 All dance eight hands round and back.

Devised by Eileen Orr, RSCDS Royal Tunbridge Wells Branch and first published by that branch in the Silver Anniversary Book of Dances (2001). The swirl was devised by Alex Gray of South Wales Branch and first introduced in two dances published by Edinburgh Branch in Edinburgh Diamond Jubilee Dances 1984.

The dream catcher is like a spider’s web, decorated with beads, semi-precious stones, feathers and strips of leather. Native North Americans believe that good and bad dreams come from the night sky and that bad dreams are trapped in the web, allowing only good dreams to get through. The bad dreams then evaporate in the rays of the early morning sun.

Note:
The RSCDS Technique Committee has provided the following additional information:

Bars 9-10 1st & 3rd couples dance a complete turn RH, finishing in allemande hold, facing into the set.

Bars 11-12 1st & 3rd couples dance half way round each other, men passing left shoulder, to finish in the middle of the set, facing towards their original places (1st couple facing 1st couple’s place), – during bar 12 all release RH and join up LH in the middle.

Bars 13-15 1st & 3rd couples dance LH across, nearly once round (more than ¾).

Bar 16 1st & 3rd couples release LH and all pull back L Sh to turn completely round, moving slightly forward, (a “pirouette” movement), to finish ready for the reels of 4 across, 1st & 3rd couples are back to back with partner, 1M facing 4L, 1L facing 2M.

In practice the LH across is virtually all the way round and the pirouette is then almost on the spot.

Note: Although we have referred to it as a “pirouette”, a small travelling step is used to turn round.