Dances for April 28, 2014

The Left Handed Fiddler (R8x32) 3C (4C set)
Howard Lasnik
1-8        1s turn LH and cast 1 place, cross LH and cast left to both face 2L
9-16     1s set and turning inwards set to 3M and face 3L, set and turn inwards set to 2M end facing 1st corners
17-24     1s turn corners LH and partner RH to face 2nd corners, turn corner LH and partner RH to 2nd places own sides
25-32     All circle 6H round and back


THE ROYAL WEDDING
Five Scottish Country Dances   No. 4
(Strathspey)

1–8        1st couple set, turn with two hands once round, retaining nearer hands dance down the centre one place, then turn with two hands to face 1st corners. 2nd couple dance up on bars 3-4.

9–10        1st couple turn 1st corner with right hand and finish 1st woman between 2nd couple facing down, 1st man between 3rd couple facing up.

11–12    1st couple advance setting and pass left shoulders to face 2nd corners, while 2nd and 3rd couples set facing diagonally to the centre.

13–14    1st couple turn 2nd corner with right hand and finish on the sides between their corners, facing across the dance.

15–16    1st couple advance setting and pass left shoulders to face partner’s 1st corner (1st woman face 3rd woman, 1st man face 2nd man), while 2nd and 3rd couples set facing diagonally to the centre.

17–20    1st couple dance half-reel of four with 1st corners, passing left shoulders on bar 20 to face partner’s 2nd corner (1st woman face 2nd woman, 1st man face 3rd man).

21–24    1st couple dance half-reel of four with 2nd corners, passing left shoulders on bar 24 to finish still in centre of set facing the opposite side of the dance.

25–28    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance round the set clockwise half-way – the women led by 3rd woman who begins by dancing across top place to her own side, and the men, led by 2nd man who dances across 3rd place to his own side. 1st couple dance out to 2nd place on opposite sides and turn right to follow immediately after the lead dancer.

29–32    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples turn partner with two hands once round.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Devised by Gene MacKinnon and presented to the R.S.C.D.S. by the Ardbrae Dancers of Ottawa, Canada as their contribution to the festivities of the wedding of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, July 1981.

Tune: Our Highland Queen
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The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing:
Bars 7-8       1st man releases his left hand and, with his right hand, helps 1st woman round to face her first corner.
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TACNotes:’
1-8       1st cpl finish turn (bars 3-4) slightly above 1st place. On bar 7, they dance a wide turn & open out on bar 8, 1st man
             retaining prtnr’s LH in his RH to assist her to face her first corner.
11-12    1st cpl are setting to partner. Also bars 15-16.




THE COURAGE REEL
THE CANADIAN BOOK OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES by John Drewry
for Simon Fraser of “The Courage”, Nairn

Reel – 3 couples – 48 bars.

Tune – “Sneug of Foula” by Tom Georgeson – from “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Welcome to Shetland”.

1–8        1st couple and 2nd couple dance the “Espagnole”  (See Glayva) to change places. At the end 1st couple continue turning by the left hand to face first corners.

9–32    1st couple and their first and second corners “dance to each corner and set” moving right round back to the same positions as at the end of Bar 8.

(SEE BELOW FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE)
On the last bar, 1st couple can join right hands to help turn one another to face first corners again.

33–38    1st couple dance reels of three on the sides with their corners, beginning by giving left shoulders to first corner.

39–40    1st couple, giving right hands, cross to own sides in second place.

41–48    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

“DANCE TO EACH CORNER AND SET”
A new figure in which 1st couple and their first and second corners dance to each of the four corner positions by turn and set in those positions.

9–10    1st couple dance out to first corner positions, passing their corners by the right. First corners dance in, passing 1st couple by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner position round the set anticlockwise. Second corners set facing one another diagonally across the set.

11–12    1st couple set in first corner positions, facing one another diagonally. First corners dance out to the next corner positions (i.e. 3rd lady to top lady’s place, and 2nd man to 3rd man’s place) passing second corners by the right. Second corners dance in passing first corners by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner positions round the set anticlockwise.

13–14    1st couple dance in, passing their partner’s second corners by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner positions. First corners set, facing one another diagonally across the set. Second corners dance out to the next corner positions, passing 1st couple by the right.

15–32    Repeat the movements of the last six bars three more times so that each dancer visits each corner position in turn moving anticlockwise round the set.

NOTE: - This figure consists (so far as the movements are concerned) of four phases of six bars each. Each six-bar phrase consists of three two-bar movements.

For the 1st couple these are: - two bars to dance out, two to set, and two to dance in.

For first corners: - two bars to dance in, two to dance out, and two to set.

For second corners: - two bars to set, two to dance in, and two to dance out.

Dances for April 14, 2014

FIFTY YEARS ON
RSCDS Book 43

Two chords.  On the second chord, 3rd and 4th couples change places with their partners to start the dance on the opposite sides of the set.

1–4    2nd and 3rd couples set to and turn partners with the right hand half way round, retaining hold of hands.

5–8        2nd couple lead up, crossing back to own side, and cast off to original places.3rd couple lead down, crossing back to opposite side, and cast up to original places.

9–16    1st and 2nd couples dance a double figure of eight across the dance, 1st couple casting off to begin, while 2nd couple dance up crossing over. At the same time 3rd and 4th couples dance a double figure of eight, 3rd couple dancing down and crossing over to begin while 4th couple cast up. 1st and 4th couples remain facing out.

17–20    1st and 2nd men and 3rd and 4th men turn with the left hand one-and-a-half times to change places.  Meanwhile, 1st and 2nd women and 3rd and 4th women turn with the right hand one-and-a-half times.

21–24    1st and 4th couples (in second and third places) dance half rights and lefts.  1st and 4th men remain facing out.

25–32    2nd and 4th men and 1st and 3rd women dance a reel of four on the men’s side, while their partners dance a reel of four on the women’s side. On bars 31-32, instead of passing left shoulders, 4th man and 1st woman and 4th woman and 1st man, using skip change of step, turn with both hands half-way round, opening out to face across the dance with nearer hands joined.  2nd and 3rd women complete the reel by curving round to the right to take them into the circle.

33–40    2nd, 4th, 1st and 3rd couples dance eight hands round and back.

The finishing order is 2, 4, 1, 3 with 1st and 3rd couples on opposite sides. Repeat from new positions.

Devised by John Drewry, 2002.

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TACNotes:’
21-24      1st & 4th men finish facing out, omitting polite turns.
25 – 32     Fairly wide 2H turn on bars 31-32.


CABERFEI
Scottish Country Dances of the Eighteenth Century by Jack McConachie
(Caber Feidh – Deer’s Antlers)
Longways set in Reel time for 4 (or 5) couples —
3-couple dance —  32-Bar sequence.

1–8        First and second couples dance right Hands Across (round for 4 “Skip Change” steps), and back again with left Hands Across, to places (4 steps).
9–12    First couple dance down between second couple for 1 step, then turning inwards (towards each other), lead up (with nearer hands), to the top and cast off (on own sides) to 2nd place.  Second couple move up on bars 11-12.
13–16    First couple lead down (with nearer hands), between third couple and cast up (on own         sides) round them to finish facing their 1st Corners (passing each other by the left in 2nd place).(First couple make the shape the of Deer’s Antlers on Bars 9-16).
17–20    First couple set to their 1st Corners (with 1 Pas de Basque on the right foot), then, passing by right shoulders, dance round 1st Corners, while the two “Corner dancers” dance a half Reel of Four (passing each other by the left in the middle) to the opposite Corner position.  First couple finish facing their 2nd Corners (3 “Skip Change” steps, beginning with the left foot).
21–24    Repeat Bars 17-20 with 2nd Corners  (Diagram 3), first couple finishing in 2nd place on the opposite side (all three couples are now on opposite sides – first lady between second and third ladies, and first man between second and third men.
25–28    First three couples set to partners (with 1 Pas de Basque on right foot), then dance six Hands halfway Round, to the left, to own sides (6 Slip steps).
29–32    First three couples turn partners (once round) with right hands (4 “Skip Change” steps). First couple repeat from 2nd place (with third and fourth couples), and cast off to the bottom, while fourth couple move up to 3rd place.

Each couple repeat in turn, as first couple.

Notes:  Release right hands and turn inwards, by the right, on Bar 4.  Release left hands on Bar 7 and dance to original places.
First couple dance down in front of second couple on Bar 9, turn sharply inwards (lady to her right, and man to his left), on Bar 10, then lead up the middle and cast off to 2nd place.
Pas de Basque on the right foot on Bar 17, then hop on the right foot with the left foot extended forward (raised), to change into “Skip Change” step.  The same applies on Bar 21, and on Bar 25 but bringing the left foot to the side – ready to step sideways.

Dances for April 7, 2014

THE COURAGE REEL
THE CANADIAN BOOK OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES by John Drewry
for Simon Fraser of “The Courage”, Nairn
Reel – 3 couples – 48 bars.
Tune – “Sneug of Foula” by Tom Georgeson – from “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Welcome to Shetland”.

1–8    1st couple and 2nd couple dance the “Espagnole”  (See Glayva) to change places. At the end 1st couple continue turning by the left hand to face first corners.

9–32    1st couple and their first and second corners “dance to each corner and set” moving right round back to the same positions as at the end of Bar 8. (SEE BELOW FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE) On the last bar, 1st couple can join right hands to help turn one another to face first corners again.

33–38    1st couple dance reels of three on the sides with their corners, beginning by giving left shoulders to first corner.

39–40    1st couple, giving right hands, cross to own sides in second place.

41–48    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

“DANCE TO EACH CORNER AND SET”
A new figure in which 1st couple and their first and second corners dance to each of the four corner positions by turn and set in those positions.

9–10    1st couple dance out to first corner positions, passing their corners by the right. First corners dance in, passing 1st couple by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner position round the set anticlockwise. Second corners set facing one another diagonally across the set.

11–12    1st couple set in first corner positions, facing one another diagonally. First corners dance out to the next corner positions (i.e. 3rd lady to top lady’s place, and 2nd man to 3rd man’s place) passing second corners by the right. Second corners dance in passing first corners by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner positions round the set anticlockwise.

13–14    1st couple dance in, passing their partner’s second corners by the right, then they pass one another in the centre of the dance by the right to face the next corner positions. First corners set, facing one another diagonally across the set. Second corners dance out to the next corner positions, passing 1st couple by the right.

15–32    Repeat the movements of the last six bars three more times so that each dancer visits each corner position in turn moving anticlockwise round the set.

NOTE: - This figure consists (so far as the movements are concerned) of four phases of six bars each. Each six-bar phrase consists of three two-bar movements.

For the 1st couple these are: - two bars to dance out, two to set, and two to dance in.
For first corners: - two bars to dance in, two to dance out, and two to set.
For second corners: - two bars to set, two to dance in, and two to dance out.




MONTREAL RENDEZVOUS
Farewell, My Fancy and more Scottish Country Dances by Bob Campbell

A Medley for Three Couples

1–8        First couple turn with the right hand, cast off one place then turn partially with the left hand, the man dancing up and casting off round second man, the woman dancing down and casting         up round third woman.  Second couple step up on bars 3-4.                     

9–12    Six hands once round to finish in from the sidelines facing partner at an angle.

13–14    All dance back to back with partner.

15–16    All cross to opposite sides giving right hands.

Reel

1–2        All clap and first couple dance a Petronella turn, the man to finish between second couple who face down, the woman to finish between third couple who face up.

3–4        Set three and three.

5–8        First couple dance a Petronella turn to own sides then set three and three.

9–12        All clap and first man dances a half reel of three with second couple giving right shoulder to second man while first woman dances a half reel of three with third couple giving right shoulder to third woman.  First couple finish in second place on opposite sides.

13–16    First couple turn once and a half with the right hand to finish on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.