Thursday, April 30, 2015

Dances for May 4, 2015 - Churchill Recreation Center

THE SHORES OF SOLWAY
10 SOCIAL DANCES devised by ROY GOLDRING
32 bar strathspey for 3 couples

1–4        First couple dance in towards each other and cast off to third place. Second and third couples step up on bars 3–4.

5–8    Second couple repeat bars 1–4. Third and first couples step up on bars 7–8.

9–16    Three couple knot. First couple finish facing first corners.

17–20    First couple set to first corners then dance round each other by the right to second corners.

21–24    First couple set to second corners then dance round each other by the right to second place on own sides.

25–32    Six hands round and back.

Repeat having passed a couple.
For Joe Murphy





THE QUINTE GATHERING

32-bar reel for three couples in a four couple longwise set 
Bars
1-8    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance crossover reels of 3, all couples crossing to the opposite sides when they reach the top.

9-12    As 2nd couple continue to dance up into 1st place, 1st couple cross down, giving left hands, through 2nd place and cast to their right, 1st woman down around 3rd man (in 3rd woman's place) and 1st man up around 2nd woman (in 1st man’s place).

13-16      1st couple, giving right hands, change places up and down the middle of the set and cast to their right, 1st woman casting between 2nd couple and 1st man between 3rd couple.   They finish with left hands joined in a diagonal line between 2nd corner positions   (1st woman is above her partner; hands are not joined with 2nd man and 3rd woman).

Corner Targe 
17-18     1st couple turns by the left 3/4, while corners dance clockwise to the next corner.
19-20    1st couple turns the person in 1st corner positions by the right hand once round (1st man with 3rd woman, 1st woman with 2nd man). 3rd man and 2nd woman set.
21-22    1st couple turn by the left hand 3/4, while the corners dance clockwise to the next corner.
23-24    1st couple turn the person in 2nd corner position by the right hand once round (1st man with 3rd woman, 1st woman with 2nd man). 3rd man and 2nd woman set. 1st couple finish in 2nd place on opposite sides.

25-28    1st couple dance half reels of 3 on the sides, 1st woman giving left shoulder to 3rd man to begin, 1st man giving left shoulder 2nd woman to begin.  1st couple finish in 2nd place on opposite sides.

29-32    1st man dances a half figure of eight around 2nd couple, while 1st woman dances a 1/2 figure of eight around 3rd couple.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Craig Williams, Ottawa.  Inscribed to the Belleville Scottish Country Dance Group for their wonderful workshops.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Dances for April 27, 2015 - Glashan School



Bouncing Braids
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–8        1st couple cross, giving right hands, and cast off one place as 2nd couple step             up. 1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple to finish facing first corners.

9–16    1st couple turn corners and partner to finish in second place on opposite sides, facing out.

17–22    1st couple cast to their left, man up, woman down, round second corner positions. They change places up and down the dance in the     middle, giving right hands, and cast to second place on own sides. Meanwhile, 2nd and 3rd couples cross, giving  right hands, and set, facing up             and down on the sidelines     (2nd man to 3rd man and 2nd woman to 3rd woman). They change places on the sidelines, giving left hands. On bar 18, 2nd woman and 3rd man make a long turn as do 2nd man and 3rd woman on bar 22.

23–24    All set to partners.       

25–32    3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance half rights and left on the diagonal, twice.

Repeat from new positions.

Devised by Brian Mortimer and presented to Carol Mortimer and Peter Schut on the occasion of their wedding, 21 May 1988.





STANFORD SWING
The Devil’s Quandary by Bob McMurtry
40 bar Jig/Reel for 3 couples – May 2002

1–6        1st couple set, cross with right hands and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 5 & 6.

7–8        1st couple turn three quarters, with the left hand, to face first corners.

9–16        1st couple dance the La Baratte with first corners. 1st couple stay facing out while corners stay facing in.

17–20    1st couple dance round second corners, passing left shoulders, and in the ends of the set, 1st man dancing between the 2nd couple and 1st woman through the 3rd couple. 1st couple end in the middle left shoulder to left shoulder, while first corners turn by the right hand for 4 bars and back to place.

21–24    1st couple turn by the left hand one and a half times to face second corner.

25–32    1st couple dance a La Baratte with second corners. 1st couple stay facing out while corners stay facing in.

33–36    1st man dances left round 2nd man into second place on own side, facing down, while 1st woman dances left round 3rd woman into second place own side facing up. Second corners turn by the right hand, once round, back to place but facing the 1st couple, as they arrive in second place.

37–40    1st man with 3rd man, 1st woman with 2nd woman, dance back to back on the sides

Repeat having passed a couple.

Dance Notes:  Corners use the full 4 bars for the turn in bars 17-20 and 33-36. 1st corners should utilize the vacated spot in second place to dance through to avoid running into 1st couple on bars 17-24. The turn for 1st couple on bars 21-24 should be quick. 1st couple slow down on bars 33-36. Second corners and 1st couple should flow into the back to back figure.

Music:  Jeannie o’ the Witchin E’e (jig) on Dances from the Collections of Mary MacNab, Volume 2 (CD) and The Bull Stane (reel) on Memories of Fife.

Notes:  Dedicated to the Stanford Class in their final year of dancing in the San Francisco Branch.

Additional Note:  On bars 25 &26 there should be a setting step before La Baratte.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Dances for April 20, 2015 - Glashan School

Farewell to Benbecula 
32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples 3 x 32

1–2        1st & 2nd couples set with nearer hands joined

3–4        1st & 2nd couples half turn partner 2H & finish in the centre with the 1st couple facing down & the 2nd couple facing up.

5–6        1st & 2nd couples, nearer hands joined, set advancing, passing the other couple by the left.

7–8        1st & 2nd couples half turn partner 2H & finish on the sides with the 1st couple in 2nd place facing out.

9–14    2nd, 1st & 3rd couples dance a right shoulder reel of three on the sides of the set. 1W & 3W also 1M & 2M pass right to begin. 1St couple again face out in 2nd place on #14.

15–16     1W & 2W change places LH while 1M & 2M change places RH.

17–20     1st couple petronella turn to the right finishing in the centre of the dance & set.

21–24     1st couple turn partner RH x1&1/4 to own sides & face in.

25–32     1st, 2nd & 3rd couples dance a Slip Knot for 3 couples
   
Bars:

25-26    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples, giving right  hands,  turn  partners  half‐way round to finish in the middle facing down, each woman turning to the right under her partner’s arm into allemande hold.
27-29    3rd couple, followed by 2nd and 1st couples, curve round and dance up the women’s side, releasing right hands at the end of bar 5.
30        The men, continuing to dance up the women’s side, begin to turn as they pass their partners across in front of them. The women take a long step towards the middle.
31-32    1st couple, in third place, turn with the left hand to own sides. At the same time 3rd and 2nd couples dance left hands across halfway round to finish on own sides in the order 2, 3, 1.

Deirdre MacCuish Bark: January 2014.
For Theresa Malek to celebrate a special birthday:
Theresa's ancestors were cleared from Benbecula in the 1840s & compelled to emigrate to North America.
Recommended Music:  Farewell to Benbecula by Marian Anderson (Ask Deirdre)
The tunes played by Marian are “Farewell to Benbecula”, “Calum’s Road”
And the third is a Muriel Johnston tune “The Inman’s of Allanton” or Ribble Valley CD: David Queen's Strathspey.




The Montgomeries’ Rant

RSCDS Book 10 – No. 1
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8    1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, cross over and 1st woman casts up one place while 1st man casts off one place. 1st woman finishes between 2nd couple facing 2nd man with 1st man between 3rd couple facing 3rd woman. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

9 – 16    1st woman with 2nd couple and 1st man with 3rd couple dance reels of three across the set. 1st woman and 2nd man and 1st man and 3rd woman pass by the right to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple, with nearer hands joined, face 2nd woman.

17 – 24    1st couple set to 2nd woman. 1st couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 3rd man and set. 1st couple move round to face 3rd woman and set. 1st     couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 2nd man and set. 1st couple finish facing second corners.

25 – 30    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. 1st couple pass second corners by the right to begin.

31 – 32    1st couple, giving right hands, cross to second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, 1749.

Original tune: Lord Eglintoune (John Riddell, c. 1766) but usually danced to Lady Montgomerie (Lord Eglintoune, 1796).
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TACNotes:’
17-24    1st woman is on her partner’s left to begin &, on bar 24, turns L about, with assistance from her partner, to face her second corner.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Dances for April 13, 2015 - Glashan School


Bonnie Ina Campbell
RSCDS Book XXXVII No. 6
(Strathspey)

1–8        1st couple turn once round with the right hand, lead down the middle, dance out below 3rd couple, cast up to second place on own sides and turn with the left hand to finish with 1st woman in the middle of the dance in top place facing 2nd man and 1st man in the middle in third place facing 3rd woman. 2nd couple step up on bars 3–4.

9–16    1st couple dance reels of three across the dance with 2nd and 3rd couples, 1st woman giving left shoulder to 2nd man to begin, and 1st man giving left shoulder to 3rd woman. 2nd and 3rd couples dance complete reels but, on bar 12, 1st couple turn each other with the right hand to continue in the track of each other’s reel. At the end, 1st couple meet in the middle in second place and pull right shoulders back to face first corners.

17–18    1st couple change places with their first corners giving right hands while second corners set facing each other.

19–20    First corners turn with the left hand three quarters round, while 1st couple and second corners dance round clockwise to the next corner position.

21–22    1st couple change places with their first corners in person giving right hands while second corners set facing each other.

23–24    1st couple turn with the left hand one and a quarter times to face first corner positions, while the corners dance round clockwise to the next corner position.

25–28    Giving right shoulder to person in first corner position, 1st couple dance a half reel of four with first corners. At the end, 1st couple pass by the right to face second corner positions.

29–32    Giving right shoulder to the person in second corner position, 1st couple dance a half reel of four with second corners. At the end, 1st couple pass by the right to second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by George Will (Vancouver Branch)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
9-16    Note that 1st woman dances towards men’s side for both half reels, while 1st man dances towards women’s side for both.






Polharrow Burn
RSCDS Three Dances by Hugh Foss
32-bar reel for five couples in a five-couple longwise set

1–4        1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. 2nd and 4th couples step up on bars 3-4.

5–8        1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple while 3rd couple dance a half figure of eight round 4th couple.

9–16    1st and 3rd couples turn with the right hand once round, then with the left hand to finish facing first corner positions. At the same time 2nd couple, giving right hands, cross over and 2nd man, followed by his partner, dances down behind the women’s line and across at the foot of the set to finish in fifth place on own side of the dance. Similarly, 5th couple, giving right hands, cross over and 5th woman, followed by her partner, dances up behind the men’s line and across to finish in first place on own  side of the dance.

17–20    1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in first corner positions. To finish they pass by the left shoulder to face second corner positions.

21–24    1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in second corner positions. To finish, they pass by the left shoulder to face their partners’ first corner positions.

25–28    1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in their partners’ first corner positions and finish, passing by the left shoulder to second and fourth place on own sides of the dance. The order is now 2, 1, 4, 3, 5.

29–32    1st and 3rd couples turn with the left hand and cast off one place on own sides. 4th and 5th couples step up on bars 31-32.

Repeat from new posititions.

Originally published as Glendarroch Sheet No. 18
Original tune:  Miss Clementina Loughan (Nathaniel Gow) From Old Scottish Music by Annie Shand