Week 11, Semester 2

Well, a few of us showed up for demonstration class last night. As requested, we had a bit of a focus on circles.

Step Practice

• Slip step: Need to get the legs well turned out. Closing in 1st position and getting a good spring in the step.
• Skip change: Need to get a good straight leg at the start of your skip change of step
• Strathspey traveling: Need to think about being strong and smooth. Need to get a good urge at the start of the step and make sure that you close in 3rd everytime.

Figures:

• Circle round and back in jig time: Make sure that you keep your body and hips facing across the circle.
• Circle in strasthpey time: Keep the shoulders facing across and twist your hips. Still need to see a good strong strathspey traveling step. Close in 3rd rear aerial when changing direction in the circle
• 3 couple knot: Key thing is to release hands at the end of bar 5. Make sure that you have a good wide turn so that you end up directly opposite your partner and not diagonally opposite.

Airyhall Delight
8x32 Jig Book 40

• 1&2 set, right hands across half way. 1&3 half rights and lefts.
• 3&1 set, left hands across half way. 2&1 half rights and lefts.
• 1st couple lead down for 4, up for 2, all three couples set
• 6 hands round and back.

Difficult points in this dance are

• 1st lady going from the left hands across into the rights and lefts.
• Getting back up to second place and setting

???
3x32S+3x32R

• 1st couple cross down into 6 bar mirror reels of three on the side lines.
• 1st man crosses in front of 1st lady while 2nd couple continue reel into top place.
• All 3 couples dance the knot, 1st couple finish facing their 1st corner
• Half reel of 4 on the first corner diagonal, 1st couple turn left so that 1st lady faces 2nd lady's place and 1st man faces 3rd man's place, half diagonal reel of four on the second corner diagonal with 1st couple crossing right at the end. Finish 213 on the opposite side.
• 6 hands round and back.

Dance is repeated with the head of the set at the opposite end.

This dance is a bit of a goer, but a lot of fun. Hopefully it will get published in the NS 60th book. Suggestions for titles are welcomed.

Week 10, Semester 2

Step Practice

• Pas de basque: concentrating on the extension (see note by adjudicator for Newcastle)
• Strathspey setting step: concentrated on getting a smooth movement with the leg coming slowly up to 3rd rear aerial.
• Skip change of step: concentrated on getting a bit more flight without becoming bouncy.

Figures

• Four couple allemande: there is no step to the ladies side nor is there a step up the dance.
  
• Set to corner, partner
  
• Swirl

Sunday Morning
4x32 Reel 5/1982

• Petronella turn, set down the set, turn right 1+1/4: Do not try to cover too much distance with the setting, use the turn to cover the rest of the distance.
• Reel of 4 on sides
• 6 bars of a reel of 4 across and turn right to 3214: This cannot be done neatly and ruins the dance
• 4 couple allemande

Edina's Pride
8x32 Strathspey Gray (I believe it was republished in the Edinburgh branch 80th anniversary book)

• Cross below 2s and cast round 3s, turn right: Have to cover distance for the cross but slow down in the cast. Think about positioning so that you can flow into the next figure.
• Circle
• Swirl
• Set to corner, partner

Main thing about this dance is phrasing. Your strathspey traveling was generally good with no passing of feet except in the circle.

McKeown's Hornpipe
8x40 Hornpipe Drewry Canadian Book

• Variation on a double figure of 8: phrasing of this movement is important
• Mirror reels of 3
• 1 petronella and set while the 2s&3s cast to second place, men make an arch, pass person on right in front and cast to the end, cross right
• Repeat
• Circle

Again, the phrasing is important. The corners need to make the middle movement quite bulbous so that they have some distance to cover. The more you danced this the better you got, although you were quite out of breath at the end.

Messages:
We decided to have another class next week since the hall was booked.

Week 9, Semester 2

This class was taught by Liz Green as I had to go on a work trip.

I believe Liz taught Miss Gibson's Strathspey amongst other things. I think that she worked on your setting steps.