Newcastle Festival

Ladies Team

I felt that you did very well. It is always difficult to be the first team on as you have nothing to compare yourselves to and there are many unknowns. We were very unfortunate that the organisors had not informed the official musician of our dances until the morning. We were even more unfortunate that he played the Jig very quickly.

Adjudicator's Remarks

The Royal Wedding (S)
The team took up a good size of set on the floor. The bow and curtsey were neat.
The Strathspey step of some of the dancers appears bouncy probably because of a quick close into 3rd position. Care must be taken not to pass feet so that a good 3rd position is apparent.
Formations were well-phrased and turns well-covered, though you might look at bringing hands up together.
Handing was pleasing and the continuity was quite good - the continuity between reels must be flowing, with no pause.

Miss Cahoon's Reel (J)
The music was possibly a little fast to make the most of technique. As a result the flight in the skip change was not evident.
Pas de basque was rhythmic and showed the transfer of weight. Skip change of step needs to maintain the outward rotation in 2nd position.
On occasions the penultimate reel went adrift.
The formations were quite well done. Handing was not as neat as in the strathspey.
Covering in the last reel was excellent however the 1st reel had problems occasionally.
A commendable demonstration overall.

Mark: 88


Mixed Team

The team danced very well. Again, we had problems with the quick time being played too fast.

Adjudicator's Remarks

Miss Catherine Allan (S)
The team took up a good sized set on the floor.
Many of the dancers need to stretch the leg when urging forward in strathspey and to take greater care of the feet in the rear aerial in the setting step. In the lead down give a little more space between dancers.
The figure in the middle was neatly done, though couples didn't arrive at corners by the same method. Covering to the corners was excellent. Reel across 3rd time through were a little ragged.
As a general guide try to think of strathspey step as strong and smooth. Eye contact with partners and handing were well done.

Minard Castle (R)
After a very neat curtsey and bow, the dancers made a fine entry into the right hands across. Links between the reels were very well performed.
The circles had a good shape and slip steps were neat. Care needs to be taken in pas de basque - extension to 4th intermediate must be kept low.
Unfortunately there were a few hesitations but it was danced with scottish character.

Mark: 87



Display
The display seemed to go very well. A video of the performance can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stCkk1eA9ik.
Unfortunately, I did not think that the announcement needed to give the names of the dances. I apologise for that.
It seems that Peter Clark was after a more traditional performance.

Well done to the Edinburgh branch for putting together a good demonstration and executing it well.

Week 5, Semester 2

Final practice before the Newcastle Competition.

We went over the dances for the mixed team thinking about the points that are important for each dance.

Semester 2 Week 4

Step Practice
Strathspey travelling step

• Starts with a dip
• Need to get a straight leg
• Make sure you are closing in third and are not too high on your toes

Strathspey setting step

• Really reach out to second with a slight dip
• Close in third rear, again not too high on the toes
• Step out again and slowly bring the foot up behind, ladies not too high on the leg, the toe should be touching the heel

Exercise
Setting into 2 steps forward

• Looked at the transition between the two steps
• At end of setting step, bring the leg up behind to complete the setting step before going forward
• At the end of the traveling step, bring the leg up to third rear areal before setting

Royal Wedding
8x32 Strathspey Book 5/1982

• 1s set turn both hands, dance down one place while the 2s dance up the side lines, 1s turn both hands finishing facing your first corner (lady releases right hand, man left hand to open the turn out)
• Turn 1st corner with right hand to lines across the dance
• Corners set facing in diagonally while the 1s set advancing to face their 2nd corners
• 1s turn 2nd corner with right hand to side lines
• Corners set facing in diagonally while the 1s set advancing to their partner's 1st corner
• Half diagonal reel of four with 1st corners, 1s pass left shoulder into half diagonal reel of four with 2nd corners, finish passing left shoulder in the centre of the dance
• All chase round clockwise to own side of the dance, 1s come dance to be between the 2s and 3s for the chase
• All turn both hands, starting from the side lines

Make sure that you have a long wide set for this dance otherwise you will find it really hard to get the phrasing.

This dance is all about phrasing. Try to give yourselves plenty of distance to cover even with the last 2 steps of a phrase.

Make sure your turns have wide hands and that your shoulders are facing each other, i.e. you are not squint.

Corners have to stay awake to remember to set.

Try to make sure that the spacing between couples in the chase is even.

Cover the turn at the end which starts from the side lines.

Miss Cahoon's Reel
8x48 Jig Book 13

Minard Castle
8x40 Reel Book 22

Rant
You must learn the dances. I will not be able to call them to you on the day of the festival. The points to remember for each dance have been posted this semester. Look over the old posts.

Semester 2 Week 3

Step Practice
Slip step

• Make sure that the feet close in first position on every step
• Make sure the toes get off the ground and are pointed

Pas de Basque

• Really think about emphasising the second beat by concentrating on transferring the weight.
• In traveling pas de basque only move on the jete
  

Exercise
Setting and moving:

• Practiced the track of the first couple in double triangles.
• Started the double triangle track with lady facing up and man facing down. Means you've got extra distance to cover. It is hard!

Setting then changing into a circle

• Pas de basque (right, left) into slip step to the left is hard! Need to transfer weight by adjusting the end of the second pas de basque step

Minard Castle
8x40 Reel Book 22

• Set cast one place, lady up man down for right hands across
• Mirror reels of three with first couple coming in and up to begin
• Reels of three across the dance, lady up man down. Finish with 1st couple back to back, lady facing 2s man facing 3s.
  
• Double triangles up and down the dance
• Circle round and back

Need to make sure that the whole dance flows. This means that the corners must dance loops on all of the reels and the phrasing of the reels is really important. It is also important that the reels across the set stay within the confines of the set.

The first couple must stay back to back in the double triangles with everyone having straight arms. The corners can push the first couple back to back. Everyone is setting for the 8 bars.

The first couple have a long distance to cover to get from the double triangles to the sidelines. There is a conundrum in this dance, you want a wide set for the reels but a narrow set to get out of the double triangles.

Make sure that your circle remains circular.

Miss Cahoon's Reel
8x48 Jig Book 13
Just went over the geography of this dance.

Semester 2 Week 2

Step Practice

This week we concentrated on our strathspey traveling step. Key points were

• Getting a straight leg at the start of the step
• Starting the step with a good strong dip
• Don't drag the feet along the floor
  

Exercise
Two handed turns.

• Need to cover when multiple couples are turning
• Don't attack the turn, phrase it so you are only half way round the turn after 2 bars.
• Remember to dance rather than back into place

Miss Catherine Allen
8x32 Strathspey Leaflet

• Cross below 3s and cast to 2nd place
• All turn both hands, 1s turn 1 1/2 times
• 1s dance up 2 steps, set, dance down 2 steps and turn both hands
• Set to 1st corners and cast round each other to face 2nd corner
• Set to 2nd corners and cast round each other to face partner's 2nd corner
• 1s dance loops round 2nd corner positions while corners dance reel of 3
• 1s cross over

Key points:

• Need to attack the first four bars but then you have to cover the turn.
  
• 1s use the time that the others are returning to place to do the extra half turn.
• Make sure you get apart from each other as you cast round to face your next corner.
• Watch the phrasing of the reels. Corners must be home by the end of bar 6.
• Watch your footwork. Make sure you are always closing in 3rd position in the middle of the step.
  

Semester 2 Week 1

Musician
For the new semester we have a new musician. Gary Donaldson will be playing accordian for us each week.

Step Practice

• Skip change of step concentrating on getting a straight leg and being able to cover a distance without looking like it is force
• Slip step
• Looked at the transition from skip change into slip step

Miss Cahoon's Reel
8 x 48 Jig Book 13

• Set cast circle to left with the 3s
• Set cast up, circle to the left with the 2s
• Cross below the 3s, cast up to the top, cross over and cast off to face your corners. 2s step up on 7 and 8.
• Corner partner finish facing your first corner
• 6 bar reel of 3 with your corners, giving left shoulder to your first corner (through the ends), 1s cross over on 7 & 8
• 8 bar reel of 3 on your own side giving right shoulder to your partners first corner (the one that flows naturally)

The phrasing of the 1s solo is to be back in place at the end of bar 5. It is really important that the corners phrase the reels correctly, i.e. the first one is a 6 bar reel the second is an 8 bar reel.

Newcastle Festival
At the moment, we have entered a mixed team from New Scotland and a ladies team jointly with Dunedin. If this is going to be the case, we need a few more volunteers to dance and for everyone to show up to the next few weeks of class. The dances are:

Mixed

• Miss Catherine Allen L 8x32S
• Minard Castle XXII 8x32R

Ladies

• Royal Wedding 5/1982 8x32S
• Miss Cahoon's Reel XIII 8x48J
  

Week 11

Class taught by Liz Green