Summer is here which means heat and humidity and no AC at the Friends. Deal with it. It is far better than having AC and cold muscle injuries. Too, it means I have fewer opportunities to teach and this blog gets a little slow.
We had 5 couples for the first part of the night. It was wonderful! Gold star to the Goldbergs who drove up from Brooklyn just for this class. And another gold star for Deb Leary for the honey-gingerale recipe that is sooo good.
Tonight's dances were:
The Wee Cooper of Fife (40 J 2) Hugh Foss
Gordon of Straloch (32 S 3) Peter Price
The Land of Oz (32 R 3) John Drewry
Lang May Your Lum Reek (32 J 2) Barry Priddey
Bill Clement, MBE (32 J 3) John Wilkinson
Castle Douglas (32 S 3) Roy Goldring
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The Wee Cooper of Fife - I remember this dance with great fondness but have been mildly dissapointed both times I have taught it recently. Personally, the 10 bar phrases are no longer the marvelous oddity that used to be so much fun. And I find the dance to be what I call a "huffin' puffer" - a 2C dance with no let up or resting places build in. Not a problem when I was 30 and in good shape. An issue when 58 and dealing with creaky legs.
Gordon of Straloch - The music makes the dance. The band is Waverley Station led by Liz Donaldson; the CD is First Stop; the two tunes are "Rorate coeli" and "I long for thy virginitie". The latter from the Straloch Lute Book of 1627 from whence the name of the dance comes. The music is sublime. The dance is pretty and is published on the Eight by Thirty Two web site (here).
The Land of Oz - from Drewry's Australian Book. Another Huffin' Puffer! But boy do I like the transition from chase and cross into circle! But I am now thinking perhaps not for a ball program that already includes The Wee Cooper of Fife - too many Huffin' Puffers is not a good thing.
Lang May Your Lum Reek - I have thaught this before and commented on it before. The third 8 bars relies on good, strong, accurate pas de basque steps. In other words you gotta move!
Bill Clement, MBE - Eh. It's OK. But it will never make my top 50 list.
Castle Douglas - I have been teaching this dance since 1995, and it continues to be one of my favourites. Take a special partner for this one.
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1 comment:
This recipe saved me last night when I was feeling queasy from too much heat and spinning -- and allowed me to dance all evening!
Honey Ginger Ale
Yoga Journal
March 2010
Makes 4 servings
1/3 cup peeled, chopped ginger
2-3 tablespoons filtered water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4-6 tablespoons honey
2-4 tablespoons agave nectar
pinch sea salt
1 liter sparkling water, chilled
Place ginger & filtered water in a blender and blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and pour the blended ginger through. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as possible.
Mix together the ginger juice, lemon juice, honey, agave nectar and salt until well blended.
Pour about ¼ cup of the mixture into each of four glasses and add sparkling water.
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