What a winter it has been. Storms on Tuesdays one after another every week since Christmas. Finally, our first class of the New Year.
The girls were back (hooray!).
With just enough for a set, tonight's dances were:
Collie Law (32 J 2) R. Goldring - 24 Graded & Social
Off to Speyside (32 R 2) R. Goldring - 24 Graded & Social
Kendall's Hornpipe (32 J 2) Gr. 22
The March Hare (32 R 3) I. Boyd - Happy to Meet
The Dunsmuir Strathspey (32 S 3 set) J. Drewry
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Collie Law:- Good basic dance on many levels.
Off to Speyside:- Another good dance. I am finding that the single most important rule in teaching children is KEEP THEM MOVING. No long drawn out teaching of formations or footwork.
Kendall's Hornpipe:- Ladies Chain is not an easy figure. The ladies don't have a simple track, there is a lot of 'tweaking' needed. Basic figure, but not easy. Great music (I used the recording by The Music Makars). In my opinion the best I have heard.
The March Hare:- Again basic elements that let me keep them moving but also gives me the opportunity to incrementally improve their pas de basque - tonight I stressed the 3 beats and they did!
The Dunsmuir Strathspey:- I try to keep everyone on the floor, even the beginners and the girls, but tonight I wanted to up the ante for the experienced dancers which is why I programed this dance. Petronella in Tandem was not known by all so that is the teaching I needed to do. It also impressed the girls and that is not a bad thing. Keeps them thinking about where they can go.
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In other news:
I have a new favourite cd - Heather Hills by Dave Wiesler and Mara Shea. 4 Stars. The strathspey sets (Forget Me Knot, Simon Brodie and Invercauld's) are superb as is the set of jigs for The Vale of Atholl. All the other sets are solid. Highly recommended.
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I am really impressed by Those Russians. I have taken the choreography from the video and written it up. I don't know when, or to whom I will teach the dance but I am ready!
The dance is not a social dance by any stretch of the imagination. 272 bars is a lot of dance so remembering parts and sequence may be the biggest issue with the dance. There are no outlandish elements here so that is not an issue. Overall the music has a strong beat (yay) and is not that easy to dance to (rats). There is no chord, but a 4 beat intro, and then there are a few 10 bar phrases (the choruses) that will throw some for a loop and send them on a side trip to Paris. The sung parts are easier to dance to than the musical interludes where the syncopation disguises the beat.
Overall I think this dance is a good performance vehicle and could make a great workshop dance where, at the end of the session the dancers can sigh in relief and know that they have faced and overcome a real challenge.
Here is the YouTube link to "Those Russians":-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLvCmEOA3-0
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