14 March 2011 - Dancing on the Heights

A lovely evening with a full set of dancers I taught a few new dances and a few that are on the Kilts and Ghillies April 30th Tea Dance.

The evenings dances were:
Reekie Linn  (32 J 2) Jean Attwood
The Missing Turn  (32 R 3) C. Williams - Bk 46/5
Barbara's Strathspey  (32 S 3) McKinnell - Bk 46/4
Lang May Your Lum Reek  (32 J 2) B. Priddey
Deborah Hope Leary  (32 S 2) P. Price
Knights' Heys  (32 H 3) T. Glasspool
The Cashmere Shawl  (32 S 3) I. Boyd

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Reekie Linn - A lovely flow in fractions! Oh yum!  My favourite!

Standard beginning followed by a standard reel of three. Then it gets interesting, especially the last figure which is three quarters of a double figure eight (in six bars) and set. I personally don't see the problem but just about every round of the dance someone got bitten.

The Missing Turn - A nice enough dance that is worth doing again but not good enough for a DCA.

Barbara's Strathspey - Super dance that gets a Teachers Choice Award! The double Birl, and the dance itself, are simply beautiful and a little bit of effort brings huge rewards. Every time I have danced or watched I have ended with a smile on my face. Gold Star!

Lang May your Lum Reek - On the upcoming Tea Dance program. I have talked about it before (see those earlier posts). In the third figure (which bears a resemblance to Hello-Goodbye Setting), the line of four rotates and the dancers who are setting to one another also rotate around each other. The difficulty is keeping the shape, and Deborah's reminder (that dancers coming into the center should make eye contact) made a real difference. Thank you Deb. And that is a nice segue into...

Deborah Hope Leary - I wrote this last month and inscribed it to Deb in honor of our first year anniversary.
Pretty good dance, the last half worked out well but I'd have like a better first sixteen bars. I will get it up on Eight by Thirty-two Real Soon Now.

Knights' Heys - The first few times I taught this dance the response was definitely underwhelming. Even after I put it on the K&G ball the response was tepid. The next year it was on the New Haven Highland Ball and now it is a recipient of a Dancers Choice Award. ???

The first time I saw it I knew this was a super dance and it immediately went on my top 50 list.

The Cashmere Shawl - Lovely dance and just different enough to make you think.