Wilton class - 1 March 2011

It is nice to be back. I had to cancel last weeks class when my elderly mother went into the hospital with circulation problems in her left leg, which led to vascular surgery on Friday. While waiting I wrote 2 dances and last night I had a chance to dance the strathspey and tweak it into final shape.

It is also the last class before the New Haven Highland Ball and there were quiet screams of near panic from the class as they felt they were totally unprepared - which is partly true. Due to weather there were NO classes held in January and only three this month.

Tonight's dances were:-
Deborah Hope Leary  (32 S 2)  Peter Price
St Andrew's of Brampton  (32 R 4)
Trip to Fanwood  (32 J 3)  C. Ronald
Dark Lochnagar  (32 S 2)  I. Boyd - SDA

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Deborah Hope Leary - I wrote a jig, was reviewing it when my computer started playing a strathspey and the jig began to morph. This is the result after real dancers got hold of it.

1-8    1C 2C set, adv for 1, retire for 1; dance RHAcross half round (face prtnr in the center), and, pulling right shoulders back, cast out to side lines.

9-16   2C 1C dance back to back with ptnr; RHAcross half round and cast from the center to places.

17-24  1C 2C set and cross link (end beside ptnr, 1C facing up 2C down); 2C 1C set and link to side lines (face clock wise)

25-28     2C 1C chase half round and end, center of the dance, in line, facing ptner (1M 1L 2M 2L)

29-30     1C 2C set to partner (strong left step to pass partner and ...

31-32     1C 2C dance RHAcross half round to progressed places.


St Andrew's of Brampton:-  Very wordy directions, even wordier (14 lines) ball booklet crib and panic all around. Needlessly. The best crib I have seen for this dance is only 5 lines long for a 4 figure dance. And the only tricky part is the final turn out of the double wheel. For 1M and 4L it is RH, for 1L and 4M it is LH. Why? so 1C is in the middle facing up and 4C is in the middle facing down both couples having had easy entries in through the sidelines.

Trip to Fanwood:-  A sweet little dance especially if you treat the from the half reel into the turns flexibly - take hands when convenient and turn far enough to reach proper positions.

Dark Lochnagar:- It's the music! The dance is along for the ride.