Wilton Class - 29 March 2011

It was a one set night, the young girls were not present and I got to work on three of the dance on the  Kilts and Ghillies Tea Dance program.

I was surprised by how slow the learning, and it wasn't as if they had never seen them before... so I just went and checked and the only dance they had seen before was Gordon of Straloch. So I shouldn't be surprised. the two new dances are mind benders and take some work.

The three dances were:-
Miss Muriel Johnstone's Jig  (32 J 3)  G. Dale Birdsall
Lang May Your Lum Reek  (32 J 2)  Barry Priddey
Gordon of Straloch  (32 S 3)  Peter Price

**********

Miss Muriel Johnstone's Jig:-  I read it, liked it, thought it would be a decent, middle of the road dance and not difficult. Boy was I wrong. Well it really isn't difficult, just very disorienting at the start of the second half reels of three. Nobody (except first couple) knows which way to face to start the reels. Because nobody (except the first couple) is where they expect so it is new position and new direction. I think I smoke checked most of the brains in the room.

Lang May Your Lum Reek:-  I really like this dance but the setting figure (hello-goodbye - but never to partner and always with corner) needs to be dead on and dancers must MOVE and with control.
I fell in love with the progression because it is what I call a 'stealth' progression. When your done you wonder how you got there. Simply and elegantly. This one is a keeper if you get the third figure.

Gordon of Straloch:- I don't usually toot my own horn but the more I teach this dance the better I like it. And I wrote it. But I don't think the dance itself is superb but the music IS (arranged by Liz Donaldson and recorded by her band Waverley Station on their CD First Stop (set of strathspey airs 8x32)). The music, especially the third and fourth tunes ( rorate coeli and I long for they virginitie), is magnificent. So much so that every time I have taught this dance the room goes quiet, very quiet, and the dancers seem to lose themselves in the music as I do.

That Cd is a must buy! And the dance fits it and is worth downloading.