2 November 2012 - Old Tappan Library
Well. This update has been an even longer time coming than I thought it would be ... and I am a pessimist. “SuperStorm” Sandy has been gone a good week and a half and I am still without power at home and that means still without internet -the first of the local libraries just got back limited power and internet today.
25 September 2012 - New Haven party for the departure of Marque Lethestrom for Quito, Ecuador.
The dances taught were:
Spanish Sunrise 32 R 3 - John Drewry 2003
Sugar Candie 32 S 3 - Bk26
Culbin Sands 32 J 3 - Barry Priddey/Silver Rose Book [taught by me]
Trip to Paradise 32 S 3 - Ron Wallace/From the Redwood Forest
1 October 2012 – Scotia (NY)
The first hour - with a concern for beginners.
Ann Arbor 32 J 3 – Bob Gregg/The Reel MacGregor
Leap Year 24 J 2 – Graded Book
(I used reel music because the pas de basque)
It’s All Right 32 J 3 – Second Graded Book
4 October 2012 – NY Branch - 2nd hour
Margaret Parker’s Strathspey 32 S 3 - John Drewry
The Captain 32 R 3 - Russ King/Solstice Party Book
Christine M. Phillips 32 J 3 - Bk46
8 October 2012 – Scotia - First hour (with a concern for beginners).
Back to Basics 32 R 3 - Barry Skelton/Milestones
It Should Be Fun 32 J 4 - Roy Goldring/Graded&Social 3
The Forest Prince 32 J 2 - Iain Boyd/Katherine’s Book
11 October 2012 – NY Branch
In Traditional Mode 32 S 3 - Roy Goldring/Graded&Social 3
A Charm of Goldfinches 32 J 3 - Martha Veranth/Feathered Friends
Linnea’s Strathspey 32 S 3 - Tim Wilson/Dunsmuir Dances
15 October 2012 – Scotia - First hour (with a concern for beginners).
Scottish Reform 32 J 2
Scotia Nights
It’s All Right
17 October 2012 - received from Bob Houghton
The 2013 Rerr Terr Ball Program
St. Andrew’s Fair 32 J 3 - 5/1982
On the Quarterdeck 32 H 2 - Boyd/Harbour City
The Silver City 32 S 3 - Drewry/Silver City Book
Haste to the Wedding 32 J 2 - Bk 25/6
Miss Gibson’s Strathspey 32 S 3 - RSCDS Leaflet
The Dancing Man 32 R 3 - Goldring/10 Social Dances
Bonnie Stronshiray 32 S 3 - Campbell/Glasgow Assembly
Rest and Be Thankful 32 R 3 - McConachie/Grampian Coll.
Wild Geese 32 J 3 - Bk 24/3
Maxwell’s Rant 32 R 3 - Bk 18/10
Sauchie Haugh 32 S 2 - RSCDS Leaflet
Pelorus Jack 32 J 3 - Bk 41/1
Mrs MacLeod (Of Raasay) 32 R 3 - Bk 6/11
The Duchess Tree 32 S 3 - Drewry/Brodie Book
Old Nick’s Lumber Room 32 J 3 - Bk 26/6
Wind that Shakes the Barley 32 R 3 - Duthie/8 Scottish Country Dances
18 October 2012 – NY Branch
[Flowers of Edinburgh - 32 R 3] taught by Chris Ronald
Links with St. Petersburgh 32 J 3 - Bk46
Delvine Side 32 S 3 - Bk2/9
Starlight 32 R 3 - Bk44/1
Deil Among the Tailors 32 R 3 - Bk14/7
22 October 2012 – NHFM **
Dust Devils 32 J 4some - Jane Lataille
Eileen Watt’s Reel 32 R 3 set - Scottish Country Dancer #1
Eileen Watt’s Strathspey 32 S 3 set - Scottish Country Dancer #1
Memories 32 R 3 - Priscilla Burrage/Leaflet
Many Happy Returns 32 S 3 - Mel Briscoe/Slip Knot Collection
Rakes of Auld Reekie 32 S 2 - Barry Priddey/Scottish Dance Archives
24 October 2012 – NY Branch
[Bedrule 32 S 3 - Bk 33/7] taught by C. Ronald
J.B. Milne 32 R 3 - H. Foss
Machine w/o Horses 32 J 3 - Bk 12/12
Eileen Watt’s Strathspey 32 S 3 set - Scottish Country Dancer #1
1 November 2012 – NY Branch
The Chequered Court 32 J 3 - Bk 43/3
Pasedena Prom 32 S 4 - M.S. Brandon/Dances with a Difference
Mrs Stewart’s Jig 32 J 3 - Bk 35/1
Catch the Wind 32 H 3 - Butterfield/Island Bay Collection
So... very little that is actually new.
The two dances from the first issue of the RSCDS magazine - Eileen Watt’s Reel and Eileen Watt’s Strathspey (both 32 bars long and for 3C sets) were given Dancer’s Choice Awards by my class in New Haven. They felt that EWReel is perhaps a little too complicated for a ball program but that EWStrathspey is a definite winner and should be on the next K&G ball program.
What makes EW Reel just a bit too much for a ball, at least for now, is that the reel of four is actually for 6 dancers. The catch, and there is always a catch, is that the end dancers are in tandem and have lead changes and the middle dancers (who begin back to back) have a variant ending to the reel. And the teaching point to stress is not the tandem (end) pairs and their lead changes but the ending for the middle dancers. THAT is the critical part of the dance.
They gave it a Dancer’s Choice Award on top of my Teacher’s Choice Award – so look it up!
Double winner and Worth it!
From Sept 25 - Culbin Sands (32J3) Barry Priddey - nice dance and worth revisiting.
Ron Wallace’s Trip to Paradise (32S3) has a really odd Targe that tends to throw dancers for a loop. they expect to meet somebody new in the new positions and it the same old corner they already danced with. And the questions begin and... well, the adjective ‘downhill’ comes to mind.
And it is an OK dance.
From 11 October:
In Traditional Mode (32S3) by Roy Goldring – the music, recorded by Jim Lindsay and Muriel Johnstone is just fabulous! A TEN. The dance is eh. And the music, which is so good, merely makes the dance tolerable rather than making it a joy to dance. Bummer.
The upside is that I can now use that set for all those dances calling for the lead tune “any good strathspey” because it is a really, really, good set.
A Charm of Goldfinches is a journeyman effort. I am not sure I would keep it on my shortlist for social programs, but as a teaching dance it has its good points.
Linnea’s Strathspey is now, still, and as it always has been one of my favourites.
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It is now mid afternoon, and I am tired and unwashed. A friend who lives nearby the library just got power back, and that means HOT WATER!! and I am signing off and walking over for a shower.
