2 November 2012 - Old Tappan Library

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.

**********

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.