19 October 2015 – Scotia

The thrust of the last few weeks has been to prepare the class for the upcoming Jeannie Carmichael Ball (NY Branch), which irks me a bit because the NY Branch has a dance list, instituted for the express purpose of freeing the teachers from the tyranny of ball prep by ensuring that all the dances on the programs are familiar since they will repeat often. 

Sigh. We're still doing ball prep. Everywhere. Branch, Scotia, NJ, Westchester and all the teachers identify the same dances so we all teach the same dances over and over and over…   SIGH.

This week the prep dances are The Lady Wynd, The Captain's House, Cadgers in the Canongate, and The Belle of Bon Accord.

First hour:- 

The Lady Wynd  -  (32 J 3) - Goldring

The Captain's House  - (32 R 3)  - H. Boyd

Second hour:-

Mrs Stewart's Jig  - (32 J 3)  - Ligtmans

Cadgers in the Canongate  - (48 R 3)  - Bk 9

The Belle of Bon Accord  - (32 S 4)  - Drewry

Sleepy Maggie  - (32 R 3) -  Bk 11

**********

The Lady Wynd :- It is on the program. It is a Goldring. Simple, social and getting tedious. Just too many times.

The Captain's House :- A nice find, nothing exotic but just enough different to keep the tedium away.

Thank you Holly.

Mrs Stewart's Jig :- Another recent addition to the good jig repertoire. Thank you. It keeps coming round because it works!

Cadgers in the Canongate :- I like this dance! I like the reels. I like that the first one puts you in partner's place and that 1C change roles and experience the other aspect of the reels. I do not want this dance fixed in any way. It isn't broken. I like that the directions I have (1953 edition) leave it all unsaid so that both the teachers and the dancers have the freedom to interpret it as they wish.

What I do not want is the reel to become rule bound and 'fixed' to match those in Tulloch Gorm.

Different interpretations of very similar figures leads to diversity and that keeps the dancing fun!

And isn't that why we do this - for fun?

Sleepy Maggie :- Hot! Hot! Hot! especially when danced to the music recorded (still the name tune) for The Black Leather Jig.