25 April 2017 – New Haven

The last session of Ball Prep! Thank God!

Deborah's Request  -  (32 R 3 - as a jig)  -  Price
A Reel for Alice  -  (32 R 5)  -  Goldring
Shores of Solway  -  (32 S 3)  -  Goldring
Les Remparts de Séville  -  (32 J 3)  -  Latour (Bk 50)
Johnsonville Diamond  -  (32 S 2)  -  Downey
Anderson's Rant  -  (32 R 3)  -  MMM
Pat Morrison's Delight  -  (32 S 2)  -  Anagnostakis (Nutmeg Coll.)
Black Leather Jig  -  (32 R 3)  -  Selling  (DelVal25)

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I really like A Reel for Alice, and I mean a lot! Inchmickery is the more popular 5 couple dance in this area, they can have it - I want this one. It was short listed for the Tea Dance but didn't make it on the program. It is again short listed for next year's tea dance and we will see. I will make no promises as other considerations might again rule it out. So we will see.

Shores of Solway grows on me. The central movement - set to corner dance 'round partner by the right - has a different name here. We call it "Set and Flirt" because Chris and Sue Ronald call it that in their dance Ann of Scotia (32 S 3 - Intl. Branch - World Wide Weavings).

How to put this? …

Eye contact can come in a variety of strengths. Some dancers simply can't. They can not even look you in the face but look at your chest, over your shoulder, etc. etc. But I think eye contact is social - it can be flirty but should not be a leer. Social. And if you are making anyone uncomfortable you are overdressed.

That said: the Set to corner and dance round partner is almost never done with any eye contact.
What I see are dancers so close together that they can not turn their head far enough to actually see their partner much less make eye contact. Bottom line - just plain ugly.

My solution - set to the right and set strongly enough to the left that you are past your partner and do not end back to back. Now a turn of head and you can see your partner as you dance around them. The movement is bigger and quite elegant. And if you both want it flirty it will be.
Note: the original instructions say "Set to fist corner and dance around each other by the right…"
They say nothing about ending the setting back to back with partner. Hmm.