Well, Loch Leven Dancers have danced, filmed and edited, and posted 4 more dances.
Monadh Liath:-
Rob Roy (video 2 is ours - but it is first in the queue)
The Aviator
Black Leather Jig:- 2 videos - one straight, two for fun)
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
24 October 2017 – New Haven
An appropriate subtitle for this post - Still Struggling.
It is almost the end of October and my goal was to have the Tea Dance program settled by September.
I missed that deadline. So I reset to the end of September. Missed that one too. We are now almost out of October and the program still hasn't come together to my satisfaction.
Usually when I have this much trouble finishing a program there is one dance that is holding things up. Doesn't play well with others, and no matter how much I want that one on the program everything improves when I take it away. Not this time. There is no one dance causing the problem. To make it work I would have to start from scratch and build the program in a different manner, from a different mind set. That isn't going to happen unless I am still struggling at Christmas.
Short version: today I am - still - looking at dances.
The dances taught:
Come What May - (32 J 2) - Bk 51/11
A Reel for Maria - (40 R 3) - Suncoast (McRanor)
The Clarsach - (32 S 3) - Portland 20th (Ryer)
The Young Foxes - (32 R 3) - Gregg notes
Rockside - (96 J 4 sq) - Goldring
Scotia Sea - (32 R 3) - Goldring
From Paper to Pearl - (32 S 3) - Collin
*** *** *** *** ** * ** *** *** *** ***
Come What May:- Book 51 is aaaah… something. Intended for children and beginners. Ok it might work for them. I used this dance for a warm up because our class includes a couple, in their 70s, who are challenged. They do not move well, are slow picking up patterns, don't always remember them in time, but they started dancing just over a year ago so this is normal. But I see little to like in the way of additions to the standard repertoire. How many circles do we need? But how many books do we skip over when making programs? Book 2?
We do Delvine Side regularly (for the music) but I haven't seen Bob O'Dowally, also good music, on a program in over 30 years. Glasgow Highlanders shows up now and again, but Eightsome Reel? Not in over 20 years.
And now we add another book that is useful only in very specific circumstances.
A Reel for Maria:- A Yes. It is not a rave dance but it is a nice one. And yes it is on the Tea Dance program. It is accessible to almost all, and it was written by Ellen McRanor who, before she retired, taught both the Kilts and Ghillies and the Woodbridge groups in Connecticut and is now teaching in Florida.
I had no idea Ellen had published dances until I met Livia Kohn (a co-author) at Pinewoods this summer and saw the book in the bookstore. I had to… I mean not buy a book with their work in it? And not put one of her dances on 'her' ball? Seriously?
In regards to the book - some very nice dances here. Thumbs up.
It is available from lulu.com. They print (and mail) on demand and do the eBook thing too.
The Clarsach:- Some nice moves and some different moves. Definitely worth looking at. Some of the transitions just plain make me smile, and that is a very good thing.
A video will be coming soon - I mean Real Soon Now, like before March… maybe. (Hopefully much sooner but who knows with this group of mine).
The Young Foxes:- By Robert Gregg. When he died he gave me several files of dance notes and the commission to edit and publish what I could. This is the first one which I could clean up enough for publishing. It is now published in Ruby Anniversary Book - Scottish Country Dances from Connecticut.
The entry into the first reel is almost unique and worth it. The flow is worthy of John Drewry. The short form - two thumbs up - I Like It!
Not for this year but starred and on the top of the shortlist for 2019.
The Scotia Sea:- I have taught and talked about this dance before.
From Paper to Pearl:- Do it! Didn't you hear me? DO IT! As I taught it I heard several "huhs?" and when we danced it I then heard several "wows!"
It is almost the end of October and my goal was to have the Tea Dance program settled by September.
I missed that deadline. So I reset to the end of September. Missed that one too. We are now almost out of October and the program still hasn't come together to my satisfaction.
Usually when I have this much trouble finishing a program there is one dance that is holding things up. Doesn't play well with others, and no matter how much I want that one on the program everything improves when I take it away. Not this time. There is no one dance causing the problem. To make it work I would have to start from scratch and build the program in a different manner, from a different mind set. That isn't going to happen unless I am still struggling at Christmas.
Short version: today I am - still - looking at dances.
The dances taught:
Come What May - (32 J 2) - Bk 51/11
A Reel for Maria - (40 R 3) - Suncoast (McRanor)
The Clarsach - (32 S 3) - Portland 20th (Ryer)
The Young Foxes - (32 R 3) - Gregg notes
Rockside - (96 J 4 sq) - Goldring
Scotia Sea - (32 R 3) - Goldring
From Paper to Pearl - (32 S 3) - Collin
*** *** *** *** ** * ** *** *** *** ***
Come What May:- Book 51 is aaaah… something. Intended for children and beginners. Ok it might work for them. I used this dance for a warm up because our class includes a couple, in their 70s, who are challenged. They do not move well, are slow picking up patterns, don't always remember them in time, but they started dancing just over a year ago so this is normal. But I see little to like in the way of additions to the standard repertoire. How many circles do we need? But how many books do we skip over when making programs? Book 2?
We do Delvine Side regularly (for the music) but I haven't seen Bob O'Dowally, also good music, on a program in over 30 years. Glasgow Highlanders shows up now and again, but Eightsome Reel? Not in over 20 years.
And now we add another book that is useful only in very specific circumstances.
A Reel for Maria:- A Yes. It is not a rave dance but it is a nice one. And yes it is on the Tea Dance program. It is accessible to almost all, and it was written by Ellen McRanor who, before she retired, taught both the Kilts and Ghillies and the Woodbridge groups in Connecticut and is now teaching in Florida.
I had no idea Ellen had published dances until I met Livia Kohn (a co-author) at Pinewoods this summer and saw the book in the bookstore. I had to… I mean not buy a book with their work in it? And not put one of her dances on 'her' ball? Seriously?
In regards to the book - some very nice dances here. Thumbs up.
It is available from lulu.com. They print (and mail) on demand and do the eBook thing too.
The Clarsach:- Some nice moves and some different moves. Definitely worth looking at. Some of the transitions just plain make me smile, and that is a very good thing.
A video will be coming soon - I mean Real Soon Now, like before March… maybe. (Hopefully much sooner but who knows with this group of mine).
The Young Foxes:- By Robert Gregg. When he died he gave me several files of dance notes and the commission to edit and publish what I could. This is the first one which I could clean up enough for publishing. It is now published in Ruby Anniversary Book - Scottish Country Dances from Connecticut.
The entry into the first reel is almost unique and worth it. The flow is worthy of John Drewry. The short form - two thumbs up - I Like It!
Not for this year but starred and on the top of the shortlist for 2019.
The Scotia Sea:- I have taught and talked about this dance before.
From Paper to Pearl:- Do it! Didn't you hear me? DO IT! As I taught it I heard several "huhs?" and when we danced it I then heard several "wows!"
Saturday, December 9, 2017
26 September 2017 – New Haven
I had hoped to have the K&G Tea Dance program settled by now - No such luck though.
So this evening was a mixed one. Some dances try outs from the short list and some for 'just because'.
The dances I taught were:
Deborah's Request - (32 J 3) - Price
Scotia Sea - (32 R 3) - Scotia Suite
The Rose Garden - (24 S 2) - SF2
Highland Light Society - (32 J 3) - Price
The Falkirk Wheel - (32 S 4 dancers) - Price
Mrs Watt's Teakettle - (48 R 3) - Burrage
-- * -- * -- * * * -- * -- * --
Deborah's Request:- I heard a cry "I can't find any good dances for warmup, simple dances with simple turns in them".
"Well, write one" I said. "
"You do that better than I can." she replied, with that 'look'.
So I did. I had to.
Scotia Sea:- I like the music. It could carry it's dance if it had to. It doesn't. The dance is good and I like the fit between the two. And the music flies!
The Rose Garden:- I have posted about this dance before. Check back. This one earned two thumbs up.
Highland Light Society:- I wrote this dance for Morag Geraci. A pillar of the Westchester group until she retired to Cape Cod. The Cape Cod Highland Light Society hosts the Scottish dancing in the
Falmouth area.
The Falkirk Wheel:- At Falkirk two canals meet, sort of. There is an elevation difference of about 24.7 meters between the two canals and the Wheel is magnificent! The mechanical principle is based
on a sun and planet gear system as are the reels in the dance.
I first met this reel system in a George Emerson dance where he called it a "Planet" reel. Subsequently I have met the same reels under the term Celtic reel. They are the same but the concept of a celtic reel, a cross and a circle, is much easier on the mind than the other.
Mrs Watt's Teakettle:- Truth be told I looked at this dance a couple of times and passed on to the next. I didn't see any thing here, not really. But one day I did teach it and the response from the dancers was positive. It is a nice dance. It is not only worth doing but it is worth doing again.
17 September 2017 – Loch Leven
No rehearsal just another Fun afternoon.
Orpington Caledonians - (32 R 3) - 49/2
Born to Dance - (32 J 3) - Collin
Rubinus Portus Novi - (40 S 4 sq) - Price (Ruby Anniversary)
Back to Back - (32 J 3) - Glasspool
Double Trouble Triangles - (48 R 4) - 50/8
The Rose Garden - (24 S 2) - Wendell (SF 2)
* ** *** *** ** * ** *** *** ** *
Orpington Caledonians:- Fun, just plain fun especially with the music (Jim Lindsay et al). I programmed it on the 2016 Tea Dance and I am waiting for enough time to pass that I can program it again. Like, like, like.
Born to Dance:- I have said it before - Lovely! So lovely that it is on the Kilts and Ghillies Tea Dance program that is coming up RSN.
Rubinus Portus Novi:- Right-O. I agree the name is pretentious but I am just so tired of Ruby this and Ruby that. Over 50 dances with Ruby in their name. Enough I cry, enough! I can't take it any more! So it is a very good thing that I know several dancers who have a grounding in Latin.
This was a testing.
In June I received an email announcing a 40th birthday party for the New Haven branch. (The meeting in which we voted to apply for branch status was hosted at my house). I was also informed in that email that I was going to provide a 40 bar dance for the occasion, right?! It took a while for the dance to come together but a testing about a month and a half early is in time, I believe. Yes but just barely!
The book is available through the New Haven Branch.
Back to Back:- Push-Me-Pull-You Reels! Yes! We danced it in both 2007 and 2010. Soon, real soon now we will dance it again. I promise.
Double Trouble Triangles:- A Double Triangles chain –– a wonderful conceit. Looked fabulous in the video. Less exciting in practice.
The Rose Garden:- One of my Top 50 dances. Ms Wendell did something rare. She wrote a fantastic 24 bar dance and stopped. Applause. Standing ovation actually. So few devisors manage that. Too often they just have to make it a 32 bar sequence so they add a gratuitous 8 bars - sigh.
In 1998 I stood my full teaching certificate in Vancouver, BC, Canada. My decompression space was the University's rose garden looking out on the sound and the snow capped mountains to north. Sigh.
Orpington Caledonians - (32 R 3) - 49/2
Born to Dance - (32 J 3) - Collin
Rubinus Portus Novi - (40 S 4 sq) - Price (Ruby Anniversary)
Back to Back - (32 J 3) - Glasspool
Double Trouble Triangles - (48 R 4) - 50/8
The Rose Garden - (24 S 2) - Wendell (SF 2)
* ** *** *** ** * ** *** *** ** *
Orpington Caledonians:- Fun, just plain fun especially with the music (Jim Lindsay et al). I programmed it on the 2016 Tea Dance and I am waiting for enough time to pass that I can program it again. Like, like, like.
Born to Dance:- I have said it before - Lovely! So lovely that it is on the Kilts and Ghillies Tea Dance program that is coming up RSN.
Rubinus Portus Novi:- Right-O. I agree the name is pretentious but I am just so tired of Ruby this and Ruby that. Over 50 dances with Ruby in their name. Enough I cry, enough! I can't take it any more! So it is a very good thing that I know several dancers who have a grounding in Latin.
This was a testing.
In June I received an email announcing a 40th birthday party for the New Haven branch. (The meeting in which we voted to apply for branch status was hosted at my house). I was also informed in that email that I was going to provide a 40 bar dance for the occasion, right?! It took a while for the dance to come together but a testing about a month and a half early is in time, I believe. Yes but just barely!
The book is available through the New Haven Branch.
Back to Back:- Push-Me-Pull-You Reels! Yes! We danced it in both 2007 and 2010. Soon, real soon now we will dance it again. I promise.
Double Trouble Triangles:- A Double Triangles chain –– a wonderful conceit. Looked fabulous in the video. Less exciting in practice.
The Rose Garden:- One of my Top 50 dances. Ms Wendell did something rare. She wrote a fantastic 24 bar dance and stopped. Applause. Standing ovation actually. So few devisors manage that. Too often they just have to make it a 32 bar sequence so they add a gratuitous 8 bars - sigh.
In 1998 I stood my full teaching certificate in Vancouver, BC, Canada. My decompression space was the University's rose garden looking out on the sound and the snow capped mountains to north. Sigh.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
6 September 2017 – Westchester
Tonight was the start of the new dance season. The teacher of this first series is Charlotte and I asked her to put together the opening party program. And a nice little party it was too.
The dances:-
Chairman's Whim - (32 J 2) - H. Boyd
Delvine Side - (32 S 3) - 2/9
Welcome to Ayr - (32 J 3) - 47/8
J. B. Milne - (32 R 3) - Foss
Inchmickery - (32 J 5) - Goldring
MacDonald of Keppoch - (128 M 4sq) - 49/1
Slytherin House - (32 S 3) - Ronald
For Your Eyes Only - (32 R 3) - unknown
* ** *** ** * ** *** ** *
Chairman's Whim:- A jig but done as a hornpipe. A simple ditty by our friend in Montréal Holly Boyd.
Delvine Side:- I love the music for this one. In my opinion the set played by Fiddlesticks and Ivory is THE definitive recording,
Welcome to Ayr:- It is a tricky little dance, and it is the teacher who, the first time, usually gets bitten by not paying enough attention in the prep. That said it is a nice little dance that requires a little forethought and planning in the dancing.
J. B. Milne:- So much fun! In the greater NY area it is part of the standard repertoire.
Inchmickery:- A good dance but not in my Top 50. If I had to pick a 5C dance I would choose A Reel for Alice, The 50th Parallel, Black Mountain Reel, or any of a number of others first. But the consensus of the teachers in the area was to put in on the NY Branch's dance list. So it gets done a lot.
MacDonald of Keppoch:- This one is a hit, an all round palpable hit. The dance is good, the music is good and when the dancers make the transition they are ecstatic.
Slytherin House:-Another popular (around here) dance by Chris Ronald. The snake pass is not quite the normal one and that tends to throw me because here the move wars with not only my muscle memory but my mental expectations.
For Your Eyes Only:- Sorry no link for this one. It is one of the book 52 test dances and since there was no name attached to it we made one up. It was very well received. We can only hope that it was selected for the new book.
The dances:-
Chairman's Whim - (32 J 2) - H. Boyd
Delvine Side - (32 S 3) - 2/9
Welcome to Ayr - (32 J 3) - 47/8
J. B. Milne - (32 R 3) - Foss
Inchmickery - (32 J 5) - Goldring
MacDonald of Keppoch - (128 M 4sq) - 49/1
Slytherin House - (32 S 3) - Ronald
For Your Eyes Only - (32 R 3) - unknown
* ** *** ** * ** *** ** *
Chairman's Whim:- A jig but done as a hornpipe. A simple ditty by our friend in Montréal Holly Boyd.
Delvine Side:- I love the music for this one. In my opinion the set played by Fiddlesticks and Ivory is THE definitive recording,
Welcome to Ayr:- It is a tricky little dance, and it is the teacher who, the first time, usually gets bitten by not paying enough attention in the prep. That said it is a nice little dance that requires a little forethought and planning in the dancing.
J. B. Milne:- So much fun! In the greater NY area it is part of the standard repertoire.
Inchmickery:- A good dance but not in my Top 50. If I had to pick a 5C dance I would choose A Reel for Alice, The 50th Parallel, Black Mountain Reel, or any of a number of others first. But the consensus of the teachers in the area was to put in on the NY Branch's dance list. So it gets done a lot.
MacDonald of Keppoch:- This one is a hit, an all round palpable hit. The dance is good, the music is good and when the dancers make the transition they are ecstatic.
Slytherin House:-Another popular (around here) dance by Chris Ronald. The snake pass is not quite the normal one and that tends to throw me because here the move wars with not only my muscle memory but my mental expectations.
For Your Eyes Only:- Sorry no link for this one. It is one of the book 52 test dances and since there was no name attached to it we made one up. It was very well received. We can only hope that it was selected for the new book.
Monday, December 4, 2017
29 August 2017 – New Haven
The Last Class of Summer - the last chance to freely experiment.
Dances taught:
Chased Lovers - (32 J 3) - Wilson
Auld Lang Syne - (32 S 3) - 27/12
Toast to the Mousies - (32 R 3) - Gratiot
Gothenburg's Welcome - (32 J 3) - 37/3 (Munro)
Dowie Dens - (32 S 4) - Priddey
** ** *** *** * *** *** ** **
Chased Lovers:- What a lovely dance! Previously commented on.
Auld Lang Syne:- Book 27 isn't neither an early publication or a recent one but the society was probably beginning to run out of sources for simple easy dances. This one is a piece of spaghetti choreography. Somewhere somebody is struggling. The devisor, the interpreter, the teacher, the dancer? But it made the cut. Hmmmm.
Toast to the Mousies:- Nice Dance! Nice Music! And I finally have a good recording. This one is a winner, Ah say agin, a Winna. Mind you, I knew that the first time I danced it (Asilomar Weekend 2016) and every time since. What I didn't have was a dance friendly recording. That has changed. We have now have a set by Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith. It is for Monica's Garden on their CD Spark o' Water. Two thumbs up for both the dance and the recording.
Gothenburg's Welcome:- I like it. It is fun. I hate teaching it. The "dance to each corner and set" figure blows dancers' minds and since I get it I don't get it that they don't set it. I have been wanting to put this on a Tea Dance program for years. Someday Real Soon Now. For Sure.
The Dowie Dens:- I love it, but we know I am a monster with very weird tastes. Highland Schottische setting with partner but with multiple twists. From the Barry Priddey's Golden Oriole Book. At first read I wasn't sure it would flow well but it did better - it flowed beautifully. Short list for 2019?
I found this one while searching for dances with highland schottische setting. Two dances had been offered up for Tea Dance consideration. They were The Balquhidder Strathspey and Brig o' Doon. Both are from the Mrs MacNab set of collected dances and concerning the latter dance she makes this comment
"This dance was collected at Dalmellington in the early 19th century. It was a great favourite at the balls in that district."
Ahhhh… right! My personal feeling is that that dance is not suitable for a social occasion. Unless, maybe after a lot of high octane punch? Times have definitely changed or else I am turning into a fuddy duddy old guardist.
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