Dancing on the Heights - 10 January 2011

First class of the New Year - and a good one 'cause a "Dancers Choice Award was given out.

The dances were:
The Haggis Tree  (32 S 2)  Drewry
Admiral Beaufort  (32 J 3 set-mixer)  Price/Boyd
The Dunsmuir Strathpey  (32 S 3 set)  Drewry
Lapton Reel  (32 R 2)  Priddey - SDA #69
The Quaker's Daughter  (32 S 3 set)  Goldring
Reekie Linn   (32 J 2)  Jean Attwood

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The Haggis Tree - This is, as I have said before, one gorgeous dance. What a shame so few people are willing to work on "La Baratte" because the payback, at least for this dancer and his favourite partner, is immeasurably greater than the effort. I call it a One for oner - every time I dance La Baratte I get paid back in full for the one time effort spent learning the formation. A past winner of a Dancer's Choice Award, this dance is on its way to becoming a regular on the KandG ball program - not every year but once every other or every third year and, yes, it really is that good, which makes me wonder why it has been missed by so many generations of teachers all around the world. Back to La Baratte?

Admiral Beaufort: - I don't know if I can truly claim authorship of this dance. I took Ian Boyd's dance The Calm Before the Storm, and dropped the last eight bars, not wanting to teach  "set and rotate" to two new dancers their very first night,and replace it with simple turns or something equally silly. I later replaced that figure with a set and link for three dancers in line - that is, in a line of three the left hand dancer dances through the middle to the other end of the line, and the middle and right hand dancers individually cast one place. So if the starting order is 1C 2C 3C we get a new order of 2M 3M 1M and for the ladies 3L 1L 2L. Dance it again and the order  becomes 3M 1M 2M / 2L 3L 1L. New Partners all around!

The Dunsmuir Strathspey:-  A leaflet by John Drewry, it is another dance that, in my humble opinion, really should be more popular than it is. Granted, it isn't one of his latest and greatest works, but it is an approachable dance with a low learning threshold (petronella in tandem is it) and enjoyable enough to have earned it a DCA on its first 'trial' in August and again this month.

Personally I just love the double lead-through progression which I first saw it in JD's dance Seagreen. I found myself 1st man in third place wondering how I had gotten there and that was a treat to savour as I am not often surprised.

Lapton Reel:- What attracted me to this dance were the interactions. What I questioned was the stop and go nature of the dance. The dancers in Wilton had some trouble seeing the structure but the dancers On the Heights didn't and gave it a DCA on first time trial. It is not a fugue but it has that flavour. The dance is made up of simple, basic everyday elements that everybody should know but the execution is not easy.

The Quaker's Daughter:-  No DCA for this one. It is a nice dance to do on occasion but not special enough to do regularly. Wilton liked the first 24 bars but thought the final circle was a mere tack on. I think the assessment would be 'pleasant'.

Reekie Linn:- I liked the dance enough to program it on the 2004 K&G Ball. However the consensus by the dancers is - No Award. I think the differance of opinion lies in the fact that I like fractional turns and figs of 8 and other people seem not to.  Oh well!

Dancing on the Heights - 13 September 2010

A light night - only four other dancers showed.  So once again I delved into that category of dances that I call "n-somes". These are dances for three, four or five dancers (not couples) and they reside in my card file under their very own separator so when I need them I not only have them I can find them.

Last night's dances were:
Ducks in a Row  (32 J 5 dancers) Martha Veranth
The Gay Goshawk (32 J 2)  B. Priddey
Dragonflies  (32 S 5-some)  J. Lataille
Cactus Flower  (32 J 5-some)  J. Lataille
The Four Poster  (32 S 4-some)  T. Glasspool
Four of Diamonds  (32 J 4-some)  T. Glasspool
Gypsy Dreams  (32 S 2)  T. Glasspool

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Ducks in a Row - The first time ever teaching this dance. I was not impressed. My fault I am sure. The music was not an inspired choice on my part. Better music might have made all the difference.

The last formation, which we ended up calling it 'single-triangles', was what caught everyones attention and was the highlight of the dance. Nice pattern. The dance needs redoing to better music.

The Gay Goshawk - This was the second time I have taught this dance and it will never earn a Dancer's Choice award I fear. Don't get me wrong, it is by Barry Priddey, and I like his dances. This is a solid and respectable dance but it is missing the "Oh Wow" factor that the really special dances have. The first time I taught it I used The Weaver and His Wife (Andrew Rankine). That tune fits the nature of the dance but the Jimmy Blair recording is just too fast and I am not able to slow it down because my software combination (Winamp + Pacemaker) is just too volatile. I used Anne Munro of Portree instead. It is a delightful, slower tempo jig that I often use when 'any good jig' is called for. It did not work well with this dance. Just gotta keep on lookin' I guess.

Dragonflies - Dancer's Choice award winner from Jane Lataille. I have now taught this dance 16 times over the last 5 years and I have always had a positive response from the dancers. I just checked my Top 50 list and this one is missing and I must rectify that omission.

Cactus Flower - Another good solid dance from Jane Lataille. But not an award winner. But don't let that stop you.

The Four Poster - Terry Glasspool. *Magnificent*  Interlocking Back-to-Backs. Back-to-Back Half Reels of Four. Wow! He is the most innovative dance choreographer I have ever run across. And I found music that fits the dance: Pasadena Prom, by Muriel Johnstone & her Band from the CD "Dances with a Difference."

Four of Diamonds - Another Terry Glasspool dance. This one is another winner in MHO. Not as original as The Four Poster but still a fun one.

Gypsy Dreams - Dancer's Choice award winner a hundred times over. Simply one of the prettiest dances ever devised. And not just my opinion either. It is a gem and it belongs in the standard repertoire. Another Terry Glasspool creation!

New Haven Summer Social - 7 September 2010

Four couples turned out. For the day after the long weekend I thought that was pretty good. The temperature was cool, the humidity was high, and two fans dealt with that.

Summer is over and when my class in Wilton resumes I will be teaching there on Tuesdays and only rarely making it to the New Haven class and only as a dancer, not as a teacher. My teaching in New Haven will once again be restricted to the Second Monday of the month class on the Heights.

Bad news - but not completely unexpected: Mary Kate Adami (nee Sampson), who has been quite sick for some time, has died. A memorial service was held this past weekend. 

Tonight's dances were:

Knights' Heys  (32 H 3)  T. Glasspool

Gypsy Dreams  (32 S 2) T. Glasspool

Miss Muriel Johnstone's Jig  (32 J 3)  G. Dale Birdsall – A Cup of Kindness

Auchindrain   (32 R 3)  P. Price

Through A Glass Darkly  (32 S 4) B. Skelton – Kiwi Book

Un-Named Dance  (32 S 2)  C. Anagnostakis

Lang May Your Lum Reek  (32 J 2) B. Priddey

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Knights' Heys - Teacher's Check Mark award winner in 2003 and about to make its first encore appearance since that ball - and about time too.


Gypsy Dreams - What a delight! The Tournee is becoming  a good looking formation. Finally. Due to sheer repetition. I hope the teachers in New Haven continue with this. Oh and by the way - reappearing on the 2011 K&G ball program for the first time since it premiered in '04.

Miss Muriel Johnstone's Jig - A fairly simple wee dance, heavily weighted toward first couple. Second and third couples are very much supporting couples in the dance - theirs is a choppy role with lots of stop and go four bar phrases. I would like to dance it some time and see for myself - but no Dancer's Check Mark Award for it tonight.

Through a Glass Darkly - No dancers award for this one either, but I would give it a Teacher's award. Why? To justify the amount of head banging I had to do to get a couple of very simple concept across. Set advancing men, that means moving forward on bar 1! Right? Got it? Not.

Un-Named dance by C. Anagnostakis - Sorry. You will just have to wait, but I think it will be worth it.

Lang May Your Lum Reek - I just love that stealth progression (bars 29-32). Worth all the angst and sturm und drang of the third figure. As for that - try practicing it with both hands joined and you may find the key to the whole dance. Note well: I am programming this one as the premier dance on the 2011 K&G ball program.

New Haven Summer Social - 24 August 2010

The evening's dances were:

Greyfriars Bobby (32 S 3 set)  B. Priddey
Hooper's Jig  (32 J 3)  Miscellany 2
Five Penny Ness  (32 J 5)  J. Attwood
Castle Douglas  (32 S 3)  R. Goldring
Miss Norah Kindness  (32 R 3)  D. Birdsall
Gypsy Dreams  (32 S 2)  T. Glasspool

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Greyfriars Bobby - As I taught this dance for the first time a sense of deja vue crept over me. I now remember being taught this dance in the late 1970's or early 80s by Bob Frew, one of the founding fathers of Scottish dancing in New Haven. Or at least I think I remember this.

The dancer's gave this one an up tick at the end saying it was well worth doing again and worth adding to the local repertoire. It has the potential to being very beautiful, but it is a demanding dance. Not physically but it definitely needs precise phrasing and proper timing throughout as well as control of steps, stretching and retarding as necessary.

Hooper's Jig - A standard that I don't teach often enough. I finally figured out that the dance is not about the Ones, but rather ALL about the 2nd couple - they step up, step down and step up again -  forget - and the dance will crash and burn. Second couple make or break the dance.

Five Penny Ness - Another first time dance and it was a very good thing that I had the original direction in my bag as I really screwed up reading my note card.  This one also received a dancers "gotta do it again" award. Personally I found it more interesting then most of Roy Goldring's 5C, once-and-to-the-bottom, dances. I don't think it is much harder either. The opening promenade reels take some effort to do well but the rest of the dance is really neat and sweet. My third thumbs up for the evening.

Castle Douglas - I have finally found dance-able music for this one. Muriel Johnstone finally included the tune (Mr and Mrs Little of Castle Douglas) in the set for another strathspey and that set works just fine here.

The dance is asymmetrical, similar movements happen at different places in the music, and I find that part of it's charm. It is also one of the most intensely social dances I have done. (I am tempted to say intensely intimate dances). It is not such a great dance for the 2s and the 3s who merely support but it is just fabulous for the 1s. A thorough gem it belongs in the world standard repertoire.

Miss Norah Kindness - Bob Gregg taught this one. And this one too received applause at the end.
Written (or as Hugh Foss said "choreographed") by Dale Birdsall there is a faint whiff of technique about it.
The charm of it all are the mirror reels of three across followed by reels of three on the sides. There was one part that was not clear - after the second reel first couple passes each other into right hand casts to own sides - I seem to recall Bob saying pass by left shoulders and I found myself passing partner by right shoulders.

Gypsy Dreams - As always it is the unspeakable, bloody tournee. And the rest of the dance is so pretty  several dancers called for it to be done on another ball, in fact to be programed on the Kilts and Ghillies Ball on a regular basis. I am willing, but there are so many pretty dances that need to be done...

Dancing on the Heights - 9 August 2010

The weather turned hot and muggy again and only four dancers showed up. That gave me the space to do some individual coaching. And, Hooray for me,  I had prepared a number of 2C dances so I wasn't scrambling for material.

One dance was completely new, one was a favourite from the Kilts and Ghillies Ball circa 2005 and the other two were recent finds of mine that have been given the top accolade of applause from the floor. Mind you there are two possible reasons for applause - either the dancers really liked the dance or they are really happy it is done and over with.

And regarding that favourite dance, Terry Glasspool's Gypsy Dreams - before tonight I have taught it only once in the last five years, and that was in April of this year. And it bothers me that when we find real gems, and Gypsy Dreams is definitely a gem, we don't make sure, by repetition, that the dance becomes part of our repertoire. And I know how difficult the initial teaching was, and tonight I was astonished at how inherently easy the dance really is. So why?

Susan Leff offered a solution - build up a repertoire of dances linked to the Kilts and Ghillies ball. This is what the Brooklyn, NY class does with their Drewry Night. They program the neat but difficult dances every other year or so. Worth considering.

Tonight's dances were:
Cubbie Roo  (32 J 2)  J. Attwood
The Burn of Sorrow  (32 S 2) B. Priddey
Lang May Your Lum Reek  (32 J 2) B. Priddey
Gypsy Dreams  (32 S 2) T. Glasspool
Elixabeth Adair  (32 J 2) Hugh Foss

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Cubbie Roo - Jean Attwood. Worth a second take, mainly because I think different music would be a huge improvement. It was the first dance of the evening and that was probably a mistake. The dance requires mental clarity and precision. With neither minds nor legs warm precision was out of the question. A relentless dance, a proper set would have been a great relief.

The Burn of Sorrow - Dancers like this one (two trials and two positive responses). Me too. What I like is the contrast between the strong turn and loop that follows the initial right hands across and the much slower no turn and loop (in four) out of the left hands across. Too, I simply adore the tourbillon progression and was tickled pink when one of the dancers wanted to work on the timing. It is so lovely when done right.

The key to the tourbillon, IMHO, is the timing of the handing. The turn with partner is only a half turn - that puts 1M into position to dance down the Ladies' side into 2L's position and by dropping his left (partner's right) hand after just one step he gets to 'draw' her back to her place, where they then set on the sides with near hands joined. They turn again, again only half way, and that puts 1L in position to dance across to 2M's place. By dropping her left hand (partner's right) after just one step she gets to 'draw' 1M back to 2L's place. And here is the but - But the only way they can be in 2nd place on the sides across from one another is if they drop both hands. And here is the big but - BUT don't drop them at the same time! She should drop her left hand first and a moment later, after setting up the illusion of the draw, she should drop her right hand and dance across the set as 1M dances back into 2L's place. Couples now cross to own sides.

Another consideration - the nature of the figure is inherently curvy. From lines to turns (think 2 person circles) to lines and set. From lines to turns (again think circles) to the side lines and cross. Think covering too.

I am SO tempted to put this on the K&G ball.

Lang May Your Lum Reek - We have another Winnah! With sixteen bars of lullaby to get you to lower your guard, and then...  Wham! Eight bars of Rotating Ptolemaic Epicyclic Hello Goodbye setting no less. ( no lie - that is the name we came up with tonight - and not me, it was Bob Cole!) And the progression is one the simplest and most satisfying I have ever danced.

And, gulp, I did succumb to temptation and I have put it on the K&G program for April.

Gypsy Dreams - So beautiful! I have no other words. You have to dance this one at least once in your life. And once you have, once won't be enough. This is my #1 strathspey despite of the tournee.

Susan, you are absolutely right. So I promise, I will teach and program Gypsy Dreams more often.

Westchester Class - 10 March 2010

Tonight's dances:
The Mad Hatter (32 J 3) Iain Boyd – Happy to Meet
On Hudson Creek (32 H 3) Between the Rivers (J. Sawin et al)
Rakes of Auld Reekie (32 S 2) B. Priddey - Golden Oriole Book
Maurice (32 S 2) Dunsmuir Dances (Gary Thomas)
Mole’s Frolic (32 J 3) Dunsmuir Dances (Tom Winter)
Gramachie (32 S 3) Misc 1

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On Hudson Creek – for this dance what do dancers need to know? Fractions! They need to know exactly what and how far a half reel of four goes, and they need to know how far a three-quarters turn goes. And do them in exactly 4 and 2 bars respectively (more or less). Heaven help they who, in the half reel, just HAVE to take hands before they complete their left shoulder pass. Quickly now! By how much does that change the turn?

Rakes of Auld Reekie – Oh me oh my, how I like this dance. Along with Maurice this one a "no doubt" top 10 winner. It does takes some work to put the pieces together especially the timing which is on the subtle side. I have been using a set of melodic, smooth strathspeys, but in filling out a set tonight I realized that the dance works better to strong traditional tunes. Dancers can't be genteel with this one. Strong steps, strong dancing make the dance. Good dancing rewarded.

Maurice – Following on the heels of RoAR this was a case of biting off more than I could chew. I ended up behind schedule and made the beginner class wait as we (finally) danced it through. But it was coming together. Once again, good dancing rewarded.

Gramachie – A solid, doable, reasonably pleasant dance done to solid performed reasonably pleasant music. Not exhilarating, but OK. Is this a case of damning through faint praise? Perhaps. I wouldn't want to do the dance on a regular basis, and I would certainly prefer better music. I chose it because I needed a dance for a mixed set (including true beginners) and it filled the bill.

On Hudson Creek, Maurice, Rakes of Auld Reekie and Mole's Frolic are all on the Kilts and Ghillies Ball (coming real soon now).

Westchester Class - 27 January 2010

Hello Westchester, I'm back! And very happy to be back I yam I yam.

A different situation this year than last. Several dancers have graduated up from the training class but they clearly have a lot still to learn. I'm not sure they realize just how much more there is to learn so I am going to have to dial back my usual programming practices. I can't scare them out of their wits but I can't let the other dancers get lazy either, so… take a deep breath ladies, I am not going back to basics and you are going to be dropped into the deep end. Hang on to this thought - its OK to make mistakes and to ask questions; that is part of the learning process. Perfection is for tomorrow so I don't mind if you're not perfect today. Just keep smiling and have fun no matter what. It is supposed to be fun you know.

Westchester, starting an intermediate class sounds like a very good idea.

Tonight's dances were:
Moles Frolic (32 J 3) Dunsmuir Dances (T. Winter)
The Caithness Heart (32 R 2) J. Attwood - L2
Rakes of Auld Reekie (32 S 2) B. Priddey - Golden Oriole
My Ain Hoose (32 J 2) H. Foss - Glendarroch #5
Wedding in Saint Monans (32 J 3) Mary S. Brandon
Monymusk (32 S 3) 11/2

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Mole's Frolic – Simple, but not simple minded. One of the sweetest dances I have seen in a long time, and that's why it will open this year's Kilts and Ghillies Ball. Tom Winter is writing really good dances these days, and the Dunsmuir book is a tour de force - a superb collection of dances.

The Caithness Heart - a simple dance with a to-die-for reel of four. What a sweet entrance into the reel.

Rakes of Auld Reekie – Definitely not simple minded, or very simple. The two progressive promenade reels of three can be unsettling because they are not danced to the standard phrasing. You have to be comfortable 'bending' the timing and not everyone is. Without a clean end to the reels that final progression is nearly impossible. But when that last figure is nailed – oh the joy of it all! Another dance where the rewards for getting it right far out weigh the considerable effort needed to get there. Which is why it too will be done at this year's Kilts and Ghillies ball.

My Ain Hoose – A simple dance but wonderfully fulfilling when danced well. The reward comes when you and your partner find the perfect kinesthetic balance when transitioning into the half fig. eight from the turn. You know those moments, at least I hope you do, when everything is 'on', your balance, the weight being given by your partner, the change of direction is seamless, the dance effortless, and suddenly you are on a high; and when it is over all you can say is 'yes!'

An unfortunate fact of life - those moments happen most rarely in simple dances. Simple dances require the highest level of technique; slip up there and the energy slips away and with it the exhilaration.

Wedding in Saint Monans – A Mary Shoolbraid Brandon dance. Most dances have a moment or movement that makes or breaks the dance. In St. Monans that moment is the transition from the Cross Over (RH) into the Set (advancing). If you cross all the way to the sidelines and set cleanly moving forward - the energy builds. Get lazy and end the cross in the middle and set there - the dance fizzles. Mary Brandon rewards good, crisp, precise, technically correct dancing.

Monymusk – I wouldn't say I loathed this dance, that would be an exaggeration, but I certainly didn't like it; at least not until I experienced the dance to the right music. And that music was the house band for the Scottish Weekend at Buffalo Gap. Liz Donaldson, Marty Taylor, Ralph Gordon and the other usual suspects that included Steve Hickman, Earl Gaddis and Alasdair Fraser on fiddles. I was there, boy am I ever glad I was there that year. I have loved the dance ever since but it still requires exceptional music and, thank God, I have that. Blessed is the unknown person who taped the band. Blessed too is the person who sent me a copy of their copy. I bow to thee and to thee.

Dancing on the Heights (Friends Meeting House)

Happy New Year.

A good class tonight. Six dancers so mostly two couple dances.
But first, many thanks to Susan Leff for the cider and the goodies.
Chocolate and shortbread - yumm!

The program:
Belfast Almanac (32 J 2) Hugh Foss - Glendarroch #24
The Caithness Heart (32 R 2) Jean Attwood - leaflet
Mrs. Fitchet (32 S 2) Hugh Foss - Angus Fitchet SD Album
Lang May Your Lum Reek (32 J 2) Barry Priddey - Scottish Dance Archive #72
Lady Mary Douglas (48 J 3) The Imperial Book Vol. 1

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Lady Mary Douglas – directly related to Miss Mary Douglas (RSCDS Book 10/11). Same source (Wilson's Companion to the Ball Room, 1816), different interpretation. In my opinion Miss MD has NO redeeming social value. Lady MD on the other hand is a do-able and moderately pleasant dance with this caveat - you must keep the set compact, especially the opening reel. Let the set spread and you're behind, forever!

Belfast Almanac – I love that Hugh Foss stretched the boundaries of the traditional forms and that Miss Milligan considered his ideas "dangerous." I love that this dance is basically a romp consisting of standard figures with several moments of exquisite subtlety should you choose to accept them. The delightfully worded assessment "…simple, but not simple minded" fits.

It has a fugal opening:
1-8 1C set advancing, turn RH; half figure 8 though 2C.
9-16 2C set advancing, turn LH; half fig. 8 through 1C position while 1C set, cast; set, dance up (near hand) to face out in partner's place.

When the couples advanced for both setting steps (bars 1-2 and 9-10) they had difficulty in setting up good turns. But, what if 1C danced the first pas de basque in place and moved forward and to the left on the second pdb; wouldn't that leave them in good position to take RH cleanly for the coming turn? And what if 2C moved forward and to the right on the first pdb, and danced the second one in place; wouldn't that leave them in good position to take LH cleanly for their upcoming turn? Answer: Yes and yes. And the solution is both subtle and asymmetric, and I like that. Observers will experience an itch, they will wonder, but will they see?

Bars 25-26 - A tricky bit this. There is a moving arch and the dancers have to trade places (sides) with partner. I suggest 1 bar for the arch and 1 bar (no hands) for the 'crossing'. The move is a reprise of earlier movements – bars 5-6 for 1C and 13-14 for 2C, and is the set up for the six bar turns that complete the dance. Smooth transition, proper hands and covered turns. When they get it right – Oh my! Be still my heart.

The Caithness Heart – Another winner from Jean Attwood. Simple, and the entry into the reel of 4 is as sweet as can be. How shameful that the only dance of hers that is getting programmed here abouts is The Falls of Rogie.

Mrs Fitchet – The transition into the half diamond poussette - pure genius. The moment - priceless.

Lang May Your Lum Reek – Wow! Put this one on your short list of "Gotta Do" dances. I know several good, popular dances from the Scottish Dance Archives but why this one isn't a part of the standard repertoire is beyond my ken!

It is fun. No… it is more. This dance is exhilarating! The first 16 bars are so ho-hum and then Barry socks it to you; and the final 4 bars is so simple and neat that it damn near gives me goosebumps.

I grant you the third figure is intimidating but take the time to figure it out and you will be re payed ten fold. Trust me. This dance is a keeper.

Woodbridge, Friday the 13th

It has been a very difficult week. For the third time I have had, as Jane Lataille so aptly put it, a class of very small numbers. Last night it was three (3). So Tony Kalbfus gets the 'Hero of the Night" award since he drove up from New York to attend and if he hadn't there would not have been a class.

So once again it was threesomes and foursomes, with one exception, until we dropped.

Eigg, Muck and Rum - 32 R 3some - Jane Lataille
The Gay Goshawk - 32 J 2 - Barry Priddey
This One's Four Isobel - 32 S 4some - Terry Glasspool
Four Paws - 32 S 4some - Terry Glasspool
The Four Winds - 32 R 4some - Terry Glasspool

Eigg, Muck and Rum: from Always Enough to Dance. A nice little dance and a superb reinforcement to reels of three. I have the dancers line up in a row across the normal axis of a set with the end dancers facing up and the middle dancer facing down.
The opening fig. 8 foreshadows the upcoming Reel of 3, both are in 6 bars, both are identical tracks, and the final 2-bar crossings (1 bar each) really force correct timing of the reel.

The Gay Goshawk: From The Sutton Coldfield Book - a tight little dance requiring strict phrasing and a concentrated mind. It is worth a second trial with a proper set. A 2-couple dance in a 2-couple set is a bit much.

This One's Four Isobel - a favourite of mine. Of all the foursomes I have done this one comes closest to having a story line (though it may simply be familiarity on my part) and is so pretty that one day, real soon now, it will show up on a ball or party program.

Four Paws - This one is a bear to teach. We danced the first two rounds but on the third round the reels fell apart. There is a moment there that boggles my mind. I normally have a very strong sense of pattern and in that transitional moment I want to go the wrong way every time.

The heart of the dance is the reel - two dancers have a normal(?) half reel of four, the other two dancers have half Schiehallion-like reels, and then you switch! And it is at that moment that I have been going the wrong way, giving right shoulder to the wrong person. The key people are the ones who are starting the Schiehallion-half reels. They go to the person on their right to pass right shoulders. If you are that other person you have to start to your LEFT to pass that opening right shoulder and it doesn't feel right. I may have it sorted out now. One can only hope.