Book 46 Workshop

To all who showed up and danced their hearts out: Thank You, a thousand times Thank You.
To the New Haven Friends for their generosity in opening their Meeting House for us - a thousand times Thank You as well.

We were given nine dances to test. There was a nice mix; some were simple, some were sweet, and some were monsters and one was worthy of the title "Massacre on Elm Street".

First Category: Strathspey (four dances).

Taking last place in the category was Dance No.64 - Watching it danced I thought it deserved better. The swapover half reel into 1L leaving and going her own way for 4 bars was a lovely move. One person commented negatively on how asymmetric the dance was; not always a problem in my opinion.

First Runner-Up was Dance No. 78- a medley, 64S+64R square set, it both looked and danced better than it read or walked. One comment was that the sequence was more interesting in quick time.

Taking "First" in the category but not Best of Show, winning my heart and status as my favorite dance of the day, was Dance No. 39. It is simple, it is sweet, it is not a world changer but it is a keeper.

In the Jig category (2 dances):

First runner up was Dance No. 65. Nice concept but the Half Rondel was just not enough to overcome the yawn factor.

So, even though we never quite got the dance to work (we were on a tight schedule and there just wasn't enough time to work out all the kinks) the winner of the Jig category, and taking home a check of $0.00, was Dance No.83 with an Espagnole and promenade half reels of three on the sides.

With three entries the final category - Reels:

Winner of the "Monster of the Day" award was Dance No 49, the one we ended up calling "Massacre on Elm Street." An 80 bar reel square set, it had, by far, the most interesting and original choreography of the day. The dance is ALL about the transitions, the sheer number and variety of them being its downfall. Additionally, given the time constraints, the Schiehallion Reels and the double wide wheels needed far more practice than we could give them. In the end it came down to this - there simply wasn't enough social value in the dance to adequately reward the effort expended in perfecting it. A shame, because it clearly came from a crooked mind (and I love minds like that).

And now the moment we have all been waiting for: winner of its category and Grand Champion of Batch No.5 - Dance No. 95! Short form (in 3 words or less) – the most fun!

The Dances:
No. 25 – 32 S 4
No. 39 – 32 S 3 set
No. 49 – 40 R 3
No. 64 – 32 S 3
No. 65 – 32 J 3
No. 71 – 80 R 4 square set
No. 78 – (64S+64R) square set
No. 83 – 32 J 4 (3C 4C improper)
No. 95 – 40 R 4 (2C 4C improper)

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

******
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.

Branch Christmas Party

10 dancers besides myself turned out for the Branch's Christmas Party. :-(

We danced through the program then partied. Baklava, spice bread, cookies, more cookies, and cider. Oh yes the cider! Hot, mulled and gone. (Secret family recipe you know ;-)

The Program:
Quarries’ Jig (32 J 3) 36/3
Phyllis’ Fancy (32 S 2) B. Priddey - Sutton Coldfield
The White Cockade (32 R 3) 5/11
The Beauty of the North (32 S 3) J. Drewry - Deeside 1
John of Bon Accord (32 R 3) 33/5

The Nurseryman (32 J 3) 37/7
Dalkieth’s Strathspey (32 S 3) 9/6
On the Quarterdeck (32 H 2) Harbour City
Gordon of Straloch (32 S 3) P. Price - leaflet
Da Rain Dancin’ (32 R 3) R. Wallace - Whiteadder Coll.

New Haven Branch Christmas Party - On Again - Monday, 14 December 2009

When:
7:30 PM, Monday, 14 December, 2009,

Where:
New Haven Friends Meeting House
225 East Grand Ave.,
New Haven, CT.

Update on the program -

Leslie expressed concern that the program wasn't 'Christmas-y' enough – so I redid it. :-)
All the dances (but two) are familiar and all are simple to intermediate in difficulty. So come and party and see if you can Name That Dance.

Dasher's Jig (32 J 3)
S. Claus' Strathspey (32 S 2)
The Tassel (32 R 3)
Lord Nicholas' Fancy (32 S 3)
Ultima Thule (32 R 3)

Intermission

The Toymaker (32 J 3)
Dancer's Strathspey (32 S 3)
The Sleigh Bench (32 H 2)
The Fa' North (32 S 3)
Da Snow Swirlin' (32 R 3)

Note - I will be bringing mulled cider. All other goodies are bring your own/pot luck.

RSCDS New Haven Branch Christmas Party is Canceled

There will not be a New Haven Branch Christmas Party in New Haven this season.

The change of space and landlord makes a weekend date untenable for monetary reasons. And the Friends Meeting House is only available on the 19th which is too close to Christmas.

Therefore–

The New Haven Class and Peter's monthly class will be holding a joint Christmas party on Monday, 14 December 2009, at the Friends Meeting House.

Call for a Book 46 Workshop

Is there anyone interested in a Book 46 Project Workshop?

I would like the New Haven Branch to put on a workshop in early to mid January to properly assess the Book 46 project dances. I would like to see an afternoon workshop in which all nine dances are taught, a potluck dinner followed by a dance session in which the dances, having been taught earlier, can be done in a party setting.

I have a possible venue: The New Haven Friends' Meeting House is usually available on Saturdays– it will accommodate 2 sets comfortably, three sets are do-able but a squeeze. Full kitchen downstairs with tables and chairs.

Why this call? Because I am not going to be able to assess the Book 46 dances properly in class. The 'assessment' form provided by RSCDS is set up to compare dances by group. As in– Which dance do you like better Jig #1 or Jig #2?

No problem there, I can teach two new dances in the course of an evening at get an answer as to which is preferred. I can even get the three reels taught in an evening. I will not be able to get the four strathspeys done.

And all nine in an evening, even if they already know them? Not going to happen!

I am willing to get the hall, I am willing to do the teaching. I am willing to help with set up and cleanup and close the hall. Is there anyone else interested and willing and able?

Dancing on the Heights - November 2009

We barely squeaked a class in tonight - just four (4) dancers showed. So, instead of getting a jump on the Book 46 project I had to pull out all the 3-some, 4-some and 5-some dances I had in my card file.

We danced:
Santa Fe Summer (32 J 4-some) - Jane Lataille
This One's Four Isobel - (32 S 4-some) - Terry Glasspool
The Four Winds - (32 R 4-some) - Terry Glasspool
The Four Poster - (32 S 4-some) - Terry Glasspool


What I am finding is that 4-some dances such as these have little chance of developing a storyline. These dances are essentially figure/pattern sequences and the formations can be irregular so a very good short term memory is needed as the parts may be familiar but the patterns are going in unfamiliar directions. Muscle memory can lead you astray here.

This only the second time I have taught Santa Fe Summer and I haven't made up my mind yet.
This One's Four Isobel is absolutely positively one of my favorite dances. It is gorgeous, it is elegant and one day it will end up on a ball program.

The Four Wind is a good journeyman dance. It is fairly simple, fun but it won't win an Uncle Molly Award. The last dance to do that was Mole's Frolic which is the opening dance for this season's Kilts and Ghillies Ball -17 April 2010.

The last dance of the evening, The Four Poster is one another winner. In this one Terry plays games with that good old mundane, if not down right boring, figure: Back-to-Back. Here we have interlocking Back-to-Backs for 4 persons in line, then he gives us a "Back-to-Back Half Reel of Four". Without a doubt Terry has one of the most devilish minds I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Ramblings from the Heights

Wandering Thoughts

I am in overwhelm. Too much that I want to do and not enough class time to do it in or even half of it.

Let's see - first there is the RSCDS Book 46 project which consists of 9 dances - 2 jigs, 3 reels and 4 medley/strathspeys. Headquarters wants us to rank each within its category. I can certainly teach two jigs in an evening class, maybe even 3 brand new reels, but 4 strathspeys? And one of them a 128 Medley? I don't think so. The medley alone is probably a full evening project.

I am going to try teaching one or two dances a night and then run three test sessions - one for each category but with a January 29th deadline time is already short. With the Kilts &
Ghillies class's very iffy attendance numbers time is actually very short.

What I really want is a mid January workshop where all the dances can be done and the votes for best of category and best overall can be tallied and no one has to try and recall the dance they did two weeks ago - "When did we do that one?" and "was it any good?".

Another issue is music. We teachers received absolutely no guidance from the deviser or Headquarters. Do we choose a smooth classical jig or bumbitty Irish jig? Classical strathspey or slow air? If we pick the 'wrong' music we spoil the dance. And the music I pick won't be the music another teacher will pick.

Last night I taught Dance No. 39 in Wilton - I used Yet Another Birthday (3x32 S) from les joueurs de bon accord. It was "Ok" but not the best fit - I am open to suggestions!

Monday (9 Nov) is the next Meeting House dance and I will be teaching a number of the Batch 5 dances. Dance No. 49 (8x40 R) is on the agenda and for music I have chosen Captain Macintosh. (It dances well to that music - in my mind - and that is a dangerous place for me to be). Dance No. 71 (4x80 R square) is also on the agenda. Come one come all!! Let the show begin!

Just One More Thing - I do NOT want to be the sole voice on this blog. Invitations have gone out to most of the people whom I have email addresses for. Please sign up and become authors. Please Contribute! I know what my impressions are - and how often I need a good swift reality check. Help me get out of my mind - in the good sense.

By the way, Blogger makes this really easy - it is as close to idiot proof as can be. Please note "I" am doing this - so you can too.