Eight by Thirty-Two

Vefa's Strathspey 8x32 or 3x32 S

Roland Telle — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 11:04:00 +0000

VEFA'S STRATHSPEY

32-bar Strathspey for 3 couples in a 3-couple or 4-couple set

1-4	1c lead down the middle, finish facing each other. 2c step up on bars 3-4.
5-8	1c half turn right hand on bar [5] and lead up to second place opposite sides.
9-16	2c & 1c dance a ladies' chain. 1 M & 2M omit polite turn at end to finish facing out.
17-24	2c, 1c & 3c dance parallel reels of three on the sidelines, 1c & 3c passing right shoulders to begin. Finish with 1M facing out.
25-28	1M, followed by partner, casts down one place and dances across to men's side in third place. 1W finishes in third place on women's side. 3c step up on bars 27-28.
29-32	3c & 1c set and link.
	Repeat having passed a couple.

Note: Second time or in a 3 couples longwise set:
3c & 1c dance right hands across.
Repeat from new places.

Music: any good strathspey.

Devised by Roland Telle (roland.telle [at] strathspey.fr) for Vefa Balac's birthday, 28th February 2015. Vefa is the nickname for Genovefa, which is the Breton translation of the name Geneviève.

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Rin Wuid 8x32 R

Marty Livingston — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:59:00 +0000

RIN WUID

32-bar reel for 3 couples in a 4-couple set

1-4	1M follows 1L who casts off one place and dances across the set while 2L follows 2M who casts up one place and dances across the set
5-8	2s and 1s right hands across, 1L end facing out.
9-16	2L follows 2M who follows 1M who follows 1L who dances a figure 8 around 3s, beginning by casting around 3M; 1L meets 2M between the 3s at the beginning of bar 6 and they lead up to 1st place and turn towards each other to face down with near hands joined while 1M meets 2L between the 3s at the beginning of bar 7 and they lead up to 2nd place to face up with near hands joined
17-24	1L and 2M dance down under an arch made by 2L and 1M, 1L and 2M form an arch and 2L and 1M dance under, repeat, all end facing up in center, near hands joined
25-32	1M follows 1L as she casts to 2nd place on the ladies' side, crosses down between the 3s and up around 3M to 2nd place on their own side. Meanwhile 2L follows 2M as he casts to 2nd place on the mens' side, crosses down between the 3s and up around 3L to 1st place on their own side. As they cross down between 3rd couple, 2M passes 1L in front of him with his right hand and 1M passes 2L in front of him with his left hand.

On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th iteration, 1L ends facing out, ready to cast off one place.

On the 2nd, 4th, and 6th iteration, 2M ends facing out, ready to cast up one place.

Recommended music: "The Architect"

Devised by Marty Livingston (martyrlivingston [at] gmail.com). Rin Wuid is a Scottish phrase meaning 'Act with reckless abandon'

UPDATE Feb 2015: Bars 5-16 clarified

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Music Melts Upon the Evening Breeze 3x32 or 8x32 S

Marty Livingston — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:49:00 +0000

MUSIC MELTS UPON THE EVENING BREEZE

32-bar Strathspey for 3 couples in a 3-couple or 4-couple set

1-4	1s cross with the right hand and cast off one place as 2s step up
5-8	1s dance all the way around each other by the right shoulder back to place while 2s and 3s set and turn ¾ by the right hand to end in a line up and down the center of the set
9-12	1s dance clockwise halfway around the set to change places while 2s and 3s dance ½ reel of four in the middle of the set, 2nd man end facing 1st man, 3rd lady end facing 1st lady.
13-16	2nd lady and 3rd man dance clockwise halfway around the set to change places while 2nd man, 3rd lady, and 1st couple dance a ½ reel of four across the set, 2nd man end facing 3rd man, 3rd lady end facing 2nd lady.
17-20	1s dance clockwise halfway around the set to change places while 2s and 3s dance ½ reel of four in the middle of the set, 2nd man end facing 1st lady, 3rd lady end facing 1st man.
21-24	2nd lady and 3rd man dance clockwise halfway around the set to change places while 2nd man, 3rd lady, and 1st couple dance a ½ reel of four across the set, 2nd man end facing 2nd lady, 3rd lady end facing 3rd man.
25-26	2s and 3s turn by the right hand to opposite sides while 1s cross by the right with no hands
27-30	All chase clockwise ½ way around
31-32	1s cross by the right with no hands Finish in the order 3, 1, 2 and either repeat with a new top couple or repeat from 2nd place

Devised by Marty Livingston (martyrlivingston [at] gmail.com). The title is a line from "Great Things and Small" by D.H. Edwards

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Last Set in the Hall 3x32 S

Truus De Ceuster — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 10:43:00 +0000

THE LAST SET IN THE HALL

32-bar Strathspey for 3 couples in a 3-couple set

1-8	1s and 2s dance the Knot. 1s turn to face 1st corners
9-10	1s set to 1st corners
11-12	1s pull back RSH, dance round each other and out to 3rd corner position WHILE 1st corners dance towards each other, pull back RSH and face out
13-16	Repeat bars 9 - 12. 1s finish with twirl to face 2nd corners. 1st corners finish in opposite corner place
17-24	Repeat with 2nd corners. 1s finish by passing right shoulder to 2nd place opposite side
25-26	All set
27-30	All turn partner 2 hands one and a half times, and stay in the middle to face each other,
31-32	All pull back RSH and twirl to own side. Finish in order 3, 1, 2

Recommended Music: "Miss Nicola Black," e.g. as recorded by David Cunningham and his Scottish Dance Band for "If at First" on Leicester Branch 1977-2002 The Silver Collection.

Devised by Truus de Ceuster (tdceuster [at] gmail.com), with input from Margaret Lambourne, Wil van de Berg, Geoff Entwistle, and Lara Friedman~Shedlov. "Only a few weeks ago the Utrecht SCD-group (www.theswilcan.nl) was informed that the gymnasium where we dance will be demolished on very short term. Fortunately we found another hall, but yesterday was our last dance in the old hall."

UPDATE 1: Based on feedback from dancers, bars 25-28 were altered as of 11 November 2014, changing the progression of the dance. Minor changes to other wording were made throughout.

UPDATE 2: Based on additional feedback, bars 25-30 were altered as of 2 December 2014, and suggested recorded music was added.

UPDATE 3: Recommended music clarified.

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Malcolm's Shoes 8x32 J

Sergey Kargapoltsev — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:25:00 +0000

MALCOLM'S SHOES

32-bar jig for 3 couples in a 4-couple set

1-8	1s & 3s Set to partner. 1s cast 2 places [2], dance to top on own sides [2] and Set while 3s dance to top [2], cast two 2 places to own sides [2] and Set.
9-16	1s dance 1/2 reel of 3 on sides (1s in & down) [4] 1s+2s+3s Set and Cross RH [321 on opposite sides]
17-24	1s+2s+3s clap 4 times [2], stamp right leg 4 times [2]. All dance 1/2 grand chain, 1s starting across the set [4] (123 on own sides, 1st and 2nd adies omit polite turn, 1st Lady to end facing out)
25-32	1L followed by partner cast one place [2] (2s step up on bars 3-4). 1L crossing to 2nd place opposite side [2], 1s 1/2 turn RH, twirl & dance out to 2nd place own sides

Suggested Music: "Lady Home's Jig" Muriel Johnstone's Band from Dance Through the Miscellanies

Devised 4 May 2014, by Sergey Kargapoltsev (robroyway [at] gmail.com). The little story that happened in Vladimir city (Russia) on Spring School with Malcolm Brown when he lost his shoes.

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Lagavulin 5x32 S

Gordon Scott — Mon, 19 May 2014 09:08:00 +0000

LAGAVULIN

32-bar Strathspey for 5 couples in a 5-couple set

1-8	1s & 2s and 3s & 4s espagnole: 1s+2s (& 3s+4s) cross (Women lead across RH passing between Men) with Women changing places RH 1s+2s (& 3s+4s) cross back (Men lead across RH between Women) with Men changing places RH 2s & 4s turn RH once round while 1s & 3s turn LH once round 1s and 3s end facing 1st corners
9-16	1s & 3s turn 1st corners RH, partner LH, 2nd corners RH, partners LH; 1s & 3s end facing 1st corners
17-24	Diagonal reels of 4 with 1st corners,1s & 3s giving R shoulder to 1st corners to start, 1s & 3s take LH at end of reel ready for ...
25-32	1s turn LH and cast to 3rd place opposite side, dance ½ figure of 8 up through 4s while 3s turn LH and cast to 5th place opposite side, dance ½ figure of 8 up through 5s, (4s and 5s step up on bar 27/28 so that they get lots of time to remember how to dance the espagnole) ending 24153

Suggested Music: "Roy's Threescore and Ten" as on Colin Dewar's Special Requests Vol 5 : Hamilton Welcome.

Devised by Gordon Scott (gordon.scott [at] btinternet.com). The name of Lagavulin is an anglicization of the Gaelic "lag a'mhuilin", meaning "hollow by the mill", and is also the name of a well-known single malt whisky.

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Janice 3x32 S

Lara Friedman-Shedlov — Sat, 10 May 2014 08:12:00 +0000

JANICE

32-bar Strathspey for 3 couples in a 3-couple set

1-8	All 3 couples dance the petronella figure (petronella turn and set, repeat) to partner's side.
9-16	1C dance in slightly and cast to 2nd place, cross down between 3C, giving LH briefly, and cast up to 2nd place on own sides. 2C step up on bars 3-4 of the phrase.
17-20	1C and dancers in 1st corner positions advance one step and retire on the diagonal; repeat with 2nd corners
21-24	All 3 couples dance back-to-back
25-32	Diagonal rights and lefts (i.e. half R & L with 1st corners, then half R & L with 2nd corners)

Music: No designated tune as of yet. Any good Strathspey in the traditional style (i.e. not an air).

Devised in June 2013 by Lara Friedman-Shedlov (lfriedmanshedlov [at] gmail.com) for Janice Lacock, now of Madison, Wisconsin. However, the dance did not actually debut until May 2014, when it was taught to members of the Oslo Scottish Country Dance Group, with whom Janice used to dance.

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.

The Battle of Trafalgar 6x40 H

Keith Rose — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 07:11:00 +0000

THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR

6x40 bar Hornpipe for 6 couples in two, side-by-side 3-couple sets.

The dancers are arranged as two, side by side, 3 couple sets, i.e. 4M, 5M and 6M are back to back with 1L 2L and 3L. The first set, couples 1, 2 and 3 represents the English fleet, the second set with couples 4, 5 and 6 represents the French and Spanish fleet.

1-8	1C, 2C and 3C dance Inveran Reels. (All dance reels of 3 up and down the set, 1C cross down to opposite sides on bar 1 and cross up, back to own sides on bar 5.) while 4C 5C and 6C dance similarly. All finish in original places
9-12	1C, 2C and 3C set to partners and turn half way giving right hands, finishing with ladies behind partners, all facing across to second set. while 4C 5C and 6C stand.
13-16	1M dances across to second set, passing 4M right shoulder and dancing clockwise around 4L to finish facing her while 1L follows and dances clockwise all the way around 4M who turns around to face 1L, 4M is back to back with 1M. while 2C and 3C dance similarly around 5C and 6C

17-20	All set and turn once round with the right hand.
21-24	4L, 1M, 4M and 1L dance half a reel of 4 across the set. On bars 23-24, 1M and 4M should pass right shoulder, NOT left, and on bar 24 1L and 4L should start to come in again from the sidelines to end right shoulder to right shoulder with 4M and 1M respectively while 2C with 5C and 3C with 6C dance similarly.
25-26	4C with 1C dance half right hands across while 2C with 5C and 3C with 6C dance similarly.

27-28	1C, retaining right hands, turn right hand half way to 4C's original place in set 2 while 4M, followed by 4L dances across to 1C's original place in set 1 while 2C with 5C and 3C with 6C dance similarly.
29-32	1C, 2C and 3C, in set 2, set to partners. 1C and 2C cast off one place, 3C, with right hands, lead up two places to the top of the set, All finish in promenade hold facing down the set, ladies on partner's left, in the order 3 1 2 while 4C, 5C and 6C in set 1, turn partner with right hand once round in 4 bars to finish in promenade hold facing up the set in the order 4 5 6.
39-40	All, with promenade hold, chase clockwise once round the set, 2C and 4C leading and following 6C and 3C respectively, to end 4 5 6 in the first set and 3 1 2 in the second set.
	Repeat from new positions. Progression for 1st couple is: 1 5 2 6 3 4

Music: Admiral Nelson. (I edited a 4x64 Hornpipe recording to 6x40).

Devised by Keith Rose (keith [at] krose.plus.com) for a Scottish Dancing holiday to Conil de la Frontera on the Costa de la Luz, Spain which is about 8 miles from Cape Trafalgar. The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21 October 1805 when Admiral Nelson attacked the larger combined French and Spanish fleets using a new strategy of attacking perpendicularly to the line of enemy ships.

1-8: depict preparation for the battle and revue of the fleets.
9-16: The attack.
17-24: Fighting at close quarters.
25-32: End of the battle, chasing the vanquished and victory celebrations.
33-40: Return to port

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Original post blogged on b2evolution.