What we danced at Little Chalfont This Term Spring 2023
30th March 2023
Reel for Alice - the dance with mirror reels and first couple crossing onto the opposite side, then turning on the side all the way down, and then figures of 8 on the side from both ends at once.
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Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
Bruce's Men - with Diagonal Rights and Lefts, and an allemande.
Iona Cross The Medley:3 x strathspey, 3 x reel. In a square set with 2 couples in the middle. Reels of 4 up and down and then across after half Rights and Left Hands Across.
23rd March 2023
Jig for Elizabeth Ann - Features mirror reels ( without crossing) amid an otherwise easy dance.
Anderson's Rant - Mirror Reels with first couple crossing onto opposite sides, followed by a second reel with the 1s crossing back to their own side
The Swan and the Tay The one with figures of 8 on the side, mirror reels , with dancing couple crossing and Corners Pass & turn
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Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
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Shetland Shepherdess - another crossing reel!
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Crossing Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
Annan Reel- Featured those tricky diagonal rights and lefts with 1st and 4th corners and ending with the Allemande
14th March 2023
Jig for Elizabeth Ann - Features mirror reels ( without crossing) amid an otherwise easy dance.
Anderson's Rant - Mirror Reels with first couple crossing onto opposite sides, followed by a second reel with the 1s crossing back to their own side
The Swan and the Tay The one with figures of 8 on the side, mirror reels , with dancing couple crossing and Corners Pass & turn
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Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
Reel for Alice - the dance with mirror reels with first couple crossing onto the opposite side, then turning on the side all the way down, and then figures of 8 on the side from both ends at once.
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Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan - Featuring mirror reels from the middle of the set, with 1s crossing
9th March 2023
Scott Meikle - A fast one with Right and left hands across then tandem reels.
Neidpath Castle - a beautiful slow, elegant dance ( strathspey) with two-handed turns, a Grand Chain and half All Round Poussettes,
None so Pretty - the one with lots of setting, in lines across and then up and down before the 2 reels and allemande
Westminster Reel The 2 couple dance that went on and on: Diagonal Reel of 4 and an adapted Set and Rotate before Rights and lefts at the end.
Miss Milligan's Strathspey - started with a circle and then the tricky bit with a non-standard start to mirror reels.Also featured the Knot.
OXO Reel A bit of light relief to finish : Circle at top and bottom and right hands across in the middle! A lot of slip-stepping up and down the very long set.
2nd March 2023
Kendall's Hornpipe - Featuring Rights and Lefts and the Ladies Chain.
Iona Cross The square set with 2 couples in the middle. Reels of 4 up and down and then across after half Rights and Left Hands Across. We managed the Strathspey bit of the medley really well, but came a bit unstuck hen it changes to reel time.
Airie Bennan -a reminder of the challenges of a 5 couple set with 2 dancing couples and the 4s needing to be corners for both the upper and lower halves of the set.
Ayrshire Lasses Another 5 couple dance with 2 dancing couples and the 4s needing to belong to both halves of the set. Here we had the extra challenge of reels across the dance and later hands across with 3 dancers top and bottom and 4 in the centre.
Australian Ladies A quick dance with the dancing couple crossing and casting while the 2s and 3s set and cross. No disastrous crashes , but we'll keep trying to get the timing right!
23rd February 2023
Morrison Measure Right and Left shoulder reels and Right and Left Hands Across.
Airie Bennan -a reminder of the challenges of a 5 couple set with 2 dancing couples and the 4s needing to be corners for both the upper and lower halves of the set.
Ayrshire Lasses Another 5 couple dance with 2 dancing couples and the 4s needing to belong to both halves of the set. Here we had the extra challenge of reels across the dance and later hands across with 3 dancers top and bottom and 4 in the centre.
John Cass - tandem reels of 3 : 6 people moving at once!
Inchmickery - the one that starts and ends with a circle, with teapots and turning distant corners
Mrs Stewart's Jig - with the grand chain and ladies chain
16th February 2023
Come Under My Plaidie - round the room with the ladies chain
Paisley Weavers - The one with the double chord so the 2s can start on the opposite side, then featuring Grand Chain, Ladies'Chain and Half Rights & Lefts
Flight of the Falcon - alternating tandem reels of 3 : 6 people moving at once!
John Cass - more alternating tandem reels of 3 : 6 people moving at once!
9th February 2023
Flowers of Dunbeg
John Cass - tandem reels of 3 : 6 people moving at once!
Snowdrops - the slow one featuring the Grand Chain ( of Right and left hand swaps) and Rights & Lefts , together with half figures of 8 across. No video of the whole dance I'm afraid.
Fisherman's Reel - the square one with teapots and reels of 3 in promenade hold .
Glastonbury Tor - the one featuring half Right Hands Across, then half left hands across before half diagonal reels of 4 and Set and Link.
Luckenbooth Brooch - the 1s in promenade hold dance reels of 3 across with 2s and then the 3s. In the next bit while the 1s are weaving in and out the 2s and 3s are supposed to do Right & Lefts ( as inthe video) but we left that out for simplicity. We set in lines across and then 1 turn ready to start again.
2nd February 2023
OXO Reel Circle at top and bottom and right hands across in the middle! A lot of slip-stepping up and down the very long set.
Berwick Johnnie - Some useful practice with 1/2 Right Hands Across, the Allemande for 2 couples and turning corner,partner,corner,partner
Miss Eleanor The one which starts with Reflection Reels and ends with with the magical 3 couple Bourrell, when you are re-united with your Partner in a line up and down, and a circle. The 3 couple Bourrell only works if you start it NOT OPPOSITE your partner so there's a clever little sequence to get you in the right places between the reels and the Bourrell.
Fisherman's Reel - the square one with teapots and reels of 3 in promenade hold . Congratulations everyone!
Luckenbooth Brooch - the 1s in promenade hold dance reels of 3 across with 2s and then the 3s. In the next bit while the 1s are weaving in and out the 2s and 3s are supposed to do Right & Lefts ( as inthe video) but we left that out for simplicity. We set in lines across and then 1 turn ready to start again.
Craven Twelvesome - the square one with a man with 2 women on each side features reel of 3 and half Right Hands Across for the men, ending with a large circle( we did it with half left hands across this time!)
26th January 2023
London Celebration *TD - features a small circle, Right Hands Across and do -si Dos
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Right Hands Across
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Dos-a-Do
Wild Geese *TD- Flapping about in the centre like geese !
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Crib
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Video
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Set Advancing
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Balance in Line
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Rights & Lefts
Coats land *TD- The one with the upside-down allemande, a bit of chasing round in a horseshoe and teapots . The trick is for 1s coming back up to the top smoothly after the chase, ready to cast and flow into teapots, and 2s and 3s staying in place immediately after horseshoes..
Kissing Bridge *TD The one with the Whoopsie turn ( or not - sorry! )
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Crib
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Video
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
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Quick Time Poussette
Miss Eleanor *TD The one which starts with Reflection Reels and ends with with the magical 3 couple Bourrell, when you are re-united with your Partner in a line up and down, and a circle. The 3 couple Bourrell only works if you start it NOT OPPOSITE your partner so there's a clever little sequence to get you in the right places between the reels and the Bourrell.
Trip to Timber Ridge the very fast, jolly one, featuring Corners pass and Turn in quick time !
19th January 2023
Kendall's Hornpipe - Featuring Rights and Lefts and the Ladies Chain.A 2-couple dance to get us all warmed up!
Cape Breton Island *TD- The clever one which starts with 3s and 4s on the wrong side, with Set and Rotate.
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
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Coats land *TD- The one with the upside-down allemande, a bit of chasing round in a horseshoe and teapots . The trick is in coming back up to the top smoothly after the chase, ready to cast and flow into teapots.
Inchmickery *TD- the one with 5 couples, that starts and ends with a circle, with teapots and turning distant corners
12th January 2023
Coat's land *TD- The one with the upside-down allemande, a bit of chasing round in a horseshoe and teapots . The trick is in coming back up to the top smoothly after the chase, ready to cast and flow into teapots.
The Tri-Mariner *TD -the one with 3 couples starting 2 bars after each other and everyone coming together for a promenade and petronella turns into the middle. Timing is crucial.
Triple Happiness *TD- features the Knot and Corners pass and Turn
Haar on Skye *TD -features the Rondel ( arch) and Grand Chain
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Crib
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Video
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Rondel
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Grand Chain
5th January 2023
Flowers of Dunbeg -Teapots, Advance & Retire and first couple weaving down the middlea
New Year Jig - a reminder of figures of 8 and reels of 3 on the side, followed by hands across but this time right hands across with 3s and left hands back with 2s.
Morrison Measure Right and Left shoulder reels and Right and Left Hands Across.
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
Airie Bennan -an introduction to the challenges of a 5 couple set with 2 dancing couples and the 4s needing to be corners for both the upper and lower halves of the set.
Inchmickery - the one with 5 couples, that starts and ends with a circle, with teapots and turning distant corners