What we danced at Gerrards Cross Summer 2023
18th July 2023
Gaelforce Wind The one with Set and Link for 2 and then the Mens Chain at the beginning
Best Set in the Hall -The Pantomime dance: look behind you! .
Tap the Barrel - a lot of quick changing places , and then the allemande.
Cherry Bank Gardens - Petronella in tandem, set and link, Grand Chain.
Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan - Featuring mirror reels from the middle of the set, with 1s crossing
Ramadance - the tricky one starting with inveran reels and ending with two half reels: first one left shoulder across, and then right shoulder up and down. Corners turned and twirled while dancing couple danced round them. The Inveran reels were the easy bit!
Toast to the Mousies - arches and reel
Midsummer Common - features Set Advancing to corners into lines across and ends with the diamond /all round poussette
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DiamondPoussette (or All-round poussette)
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Australian Ladies A quick dance with the dancing couple crossing and casting while the 2s and 3s set and cross.
Reel of the 51st - set and turn corners, balance in line
11th July 2023
Australian Ladies A quick dance with the dancing couple crossing and casting while the 2s and 3s set and cross.
Soldier's Joy - dance featuring Right hands across for 3 couples ( which we found a little tricky to get our hands inthe right place) and left back and with quick time poussette at the end
Peter Price's Strathspey - a 5 couple set with flirt and cast, left hands across for 3 couples, a chase and then set and rotate for 3 couples.
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Set and Rotate for 3 couples - see dance video
Sleepy Maggie - not so sleepy!
City of Belfast - Reel of 4 and the Espagnole : oh so elegant!
Torridon Lassies - a bit of a torrid time with this one! approaching corners in succession: set, turn and half reel(twice) then corners set and cross while dancing couple cast and half figure of 8.
Three Shires - features teapots on the side, and then up and down followed by hello-goodbye setting. No video available.
4th July 2023
Ayr Promenade
Raven's Dance
Nurseryman
Midsummer Common - features Set Advancing to corners into lines across and ends with the diamond /all round poussette
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DiamondPoussette (or All-round poussette)
The First Rain of Spring - with double figures of 8 and especially the 1/2 Celtic Reels
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Crib
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Video
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Double figures of 8
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Celtic Reel
Flight of Falcon
Berwick Johnnie - Some useful practice with 1/2 Right Hands Across, the Allemande for 2 couples and turning corner,partner,corner,partner
27th June 2023
Best Set in the Hall -The Pantomime dance: look behind you! .
Jessie's Hornpipe
Highland Plaid
John Cass - tandem reels of 3 : 6 people moving at once!
Asilomar Romantic - lots of tricky bits but mercifully slow!
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Hello-Goodbye Setting(Set to Corner & Partner)
Ramadance - the tricky one starting with inveran reels and ending with two half reels: first one left shoulder across, and then right shoulder up and down. Corners turned and twirled while dancing couple danced round them. The Inveran reels were the easy bit!
Barmkin - square set
20th June 2023
Jenny Dang the Weaver -
City of Belfast - Reel of 4 and the Espagnole : oh so elegant!
Countess of Dunmore -
Galloway House - features casting, a small circle and Rights & Lefts at the end. We danced this as a strathspey(slow one).
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Crib
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Video
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Rights & Lefts
Round Reel of Eight -
Toast to Aberdeen -
Lintons Ploughman features Right Hands Across and Left Hands back and the quick time poussette.
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Crib
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Video
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Right Hands Across
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Poussette
14th June 2023
Highland Fair -
Edinburgh Castle Reel -the one where corner/partner is followed by the couple going out on the ladies side, dividing and then out the men's side before getting back to own side. We found that last bit rather awkward
Bedrule -a lot of dizzy-making turning to start with in this dance!
Best Set in the Hall -The Pantomime dance: look behind you! .
Tap the Barrel - a lot of quick changing places , and then the allemande.
Recumbent Stone- The challenge of the evening! 3 x half diagonal reels of 4 and half a reel of 4 up and down, amid circles , turns and figures of 8!
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Half diagonal Reels of 4
De'il Amang the Tailors -Set and half right hands across, followed by set and half left hands across.
7th June 2023
Fairy Ring -
Vive La Danse Teapots, Hello-Goodbye Setting and Reels of 3 on partners's side.
Anniversary Reel , no difficult formations but lots of different bits to remember
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Reels of 4 across
Linnea's Strathspey another one with Hello-Goodbye Setting, but the distinctive feature is the Chaperoned Chain Progression.
Farewell to Balfour Road The 5 couple set that starts with a new top couple every 16 bars.
Dagmar's Fancy with the Progressive or modified Grand Chain. I cant find a separate video of that I'm afraid.
30th May 2023 - at Little Chalfont
London Celebration - round the room, featuring a small circle, Right Hands Across and do -si Dos
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Right Hands Across
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Dos-a-Do
Findlay's Jig the one with 3 couple allemande and casting from bottom back to top for 1s and 2s..
Morrison Measure Right and Left shoulder reels and Right and Left Hands Across.
Friendships simple strathspey of casting, circles and half right or left hands across, BUT everyone is involved each time through so its essential to register which couple you are in the set each time.
Spring Fling. 40 bars rather than usual 32 for each repeat!
Berwick Johnnie - Some useful practice with 1/2 Right Hands Across, the Allemande for 2 couples and turning corner,partner,corner,partner
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)
Kissing Bridge The one with the Whoopsie turn!
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
Trip to Timber Ridge the very fast, jolly one, featuring Corners pass and Turn in quick time !
23rd May 2023
Cutty Sark - think sailors pulling ropes with the unusual Partner/Corner/Corner/Partner turns
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Right Hands Across
Miss C M Barbour- with the Corners Chain and left shoulder reels of 3
MacDonald of the Isles - featuring diagonal reels of 4,the snowball chain, half Rights & lefts and half Figures of 8.
College Hornpipe - with promenade and Hello-Goodbye Setting
Chequered Court- unusual turn/twirl from 1st to 4th corner for Corners Pass and Turn. Also double triangles and reels of 3 across
Rose of the North - with a 3 couple Rights and Lefts
Duran Ranger- with funny turn (!) Rights and lefts and turning corner/partner.
16th May 2023
Highland Welcome
Bottoms Up The one which started with the 3s , followed by 2s and then 1s all doing the same thing. Not difficult, just different.
Roxburgh Castle - the one that starts chasing round the square and ending with quick time poussette.
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Poussette
Shetland Shepherdess - a crossing mirror reel
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Crossing Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
The Swan and the Tay The one with figures of 8 on the side, another crossing mirror reel and Corners Pass & turn
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Mirror reels (but not crossing in the video)
Spring Fling. 40 bars rather than usual 32 for each repeat!
Miss Gibson's Strathspey featured the Knot
Miss Welsh's Reel - features Right Hands Across ( and left back) , and Corner/Partner/Corner/partner.
Catch the Wind -the one where the lady is followed by the man but only lets him catch her at the end. Features the reel of 3 across.
9th May 2023
All the King's Men - round the room dance!
Cabbages and Kings -
Johnnie Walker - the square medley
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Grand Chain ( in square set)
Findlay's Jig features 3 couple Allemande
Foxhill Court- the challenging one, starting with an espagnole and then the tricky dance to corners and set.
Lochnagar- the unusual corner turns:your 1st corner right and then your partner's first corner left; then your own 2nd corner right and then your Partner's 2nd corner left. All followed by Double Triangles.
Tartan Rainbow - featuring the 3 couple knot. 2s are dancing couple
Bruce's Men - with Diagonal Rights and Lefts, and an allemande.
Berwick Johnnie - Some useful practice with 1/2 Right Hands Across, the Allemande for 2 couples and turning corner,partner,corner,partner
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Crib
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Video
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Right Hands Across
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Allemande for 2 couples
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Turn Corner,Partner,Corner,Partner
2nd May 2023
Virginia Reel - an easy one to start!
Snowdrops in the Glen - the half figure of 8 round the 3s threw us at first but once we'd sussed that it was fine.
Currie Mountain - turning on the sides
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Crib
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Video
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Right Hands Across
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Reels of 3 across
Sands of Morar The one with the extra bit of reeling and the Tourbillon!
Tribute to the Borders The one with a half reel for the dancing couple in promenade hold, first on the Men's side , then half on the Ladies' side, setting to all 4 corners and the 3 couple allemande.
Bottoms Up The one which started with the 3s , followed by 2s and then 1s all doing the same thing. Not difficult, just different.
A Capital Jig The one with Set and Rotate to start, reels of 3 on the sides and teapots.
Flower of Glasgow Featured the circulating allemande and the diamond/all round poussette.
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DiamondPoussette (or All-round poussette)
Vive La Danse Teapots, Hello-Goodbye Setting and Reels of 3 on partners's side.
25th April 2023
Kelburn's Reel - The Round the Room one - or back and forth as we often went!
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Right Hands Across
Cutty Sark - think sailors pulling ropes with the unusual Partner/Corner/Corner/Partner turns
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Right Hands Across
Crom Allt - mirror reels, turns on the side and then advancing and retiring to corners in skip change step before turning them.
Sugar Candie- the one with a lot going on including little circles, and left shoulder reels on the opposite side.
Scott Meikle - A fast one with Right and left hands across then tandem reels.
Speirs Bruce ( The pole Star)- the one with Men's chain up and down rather than the more usual across.
Montparnasse - the slow, elegant one featuring half Left Hands Across, reels of 4 and diamond poussettes
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DiamondPoussette (or All-round poussette)
18th April 2023
White Cockade - Features Rights & lefts
Lintons Ploughman features Right Hands Across and Left Hands back and the quick time poussette.
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Crib
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Video
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Right Hands Across
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Poussette
Flowers of Edinburgh -The one where first the lady chases round followed by the man, then the other way round. Ends with a quick time poussette.
Byron's Strathspey - petronella, teapots, reel of 3 in promenade hold and ending with a 3 couple allemande
Rose of the North - with a 3 couple Rights and Lefts
Gaelforce Wind The one with Set and Link for 2 and then the Mens Chain at the beginning
Catch the Wind -the one where the lady is followed by the man but only lets him catch her at the end. Features the reel of 3 across.