What we danced at Gerrards Cross Autumn 2022
*TD indicates a dance on the programme for the January Tea Dance
13th December 2022
Virginia Reel - an easy one to start!
A Jig for Elizabeth Ann -
Mrs Macleod of Raasay - ending with left shoulder reels of 3 across.
City of Belfast - Reel of 4 and the Espagnole : oh so elegant!
Johnnie Walker - the square medley
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Grand Chain ( in square set)
Trip to Timber Ridge the very fast, jolly one, featuring Corners pass and Turn in quick time !
Toast to the Mousies - arches (aka mouse-holes) followed by left shoulder reels.
6th December 2022
Tribute to the Borders - with tricky half -reels on the mens side and then immediately the ladies side
Morrison Measure Right and Left shoulder reels and Right and Left Hands Across.
Wind on Loch Fyne - the triangular one with interlocking (or banana) reels.
Toast to the Mousies - arches (aka mouse-holes) followed by left shoulder reels.
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Gothenburg Welcome - Not for the faint-hearted! Sance to corners and set (or courage reels).
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Berwick Johnnie - Some useful practice with 1/2 Right Hands Across, the Allemande for 2 couples and turning corner,partner,corner,partner
Domino 5 - featuring teapots and diagonal reels of 3
29th November 2022
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.
Machine Without Horses
Kissing Bridge *TD The one with the Whoopsie turn!
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
Cape Breton Island *TD- The clever one which starts with 3s and 4s on the wrong side.
Triple Happiness *TD- features the Knot and Corners pass and Turn
Barbara's Favourites
Trip to Timber Ridge the very fast, jolly one, featuring Corners pass and Turn in quick time !
22nd November 2022
Andrews Dance
Clutha *TD- the square set, simulating boats across the river Clyde. Includes Balancing-in-line, Rights and Lefts, and a Ladies Chain.
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.
Capital Jig an introduction to Set and Rotate
William's Reel
Cape Breton Island *TD- The clever one which starts with 3s and 4s on the wrong side.
Gaelforce Wind The one with Set and Link for 2 and then the Mens Chain at the beginning
15th November 2022
Shetland Shepherdess *TD
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.
Bauldy Bain's Fiddle *TD - the tricky one with supporting couples doing right hands across and chasing while dancing couple cast and turned. 2 half diagonal reels of 4 and a circle complete the picture!
Toast to the Mousies
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
8th November 2022
Hedwig's Reel , features figures of 8 and the Grand Chain
Kendall's Hornpipe - Featuring Rights and Lefts and the Ladies Chain.
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
Bees of Maggieknockater featuring right hands across with 3s and thefour half reels of 3, alternating between without and then with partner.
Mrs MacPherson of Inveran - featuring Inveran Reels and the grand Chain again.
Kissing Bridge *TD The one with the Whoopsie turn!
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
Rothesay Rant- the square one with dancers alternating facing in and out to , then half ladies chain and half Rights & lefts.
1st November 2022
Wandering Wallaby-the one where the reel of 4 kept catching us unawares!
Campbell's Frolic -the one where the 1s set and then do Right Hands Across with 2s before casting. We then repeated it exactly with 3s, unlike the version here which is slightly different.
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.
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
Kamo Karousel -the fast one with diagonal rights and lefts and set and rotate for 3 couples.
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Crib
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Set and Rotate for 3 couples - no individual video, see dance video above
Triple Happiness *TD- features the Knot and Corners pass and Turn
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.
25th October 2022
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.
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.
Inchmickery *TD- the one with 5 couples, that starts and ends with a circle, with teapots and turning distant corners
Kissing Bridge *TD The one with the Whoopsie turn!
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
Morrison Measure Right and Left shoulder reels and Right and Left Hands Across.
18th October 2022
Dance for Maisondieu - a simple dance of slip-stepping down the middle, Right Hands Across and Left hands back, a simple right turn and a circle.
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Crib
Starry Eyed Lassie dance of Double Triangles and reels of 3 across.
Water of Leith *TD- features Reel of 4, Right Hands Across and the beautiful but slightly tricky Espagnole
Wild Geese *TD- Flapping about in the centre like geese !
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
Mrs MacPherson of Inveran - featuring Inveran Reels and the grand Chain again.
11th October 2022
Redbud Reel - a simple dance of Advance & Retire, Rights and Lefts, Right Hands across.
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
Polharrow Burn - 5 couple set, and 3 half diagonal reels of 4, with end couples chasing to opposite ends and working their way back. Not for the faint hearted!
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.
Clutha *TD- the square set, simulating boats across the river Clyde. Includes Balancing-in-line, Rights and Lefts, and a Ladies Chain.
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
4th October 2022
The Dhoon - the one where we slip stepped right and left, then left and right
Galloway House - features casting, a small circle and Rights & Lefts at the end
Ecclefechan Feline - figures of 8 on the side, then mirror reels and teapots
Bauldy Bain's Fiddle *TD - the tricky one with supporting couples doing right hands across and chasing while dancing couple cast and turned. 2 half diagonal reels of 4 and a circle complete the picture!
Red Squirrel - the one focussing on Mirror Reels
Coats Land *TDThe one with the upside-down allemande, a bit of chasing and teapots
Clutha- *TD the square set, simulating boats across the river Clyde. Includes Balancing-in-line, Rights and Lefts, and a Ladies Chain.
27 September 2022
Easy Does it - not so easy, actually! Reels of 3 across wih 2s, first the 1st lady and tehn the 1st man, and ending with the tricky poussette.
Hedwig's Reel , features figures of 8 and the Grand Chain
Inchmickery *TD- the one with 5 couples, that starts and ends with a circle, with teapots and turning distant corners
Cumberland Reel - right hands across, left hands back then down the middle and back, everyone down the sides and back up the middle, arches and right hand turn
Granville Market - Featuring Right and Left Hands Across, Half figure of 8 and turning corners
Miss Gibson's Strathspey featured the Knot
Virginia Reel - an easy one to finish!
13th September 2022
Flowers of Dunbeg -Right Hands Across, Left Hands back, Advance & Retire and first couple weaving down the middle.We did a Dos-a-Dos instead of the right hand turn described here
Wild Geese *TD- Flapping about in the centre like geese !
Balmoral Strathspey - Reels of 4 on the side and reprising a 3 couple allemande, along with Rights & Lefts and half Right Hands Across
Kissing Bridge *TD The one with the Whoopsie turn!
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Reels of 3 ( with 1s crossing to Opposite Side, not shown in video)
Cape Breton Island *TD- The really tricky one we'll practise again soon.
OXO Reel We actually did this as an XOX reel this time, with right hands across at top and bottom and circle in the middle! A lot of slip-stepping up and down the very long set.
6th September 2022
Ayr Promenade - An easy one to get us started , featuring a promenade for 3 couples.and
White Cockade - Features Rights & lefts
Jig to the Music - Features Advance & Retire and Do-si-Do.
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.
The Tri-mariner *TD- the 'fugue' one with 3 couples starting 2 bars after each other and everyone coming together for a promenade and petronella turns into the middle.