A WEE BIT O' FUN
8x32 jig 3 couples in a 4-couple set
1-4: 1st & 2nd cps dance RH across halfway & set. From now until bar 28, 1st cp will be on opposite sides of the set, relative to pt.
5-8: 1st & 2nd cps dance round pts without turning. Pass left shoulder
dancing forward and right shoulder dancing backwards to place
9-12: 1st face down to dance half Lsh side-by-side reel of 3* with 2nd &
3rd ladies.
13-16: 1st cp circle left with top cp, while bottom cp turn RH.
17-20: 1st cp circle left with bottom cp, while top cp turn RH.
21-24: 1st face down to dance half Rsh side-by-side reel 3* with 2nd & 3rd
men. 1st cp face up.
25-32: Progressive chain, 2 steps/hand:
25-26: 1st cp pass 3rd cp LH on sides,
27-28: 2nd& 3rd pass RH, while 1st cross RH,
29-30: 1st & 2nd cps pass LH, while 3rd cp cross LH,
31-32: all set.
* an imaginary line joining their heads would be perpendicular to sidelines. 1st man starts on his pt's left, no hands. They curve round individually, and he will then be on her right as they face up.
Devised by Martin Sheffield, 2006 (mj.sheffield [at] wanadoo.fr)
UPDATE as of 29 November: Some of the wording has been tweaked.
Posted by ldfs at November 21, 2006 03:25 PM | TrackBackI have only lexicographical problems with this, Martin. I believe quite strongly that things should be written in order to make it easy to read them. Using "cp" instead of "couple" requires a mental switch to avoid thinking/saying "First cip circle left". Also pts instead of partners. I can't see any benefit in this. I also dislike that you use your own names for standard formations. The formation is "Hands round" not "circle". It is "back-to-back" not "dosàdos".
Then there is an understanding question. By "side-by side" reels (NOT tandem, I appreciate that) what do you see the individuals doing at the end of the reels? This needs elaboration. Possibly it is a variant of Duncan Keppie's "Hand-in-hand" reels - and possibly not.
There are certain words that get repeated very often in a dance description, and I like to keep things short. Abbreviation of such terms should not be a problem (I don't expect beginners to read dance descriptions).
Glad to see you understood "dosàdos". "Back to back", on the other hand would have been ambiguous (a dance-round-someone figure? or a position as in double triangles?) "Back to back" should be eliminated from all descriptions, imho.
I'll grant you "hands round", though "circle is pretty clear. I'll have to ask Lara how to edit the submitted descriptions.
I can't see what you want to know "at the end of the reels" -- bar 16: 1st cp is (are?) facing up ready for 4 hands round.
-- bar 24: facing up again ready to give left hands to begin a chain with 3rd cp.
I know 1C, 2M, 3L, etc have become standard abbreviations, but I have to admit, I have never gotten used to reading them. Hence 1st cp, 2nd man, etc, which correspond to what we actually say.
Martin
Posted by: M Sheffield at November 22, 2006 12:18 PMI agree with you about "circle" being quite clear. I find people often get confused between "hands across" and "hands round," so when I write dance instructions, I usually compromise by saying "circle 6 hands round."
I'm afraid I don't agree about "back-to-back," however. "Back-to-back" is a standard RSCDS formation that I think anyone who has been dancing for more than a month or two would understand. The current instructions for bars 5-8, where you tried to avoid using either "dos-a-dos" or "back-to-back" are quite confusing. Even as an experienced dancer and a teacher, if I didn't already know what you were trying to describe here, I am not sure I would be able to figure it out. Even if I did, I would probably slap my forhead and say, "oh, he just means back-to back. Why didn't he just say so?"
Anyway, all these semantic points are a distraction. It looks like an interesting dance!
Posted by: ldfs at November 29, 2006 12:40 PM