BITS ‘N’ PIECES

Longways duple proper

32 bar reel CILANTRIO: california sunshine ©dave weisler

[] 1st corners advance & retire & set & turn single

    WHILE 2nd corners set & turn single & advance & retire

[] 1s cast down and lead up; 2s lead up & cast down

[] 1st corners cross, 2nd corners cross; Two-hand turn partners once-and-a-half

[] Do-si-do partner; gypsy partner

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DIXIELAND SAINTS ©sibby 2022

Longways set for 3 couples - progression 123

Tune: When the Saints Go Marching In - recorded by larry paxton

 https://youtu.be/QzDz9dksdOM

[] Fall back 4 steps, forward to ocean wave (right-hand to partner, left-hand to neighbour); Balance forward & back, right-hand turn 3/4 to home places

[] 2s & 3s lead up to top & cast down (order now 132);  all two-hand turn partner

[] 3s & 1s lead down and cast up (order now 312); all two-hand turn partner

[] Do-si-do; swing

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DUCHESS OF BAVARIA  ©sibby 2023

Longways set for 6 couples

Progression 1-2-4-6-5-3

Tune: duchess ©bob pasquarello

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Hexabavaria grand chain 4 changes

Continue for another 4 changes

Set & pass chase clockwise halfway

Do-si-do step& honour right & left

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Hexabavaria grand chain = ends right change across with partners WHILE others star right halfway in fours; left change with neighbours along the line (4 bars, 2 changes). Repeat thrice

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EAST STREET WALTZ ©anne skinner 2024

Longways set (2s improper)

Star right & left

Open ladies chain & back

1s cast as 2s lead up; flow into mirror do-si-do

Balance the ring twice; two-hand turn partner

Tune: Valse des Pastouriaux - played by odd sundays garage ban

 

EASTER TRIPLE  ©sibby 2022

Longways set for 3 couples, middle couple improper

Men progress 1-3-2; Ladies progress 1-2-3

Tune: Easter Thursday - I use an edited recording of Mawkin. This is in 6 bar phrases, with hemiola effects.

 

[1]

Lead up a double & fall back, two-hand turn halfway

Same down

Diagonal crossings - left, right, left right, step-and-honour new partner

Circle left

[2]

In-line siding right etc

[3]

Arm right, two-hand turn half-way anti-clockwise

Arm left, two=hand turn half-way clockwise

Diagonal crossings etc

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FOURGONE CONCLUSION ©sibby 2024

Double becket - progress in fours, with switch of positions

Music by English Contra Dance Band (32 bar american reel)

[] Ladies Chain halfway across; Long lines forward & back

[] Left-hand turn (ends with partner, middles with neighbour);

Grand Chain halfway (start with end neighbour)

[] In fours, circle left & right

[] Ladies Chain halfway across; Long lines forward & back with shift to progress

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GOOGLE ©sibby 2023

The Google search engine claims it was “born” on 17th September 1998 - on 17/9/2023, this dance was premiered at the Grand Ceilidh Club in Southend.  One of the bands that play at the club is TONIC, and I use their recording of “Seven Stars/Up The Sides & Down the Middle” - 32 bar jigs

Lines of 6 dancers - standing in columns down the hall. All dancers in each line allocated one search word from: Ceilidh, Sibby, Contra, Playford, Circassian, Raffle

Odd dancers dance out towards Men’s wall & fall back & out to Ladies’ Wall & fall back WHILE even dancers similar, starting towards Ladies’ wall

Reel of six (16 bars)

SEO (search engine optimization)*

*random call of search word: dancer with that word moves to top of the line (or another line!) using 8 bars in whatever move they choose.

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HADLEIGH CASTLE ©sibby 2023

The music I use is “La Victoire” from a quadrille recorded by Ensemble La Montferine. It has an 8-bar intro and 8-bar finale. Quadrilles originated in France in 1760 (a development from Cotillion) and were introduced to England in 1816 by the notoriously flirtatious Lady Jersey.

Square set (standard anti-clockwise numbering).

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INTRO honour the set

FIGURE

[] Two-hand turn partners; In circle, forward to centre and back

[] Grand Chain

[] Balance (right hands in bower position) and box the gnat; then left-hand and swat the flea

[] Active couple promenade inside the set, honouring other couples as they pass.

FINALE Two-hand turn partners; In circle, forward to centre and back

<sequence> intro; figure x 4 (by each couple in turn); finale

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JENSEN'S HORNPIPE  ©gary roodman 2020

4 couple longways (1s & 2s improper)

[] All eight circle left halfway; partners back to back

[] In fours, circle left halfway, partners two-hand turn halfway; partners gypsy right

[] Ends star right halfway, middles star left halfway, All turn single right; ends star right

[] In fours, square through two (to a square), Set & honour (in that square);

   Heads pass through & california twirl WHILE Sides california twirl & pass through

 

MISSISSIPPI MAGIC ©sibby 2023

This is a dance for 3 couples with reversing orientation. The steamboat “Robert E. Lee” was nicknamed the “Monarch of the Mississippi” The music I use is “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee” composed by Lewis Muir 1912, recorded by Jerry Krahn et al.

Longways set for 3 couples

 

[] Top neighbours handy-hand turn (men right-hand, ladies left-hand); then top couple lead to bottom of set and others move up.

[]  Repeat (new top neighbours etc)

[] Top 2 couples half-pousette clockwise; Bottom 2 couples same anti-clockwise

[] Top 2 couples same clockwise; all two-hand turn partner half-way and fall back.

Dancers will now notice the original 3rd couple are now in 3rd place! But no - they are in 1st place as the set is inverted and the next turn begins with bottom neighbours handy-hand turn.

So the turns alternate starting top/bottom/top/bottom/top/bottom

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PELDON FLING ©sibby 2024

https://youtu.be/JjhTNcyQVRs

This annual event is a highlight of the year, at the Peldon & Wigborough Community Hall

The music is Ptarmigan Reel played by Glencraig Scottish Dance Band

Longwise set for 4 couples

[]  All set twice; partners right-hand turn

[]  Top couple weave to the bottom (start outside 2s) & gallop up to place

[]  Top couple cast to bottom & make arch WHILE others follow down & pop up

[]  Swing partners

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PENTASALIX ©sibby 2022

This is a dance for 5 couples (penta) that starts with stripping the willow (salix) led by dancing couple (unlike other square strip-the-willow dances where the figure is led by two same-sex dancers)

Square set for 5 couples (5th couple in the centre) - clockwise progression

 

[]  Circular strip -the-willow: 5th couple arm right 3/4 then arm left with nearest opposite-sex dancer. Repeat

[]  Continue twice more.

[]  Promenade progression: 5th couple change places with 1st couple (men pass left shoulder), 1s change with 2s, 2s with 3s, 3s with 4s (who are new middle couple)

[]  Balance & swing partners

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SLANE ©sibby 2023

The recording by ‘odd sundays garage band’ of “be thou my vision” for victor skowronski’s dance ALEX & CHARLES plays 10 times through.  As it’s a 16-bar tune, that’s 5 times through the dance - less than the conventional length for a longways duple set.  The tune is a folk melody inwaltz time called SLANE (used later with lyrics both secular and clerical) and refers to a hill in County Meath where St Patrick defied the druids by lighting an Easter fire.

Sibby’s 5-couple dance has two alternative titles: EASTER FIRE and ST PATRICK’S FLAME

 

Five couple longways.  Active couples are 1s and 3s.  Progression 1-3-5-4-2

 

[] Actives cross and cast one place then go right for stars (3 at the top and bottom; 4 in th middle)

[] Actives switch for left-hand stars then gypsy partners and cast another place

[] All two-hand turn partners; top couple lead cast to invert the set

[] Then cast back up; all step-and-honour partners to right then to left 

 

ST CECILIA ©sibby 2022

St Cecilia of Rome is patroness of music & musicians.  Paul Simon’s song “Cecilia” recounts his experiences when he temporarily suffered writer’s block - fortunately recovered as the final verse of the song relates. The track I use is an instrumental version (edited) by Steve Petrunak.  Each turn is 34 bars (8-8-8-10) with a final few bars at the end.

Three couple longways – middle couple improper - standard progression

 

[]  Grand Chain halfway (top couple start with partner, other with neighbour, then left-shoulder hole-in-wall crossing with the next person (the one with whom you began the move and whom you now face)

[]  Repeat (all home)  

[]  Top couple half-right-and-left with second couple (starting with partners);  

then same with third couple

[]  Long lines forward & back; do-si-do; turn single

Final turn - step-and honour partner.

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SUMMER ©anne & sibby 2023

L’ETE is a figure in a french quadrille, recorded by montferrine

 

Two couples facing

 

<1>

[]  1st couple right-hand turn 3/4 & honour; 2nd couple same

(now in a line of 4, ladies in the centre)

[]  Half hey; two-hand turn once-and-a-quarter

<2>

[] Forward & back; both couples right-hand turn 3/4 & honour

(now in a line of 4, ladies in the centre)

[]  Half hey; two-hand turn once-and-a-quarter

<3>

[] Chasse across & back (ladies between men); both couples right-hand turn 3/4 & honour

(now in a line of 4, ladies in the centre)

[]  Half hey; two-hand turn once-and-a-quarter

<4>

[]  Mini-box; both couples right-hand turn 3/4 & honour

(now in a line of 4, ladies in the centre)

[]  Half hey; two-hand turn once-and-a-quarter

Mini-box:

step forward, two-hand slide away with opposite, push away to fall back, slide in to partner

 

TAILOR’S TWIST ©sibby 2022

Tailor’s twist is a strong thread. It is also a traditional Irish fiddle hornpipe; and the name of a regular band (led by Joe O’Connor) at the Grand Ceilidh Club in Southend. The tune has been recorded by Planxty.

Four couple longways – standard progression

 

[]  Ladies thread the needle

[]  Top couple cross and chase all round the set to places

WHILE others pass partners and (in lines of three) dixie twirl halfway and repeat to places

[]  Men thread the needle

[]  Do-si-do; Top couple cast to bottom WHILE others swing

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TROTTERNISH REEL ©anne skinner 2023

Based on “The Old Man of Storr” (Roy Goldring). The music is from Portland Selection: Miss Monaghan; Cottage in the Grove; Mason’s Apron - 32 bar reels

Three couple longways – standard progression

 https://youtu.be/s7r1TYM9U8s

[]  Top 4 star right; 1st lady followed by her partner casts to 2nd place and cross over

[]  Bottom 4 star left; ist lady followed by her partner casts to 3rd place

[]  1s (at bottom) lead up to top & cast to bottom

[]  All 6 circle left & right

 

WALTZ OF THE WALTONS ©sibby 2022

Anne tells me the television series “The Waltons” was compulsive viewing after her regular weekly session of Girl Guides.

Three couple longways – progression from 1-2-3

 

[]  Middle couple turn right hand then turn 1st corners left hand.

[]  Then they turn 2nd corners right hand and partner left hand to place.

[]  Top couple cast to middle (middles lead up); Bottom couple cast to middle (middles lead down

[]  Repeat to progressed places

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WHOOP! JAMBOREE cammy kaynor

longways duple improper

[] Swing neighbour to a line of four facing down

[] Lead down, bend the line; Ladies chain across & face up

[] Lead up, partners balance & swing

[] Balance the ring, circle left halfway; Balance the ring, men pass right shoulder

 

WIGBOROUGH STRATHSPEY (c)sibby 2024

for the peldon fling at the peldon & wigborough community hall

Three couple longwise -standard progression

[] set, cross right-hand; repeat

[] ones weave down (start outside 2s) & gallop up to place

[] ones cast cast and form arch WHILE others follow and pop up through arch

[] all swing

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WINDSOR PARADE ©sibby 2023

Devised for coronation of King George lll

Couples represent Charles/Camilla; William/Kate; George/Charlotte

Three couple longways - progression from 1-3-2

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[] All cast down (ladies right; men left) & lead up to place

[] All promenade cast down & up to place

[] Cascade - 4 moves

[] Do-si-do; two-hand turn

CASCADE: couple at top lead down to bottom WHILE others move up one place; repeat thrice

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