[MR] Name That Dance

[Aedan Aylwyn]

It sounds very ECD to me with the typical progression you see in the more
OOP dances like Hole in the Wall or Female Sailor.  You've got two sets of
dancers, A's progressing up the hall and B's progressing down. I'm sure the
orphaned sets on the end either faked it for a full verse/chorus or just
waited.  Then you come back in as the opposite "type" of dancer.

Sounds fun.

Aedan

----------
Master Aedan Aylwyn, Provost, OP                 Caer Mear, Atlantia
Email: aedan (at) mindspring.com                Royal Bad Influence -
Retired
Academie d'Espee: http://www.mindspring.com/~aedan
 * * Audentes fortuna iuvat. * *  

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org 
> [mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of C. Brian Towey
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 4:11 PM
> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org; keep at windmastershill.org
> Subject: [MR] Name That Dance
> 
> Dear dance masters,
> 
> I was at a party in rural Ireland recently, and there was a 
> traditional
> band.  They struck up a lively 4/4 tune, and everybody got up 
> to dance.
> Maybe I missed it in the hubbub, but nobody named or called the dance.
> Nevertheless, all the locals young and old seemed to know it. 
>  It was more
> similar to dances I've seen in the SCA than to either contra 
> dancing or
> square dancing.  Some variety of English Country Dance, 
> perhaps.  I'm hoping
> that one of you gentles will be able to tell me the name.
> 
> Dancers formed up in ranks of four abreast, MFMF.  There 
> needed to be four
> files (columns) and an even number of ranks (rows).
> 
> Odd ranks faced up the hall; even ranks faced down the hall.  
> This gave
> facing groups of eight.
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> Etc.
> 
> A Part (Verse) (8 bars)
> =======================
> 1) In 8 beats, within each rank the two couples changed 
> places sideways.
> MFmf became mfMF.
> 2) Repeat, to restore the original rank.
> 3) Then, each pair of facing ranks divided like this.
> MF     mf
> MF     mf
> The foursomes took hands, and they circled to the left for 16 
> beats.  Most
> made one circle in that time. Some foursomes of experienced 
> dancers turned
> twice as fast.
> 
> B Part (Chorus) (8 bars)
> ========================
> 4) As the music changed, they kept circling to the left for 
> 16 more beats,
> then took hands in their original ranks.
> 5) In 8 beats, the two facing ranks came together, double 
> forward and double
> back, holding hands within each rank.
> 6) In 8 beats, the ranks facing down the hall raised their 
> joined hands and
> the ranks facing up the hall passed under.
> 
> ^ ^ ^ ^
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> ^ ^ ^ ^ 
> 
> v v v v 
> 
> The music repeated every 16 bars (64 beats).
> 
> I didn't notice what happened to the orphaned ranks on either 
> end, but with
> each verse the odd ranks of four processed one place up the 
> hall while the
> even ranks of four processed down the hall.
> 
> I'm sure there is a more elegant way to describe it, but 
> that's the best
> this hoofer can do.  I can try to post video if anyone wants 
> more details.
> 
> Your servant,
> 
> Charles the dancing fool Fleming
> 
> 
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