THE CLARE ORANGE AND GREEN SET

CORNERS AND CORNER COUPLES

(X = gent O = lady)

First Figure - Pass Through (Reels)

168 bars

1	Top couples: Advance, retire, pass through and back: with crossed hand hold they advance and retire once (4 bars), drop hands and pass through, ladies on the inside L to L, turn to pass partners L to L and take crossed hand hold again (4 bars). The movement is then repeated back to place.	16 bars
	Ladies chain: give R hands in the centre and L to turn clockwise underarm and round the opposite gent who follows them round. Ladies give R hands on the way back and take their partner’s R hand in their L.	8 bars
2	Contrary: the dancing couples each face their 1^st corner couple and take hands in a circle. They circle L (4 bars) and R (2 bars) and on the last 2 bars each dancing lady drops her R hand hold, her partner raises his L arm to form an arch with his corner lady and the dancing lady passes under the arch, followed by her partner, all finishing in place with waltz hold.	8 bars
	Couples forming each circle now house around each other.	8 bars
3	Top couples repeat 1.	24 bars
4	Contrary, top couples leading again.	16 bars
5	Side couples now dance 1.	24 bars
6	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars
7	Side couples repeat 1.	24 bars
8	Contrary, side couples leading again.	16 bars

Second Figure - Back to Back (Single/Double Jigs)

264 bars

1	Back to back: partners dance anti-clockwise around each other twice, turning clockwise as they go (8 bars) and swing in waltz hold (8 bars).	16 bars
2	Top couples: 1^st couple house within the set to end facing the second couple.	8 bars
	Swing three: the second couple and first lady swing while the first gent dances back to place and dances around clockwise in place.	8 bars
	Honour the line: the swing of three opens out to dance in line, facing in, while the first gent advances to bow to the second lady (L), retires, advances to bow to his own partner (R) and all four dancers form a little christmas in the centre of the set.	8 bars
	Swing four, falling back to place on the last 2 bars.	8 bars
3	Contrary, top couples leading.	16 bars
4	Back to back and swing.	16 bars
5	Top couples repeat 2 with second couple leading.	32 bars
6	Contrary, top couples again leading.	16 bars
7	Back to back and swing.	16 bars
8	Side couples now dance 2 with 1^st couple (L of 1^st top couple) leading.	32 bars
9	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars
10	Back to back and swing.	16 bars
11	Side couples repeat 2 with 2^nd couple leading.	32 bars
12	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars

Third Figure - The Knot (Reels)

120 bars

1	Top couples: Pass through each other, ladies on the inside L to L, turn to pass partners L to L in the opposite place, pass back and turn into place.	8 bars
	Ladies chain.	8 bars
	Pass through and back to form circles, each with their 1^st corner couple, partners holding L hand in L and corners R hand in R so that the gents face out of the circle and the ladies face in.	8 bars
2	The knot: dancers circle clockwise (4 bars)and back (4 bars), all raising their arms while the gents ½ turn anti-clockwise to face in on the last 2 bars and lower the arms.	8 bars
	With hands still held, all dance in place .	8 bars
3	Contrary, top couples leading.	16 bars
4	Side couples now dance 1 to form circles with their 1^st corner couples.	24 bars
5	The knot.	16 bars
6	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars

Fourth Figure - Ladies wheel (Polkas)

120 bars

1	Lead around with crossed hand hold in front, the ladies turning under both hands on the last 2 bars.	8 bars
2	Swing.	8 bars
3	Ladies wheel R hand (4 bars) and L hand back to place (4 bars) while the gents dance anti-clockwise ½ way around the set and clockwise back to ½ turn their partners R hand and give L hands in the centre. Gents now face anti-clockwise and ladies clockwise around the set.	8 bars
4	Dance in place.	8 bars
5	Gents wheel around to place with the same hold, their partners turning 4 full turns clockwise underarm as they go.	8 bars
6	Contrary, top couples leading.	16 bars
7	Lead around. Swing.	16 bars
8	Ladies wheel R and L. Dance in place. Gents wheel and turn the ladies.	24 bars
9	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars

Fifth Figure - The Gallop (Jigs)

144 bars

1	House around. Swing.	16 bars
2	Gallop: Top couples change places, gents back-to-back, dancing hop1234567 (2 bars). Side couples change places (2 bars). Top couples change back, ladies back-to-back (2 bars). Side couples change back (2 bars).	8 bars
3	Chain:*Top ladies chain R hand in the centre and, as they pass, side ladies do likewise. All ladies turn the opposite gent L hand and chain R hand in the centre, top ladies first, and back into waltz hold with their partners.	8 bars
4	Gallop, top couples again leading.	8 bars
5	Chain, top couples again leading.	8 bars
6	Contrary, top couples leading.	16 bars
7	House around. Swing.	16 bars
8	Gallop, side couples leading. Chain, side ladies leading. Gallop, side couples again leading. Chain, side ladies again leading.	32 bars
9	Contrary, side couples leading.	16 bars
10	House around.	8 bars
	* Alternatively, the Chain may be danced as in the First and Third Figures.

Sixth Figure - Change Partners (Reels)

120 bars

1	Circle, all take hands in a circle and advance and retire twice.	8 bars
	Swing with waltz hold.	8 bars
2	Change partners: with the same hold, couples dance 1 step into the set and 1 step back, 1 in and 1 back (4 bars) then separate. Ladies dance in 1 step and ½ turn clockwise, out 1 step and ¼ turn clockwise while the gents dance 2 full clockwise turns around to the next lady on the R (4 bars) and new couples take waltz hold. This 8 bar movement is repeated 3 times to take dancers back to their own partners.	32 bars
3	Swing.	8 bars
4	Change partners: this time the ladies dance around to the next gent on the L, dancing 2 full turns anti-clockwise, while gents dance in 1 step, ½ turn anti-clockwise, dance out and ¼ turn anti-clockwise to face the new partner and take waltz hold. Swing.	40 bars
5	Circle. House around.	16 bars

STEPS
The reels are danced with the normal Clare reel step, the jigs with the ‘rising’ jig step and the polkas with the normal polka step.

SOURCE
Connie Ryan at Cecil Sharp House, London but I forgot to record when!