THE BALLINASCARTY HALF-SET

Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007

First Figure - The Polka 128 bars
1 Lead around with crossed hand hold, ladies turning clockwise under both hands on the last 2 bars. 8 bars
2 Swing, with waltz hold. 8 bars
3 Square: With the same hold, gents dance forward and ladies reverse into the place on their R dancing 1, 2, 123(2 bars), ¼ turn clockwise and, with the same step, dance into the place opposite their own, gents reversing and the ladies dancing forward (2 bars). This 4 bar movement is then repeated back home. 8 bars
4 House around. 8 bars
5 Change partners: the ladies dance past each other, L to L (2 bars), back-to-back (2 bars), fall back (2 bars) and ½ turn clockwise to face their new partners (2 bars).  At the same time, gents dance slowly anti-clockwise into their opposite positions. 8 bars
6 Swing, new couples. 8 bars
7 Lead around.
Swing.
Square.
House around.
Change partners back to their own.
Swing.
48 bars
8 Lead around.
Swing.
House around.
24 bars
Second Figure -The Jig 176 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing.
16 bars
2 Square: with waist hold, couples dance 1, 2, 123 into the place on their R, reverse into the place opposite their own, dance forward into the next place and reverse back home. 8 bars
3 House around. 8 bars
4 Slide and change: with waltz hold, both couples slide into the set dancing 1, 2, 1, 2 and back, 2, 1 23 (4 bars) then house into the opposite place (4 bars).  This 8 bar movement is then repeated back home. 16 bars
5 House around. 8 bars
6 Change partners: ladies dance across to turn the opposite gent L hand, back R to R to turn their partner R hand and across to take waltz hold with the opposite gent. 8 bars
7 Swing. 8 bars
8 Lead around.
Swing.
Square.
House around.
Slide and change.
House around.
Change partners back to their own.
Swing.
64 bars
9 Lead around.
Swing.
House around.
24 bars
Third Figure -The Hornpipe 128 bars
1 Lead around.
Swing or Dance at home.
16 bars
2 Four sevens: with the same hold, couples dance hop1234567 into the next place on their R, ¼ turn clockwise and dance into the place opposite their own dancing hopturn1234567 (4 bars). The movement is then repeated back home (4 bars). 8 bars
3 House around. 8 bars
4 Square: with waist hold, couples dance forward into the next place on the R (2 bars), take waltz hold and house into the place opposite their own (2 bars).  This 4 bar movement is then repeated back home. 8 bars
5 Change partners: while the gents dance anti-clockwise around the set to place, the ladies take R hands and dance a full turn around each other and out to finish beside the opposite gent and take waltz hold. 8 bars
6 House around. 8 bars
7 Lead around.
Swing.
Four sevens.
House around.
Square
Change partners back to their own.
House around.
56 bars
8 House around, doubling the step all the way. 8 bars
STEPS AND SOURCE
The ‘down’ jig step is used for the Jig and the normal polka step for the Polka.  For the Hornpipe the step is the normal heel 1 2 3, except that on ‘heel’, the other foot is lifted rather more than is usually the case.  Eileen O’Doherty, from whom I got the set at a workshop at Priddy in May 1997, described this movement as a ‘kick’ but danced it with rather more of a knee lift than a forward motion of the foot.  So I would opt for heellift 1 2 3 and add that the lifted foot be no further forward of the other than the next step requires.

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List of Sets 1

Glossary