Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
FORMATION AND ORDER OF DANCE
(X = gent O = lady)
| Couple 2 | X | O | Couple 3 | ||||
| O | X | ||||||
| X | O | ||||||
| Couple 1 | |||||||
CORNER COUPLES
| 1st corner | X | O | 2nd corner | ||||
| couple | O | X | couple | ||||
| X | O | ||||||
| Home place | |||||||
| Body |
| 1 | Sidestep L and R: all take hands in a circle and sidestep L (2 bars), dance in place (2 bars), sidestep back and dance in place (4 bars). | 8 bars |
| 2 | Slip sides: partners sidestep into each other's place (2 bars),(RULE - move L in front of, and R behind, your partner) dance in place (2 bars), sidestep back and dance in place (4 bars). | 8 bars |
| Gents now dance the same movement with their 1st corner lady. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Link arms: partners link R arms and turn so that the gents face their 1st corner lady (2 bars) and link L arms to turn her (2 bars). Gents then repeat the movement with their partner and the same corner lady (4 bars). | 8 bars |
| 4 | Interlace: partners dance past each other R to R, no hands held, pass the next dancer L to L and repeat this sequence to meet back in place. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Circle: all take hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. | 8 bars |
| First Figure - Figure of eight |
| 1 | Figure of eight: couple 1 dances through couple 2, the lady leading and passing round behind the gent of couple 2, through again and round behind the lady. The dancing gent, immediately behind his partner, passes first behind the lady and then behind the gent. The dancing couple meet in front of couple 2 and all four dancers take hands in a circle. | 8 bars |
| They sidestep L and dance in place (4 bars), partners take crossed hand hold and both couples swing clockwise back to place (4 bars). | 8 bars | |
| 2 | Couple 2 now dances the figure with couple 3, followed by couple 3 with couple 1. | 32 bars |
| BODY | 48 bars |
| Second Figure - Right and Left |
| 1 | Chain R and L: couples 1 and 2 face each other and chain R hand with the opposite dancer (2 bars), quarter turn clockwise and chain partners L hand (2 bars), quarter turn to chain opposites R hand (2 bars) and quarter turn to half turn partners L hand in place (2 bars). | 8 bars |
| House around each other with crossed hand hold. | 8 bars | |
| 2 | Couples 2 and 3 now dance the figure, followed by couples 3 and 1. | 32 bars |
| BODY | 48 bars |
| FINISH |
| Swing, with céilí hold.(see ENDNOTE) | 8 bars |
| ENDNOTE This is how I recall having finished the dance, although the published source would have couples, with crossed hand hold, swing around the set. |
| PUBLISHED SOURCE "Ár Rinncidhe Foirne Thirty Popular Figure Dances Leabhar 1, 2, 3" page 49 |