THE SOUTH GALWAY REEL SET - Workshop Version
Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
| First Figure - Pass Through (Reels) | 56 bars |
| 1 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Pass through: 1st tops and 1st sides (L of 1st tops) face each other, as do 2nd tops and 2nd sides. Couples pass through each other, ladies in the centre passing L to L (2 steps) and partners change places, again L to L (2 steps). Couples pass back and partners pass L to L into their own places and take waltz hold (4 steps). | 8 bars |
| 3 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 4 | House around.
Pass through. Swing. |
24 bars |
| Second Figure - Advance, Retire, and Pass Through (Reels) | 72 bars |
| 1 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Advance, retire and pass through: with waltz hold, 1st tops and 1st sides face each other, as do 2nd tops and 2nd sides and couples advance and retire (4 steps). They advance again and pass through each other with ladies in the centre and partners change places, L to L (4 steps). | 8 bars |
| Advance, retire, and pass back: the same movement is repeated back to place and partners take waltz hold. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 4 | House around.
Advance, retire, and pass through. Advance, retire, and pass back. Swing. |
32 bars |
| Third Figure - House to Opposite (Reels) | 88 bars |
| 1 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Advance, retire and house across: keeping waltz hold and facing centre, all couples advance and retire (4 steps). They then house around to the position opposite their own (4 steps). | 8 bars |
| Advance, retire, and house back: the same movement is repeated back to place. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 5 | House around.
Advance, retire, and house across. Advance, retire, and house back. House around. Swing. |
40 bars |
| Fourth Figure - House Around (Jigs) | 88 bars |
| 1 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Top couples house around each other. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Advance and retire twice.
House around. Swing. |
24 bars |
| 4 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Side couples house around each other. | 8 bars |
| 6 | Advance and retire twice.
House around. Swing. |
24 bars |
| Fifth Figure - Ladies Cross Over (Reels) | 104 bars |
| 1 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Advance and retire and ladies cross over: with waltz hold, 1st tops and 1st sides face each other, as do 2nd tops and 2nd sides. Couples advance and retire (4 bars) and ladies cross over, R to R, into each other's place (4 bars) while gents turn clockwise once in place. | 8 bars |
| House around with new partners. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Advance and retire and ladies cross back: the same movement is repeated, the ladies dancing back to their own places. | 8 bars |
| House around. | 8 bars | |
| 4 | Swing.
House around. |
16 bars |
| 5 | Advance and retire and ladies cross over.
House around with new partners. |
16 bars |
| 6 | Advance and retire and ladies cross back.
House around. |
16 bars |
| 7 | Swing eight: all form a basket, arms crossed behind each other's backs and swing clockwise. | 8 bars |
| STEPS The set is danced quite flat, with some lift to the step - though not as much as in the Clare style - and little or no battering. The jig is danced with the ‘rising’ jig step. |
| SOURCE Dancers at a ceili in The Great Southern Hotel, Eyre Square, Galway, during the Galway International Set Dancing Festival, March 1994 I have since danced it in Luke's Bar in Gort, Co. Galway, courtesy of Mary and Tony Brogan and the local dancers. Here, in its own home place, the set has never been danced as above but has always been danced as a half set with the pairs of couples arranged either in a circle around the floor or in two lines across the floor - see the Study Notes for The South Galway Half Set. |