THE VALENTIA ISLAND RIGHT AND LEFT
Study Notes Copyright ©William Lynch 2007
| First Figure - Drag the lady (Polkas) | 96 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
Drag the lady: they dance around clockwise, gents leading the ladies R hand in R (2 bars) and the ladies turning anti-clockwise once underarm in the opposite place (2 bars). The movement is then repeated back home (4 bars). |
8 bars |
| Swing with waltz hold. | 8 bars | |
| Ladies chain: they pass R to R in the centre, turn the opposite gent L hand and pass back R to R. | 8 bars | |
| Drag the lady with crossed hand hold (2 bars), ladies again turning under R arm in the opposite place (2 bars) and repeat the movement back home (4 bars). | ||
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 32 bars |
| 3 | Lead around anti-clockwise, R hand in R. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Double reverse house: couples dance into the place on their R, ladies reversing and gents dancing forward (2 bars), and all house around back to place (6 bars). This 8 bar movement is then repeated back home. | 16 bars |
| Second Figure - Arches (Polkas) | 96 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
Advance, retire, R hand in R, ladies turning anti-clockwise underarm as they retire (4 bars) and pass through, 1st couple making a R hand arch while the 2nd couple separates and both couples dance into each others’ places, gents on the outside and 2nd lady passing under the arch. They turn into place, 1st couple turning clockwise and the 2nd couple passing R to R (4 bars). |
8 bars |
| Advance, retire and pass back, 2nd couple making the arch. | 8 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples dance 1. with 1st couple (R of 1st tops) leading. | 16 bars |
| 3 | Top couples repeat 1. | 16 bars |
| 4 | Side couples repeat 1. | 16 bars |
| 5 | Lead around.
Double reverse house. |
24 bars |
| Third Figure - Swing Opposites (Polkas) | 160 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
Dance in and swing, 1st gent & 2nd lady, falling back to place on the last 2 bars. |
8 bars |
| Advance, retire, and drag the lady: both couples advance, R hand in R, and the ladies retire while the gents dance slightly left of centre, hands still held (4 bars). Couples dance around clockwise, gents leading the ladies (2 bars) and the ladies turning anti-clockwise once underarm into the opposite place (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Dance in and out: 1st gent and 2nd lady dance in, L to L, and retire (4 bars), dance in, R to R and retire (4 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Advance, retire, and drag the lady back home. | 8 bars | |
| Dance in and swing, 2nd gent
and 1st lady.
Advance, retire, and drag the lady into the opposite place. Dance in and out, 2nd gent and 1st lady. Advance, retire, and drag the lady back home. |
32 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples dance 1. with 1st gent and 2nd lady leading. | 64 bars |
| 3 | Lead around.
Double reverse house. |
24 bars |
| Fourth Figure - Line of Three (Polkas) | 192 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
Ladies chain. |
8 bars |
| 1st couple swing and 2nd couple advance, retire (R hand in R) and dance across with waltz hold, making 2 full turns and leaving the lady beside 1st gent who takes both ladies’ outside hands. | 8 bars | |
| Three and one: the trio advances as 2nd gent falls back to place (2 bars), retires as 2nd gent dances in place (2 bars), advances to the centre to meet 2nd gent who takes the ladies’ inside hands (2 bars) and turns both underarm and into line beside him (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| 1st gent drops the ladies’ hands and falls back to place as the trio advances and retires (4 bars). The trio and 1st gent dance in to meet in the centre, 1st gent taking the ladies’ inside hands (2 bars) and the ladies turn underarm into a christmas (2 bars). | 8 bars | |
| Swing four, falling back to place on the last 2 bars. | 8 bars | |
| Ladies chain
2nd couple swing and 1st couple advance, retire, and dance across. Three and one, with the 2nd gent leading. Swing four. |
40 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 80 bars |
| 3 | Lead around.
Double reverse house. |
24 bars |
| Fifth Figure (Polkas) | 96 bars |
| 1 | Top couples:
House around each other, without reversing the ladies. |
8 bars |
| Slide and change: they slide into the centre and back (4 bars) and dance across into each other’s place (4 bars). The movement is then repeated back to home. | 16 bars | |
| Ladies chain. | 8 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 32 bars |
| 3 | Lead around.
Double reverse house. |
24 bars |
| Sixth Figure (Polkas) | 288 bars |
| 1 | Circle: all take hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Ladies star R and L: they take R hands in the centre and dance around, turning inwards on the 4th bar to take L hands and dance back to place. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Gents star R and L. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Lead around.
Double reverse house. |
24 bars |
| 6 | Circle and ladies move on to the next gent on the R as he retires the second time. | 8 bars |
| Swing, new couples. | 8 bars | |
| Ladies star R and L back to their new partners. | 8 bars | |
| Gents star R and L. | 8 bars | |
| Lead around. | 8 bars | |
| Double reverse house. | 16 bars | |
| 7 | Circle and ladies move on to the next gent on the R.
Swing, new couples. Ladies star R and L back to their new partners. Gents star R and L. Lead around. Double reverse house. |
56 bars |
| 8 | Circle and ladies move on to the next gent on the R.
Swing, new couples. Ladies star R and L back to their new partners. Gents star R and L. Lead around. Double reverse house. |
56 bars |
| 9 | Circle and ladies move on to the next gent on the R.
Swing, new couples. Ladies star R and L back to their own partner. Gents star R and L. Lead around. Double reverse house. |
56 bars |
| STEPS For the slide in the Slide and change in the Fifth Figure:
SOURCE | Connie Ryan at Cecil Sharp House, London, February 1997. |