THE BALLYVOURNEYJIG SET
Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
| This set, because of its short figures and the fact that tops and sides alternate throughout the dance, is normally danced without a break between the figures. As these Notes are intended for those learning the set, I have described each Figure separately. |
| First Figure - Swing Your Own (Slides) | 88 bars |
| 1 | Top couples: House around each other, with waltz hold, the 1st step being danced slightly anti-clockwise before beginning the house on the second step. |
8 bars |
| Square the house: couples slide 1, 2, 123 towards the couple on the R, make a ¼ turn clockwise and slide 1, 2, 123 towards the couple opposite their own place and house back home. | 8 bars | |
| Swing partners, with ceili hold. | 8 bars | |
| Slide and change: partners take waltz hold and slide towards the centre 1, 2, 123 and back, 2, 123 (4 bars) and house across to the opposite place (4 bars). They then repeat this movement back home. | 16 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 40 bars |
| Second Figure -Swing Opposites (Slides) | 104 bars |
| 1 | Top couples: House and square. |
16 bars |
| Gents cross to the opposite lady (2 steps) and swing. | 8 bars | |
| Gents dance back and swing partners. | 8 bars | |
| Slide and change. | 16 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 48 bars |
| Third Figure -Double Swing Four (Slides) | 104 bars |
| 1 | Top couples: House and square. |
16 bars |
| Double swing four: both couples join hands behind each other’s backs and swing clockwise, falling back to place on the last 2 bars. | 16 bars | |
| Slide and change. | 16 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 48 bars |
| Fourth Figure -Swing all Round (Slides) | 136 bars |
| 1 | Top couples: House and square. |
16 bars |
| Gents swing the lady on the L for 8 bars, move on and swing the next lady and so on to swing their own partners in place to finish. | 32 bars | |
| Slide and change. | 16 bars | |
| 2 | Side couples now dance 1. | 64 bars |
| Fifth Figure -The Chain (Slides) | 112 bars |
| 1 | Top couples house and square. | 16 bars |
| 2 | Half chain: All face partners and, taking R arm, dance ½ turn around each other to face in the opposite direction. All chain L arm, R arm etc. to meet partners in the opposite place and take ceili hold. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Full slide: all couples slide to the centre and back and half house around into their own place. They repeat this movement back to the place opposite their own. | 16 bars |
| 5 | Side couples house and square. | 16 bars |
| 6 | Half chain. Swing. Full slide. |
32 bars |
| 7 | House around. | 8 bars |
| SOURCE Larry Lynch, at Aras na nGael, London 1991. I have added the House around in the Fifth Figure to the version Larry gave us as this now (in 1997) seems to be the general practice.To see the true style in which this set is danced by local dancers have a look at RTE's video 'The Pure Drop - Set Dancing' ref: PAL 625 in which four of the five figures are demonstrated by Séamus de Róiste and the Ballyvourney Set Dancers. |