THE CALEDONIAN SET - Round the House
Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
| First Figure - House On (Reels) |
| 1 | Circle: All join hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Dance at home. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Circle, advance and retire twice, dancing 1 step in and 1
back and repeating this (4 bars) and house on (4 bars).
Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 4 | Repeat 3. as required. | |
| 5 | House around. | 8 bars |
| Second Figure - Home and House (Reels) | 64 bars |
| 1 | Circle. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Dance at home.
House around. |
16 bars |
| 3 | Dance in place.
House around. |
16 bars |
| 4 | Dance in place.
House around. |
16 bars |
| Third Figure - Circle and House (Reels) | 96 bars |
| 1 | Circle. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Dance at home. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Circle, advance and retire once (4 bars), and house on
(4 bars). Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 4 | Circle and house on. Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 5 | Circle and house on. Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 6 | Circle and house on.
Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 7 | House around. | 8 bars |
| Fourth Figure - Double House On (Reels) | 104 bars |
| 1 | Circle. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Dance at home. | 8 bars |
| 3 | House around. Dance at home. |
16 bars |
| 4 | Advance, retire and house on. Advance, retire and house on. |
16 bars |
| 5 | House around. Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 6 | Advance, retire and house on. Advance, retire and house on. |
16 bars |
| 7 | Dance in place. House around. |
16 bars |
| Fifth Figure - The Jig |
| 1 | Advance and retire twice, with waist hold. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Dance at home. | 8 bars |
| 3 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Dance in place. | 8 bars |
| 5 | Advance and retire (4 bars), ladies move on to next gent on the R and new partners dance in place (4 bars). | 8 bars |
| 6 | House around. Dance in place. |
16 bars |
| 7 | Advance and retire, ladies move on and dance in place.
House around. Dance in place. |
24 bars |
| Sixth Figure - The Hornpipe | 48 bars |
| 1 | Advance, retire and house on. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Advance, retire and house on. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Advance, retire and house on. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Advance, retire and house on. | 8 bars |
| 5 | House around. | 8 bars |
| STEPS : The set is danced with the Clare style reel step, the 'down' jig step and no battering. |
| SOURCE : This version of the set is danced in west Clare and was demonstrated to me by a set of six couples brought together for this purpose in the Dolphin Bar, Kilkee, by Frances McGuane in April 1991. Its current popularity derives from the fact that it can be danced by any number of couples, and Frances recalled having danced it once with about 50 couples in the one big circle. It can only be danced properly to live, rather than recorded, music as the First and Fifth figures should be danced until all dancers are back in place or with their own partners. Having said that, if the group is a large one, then the musician/s (and some of the dancers) may not be able to go the distance and the figure may be ended rather arbitrarily! |