Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007
CORNERS AND CORNER COUPLES
(X = gent O = lady)
1st corner |
X |
O |
2nd corner |
|
couple |
O |
X |
couple |
|
1st corner |
2nd corner |
|||
X O |
||||
Home place |
||||
| First Figure - Show Each Lady (Reels) | 192 bars |
| 1 | Lead around with crossed hand hold in front, the lady turning clockwise under the gent's raised arms on the last 2 bars. | 8 bars |
| 2 | Swing, with waltz hold. | 8 bars |
| 3 | 1st top gent show each lady: 1st tops dance house within the set and the gent places his lady between lady and gent of the 1st side couple on the last 2 bars, the side lady dancing out to create the space. 1st gent dances house within with this lady and places her between the 2nd top couple. He repeats this movement until back in place, all the ladies having moved around 1 place clockwise. | 32 bars |
| 4 | Swing new partners. | 8 bars |
| 5 | 1st side gent (L of 1st tops) show
each lady. Swing. |
40 bars |
| 6 | 2nd top gent show each lady.
Swing. |
40 bars |
| 7 | 2nd side gent show each lady.
Swing. |
40 bars |
| 8 | House around. | 8 bars |
| Second Figure - High Gates (Reels) | 128 bars |
| 1 | Lead around.
Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | 1st top couple:
House within the set. |
8 bars |
| High gates: The dancing gent takes his lady's L hand in his R and the R hand of the lady on his L (the 'visitor') in his L hand. He raises his L arm to form the first 'gate' for the dancing lady to pass through and follows her round under his own arm. He then raises his R arm to make the second gate through which the visitor dances and again he follows her round. He raises his L arm to make the final gate, his partner dances through, he follows her round, and all drop hands and dance into place. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 4 | 1st side couple house within.
High gates. |
16 bars |
| 5 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 6 | 2nd top couple house within.
High gates. |
16 bars |
| 7 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 8 | 2nd side couple house within.
High gates. |
16 bars |
| 9 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 10 | House around. | 8 bars |
| Third Figure - Little Christmas (Reels) | 128 bars |
| 1 | Lead around.
Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | 1st top couple house within. On the last 2 bars, they and the couple on their L turn to face each other. | 8 bars |
| Swing four: facing couples take crossed arm hold behind each others' backs, L arm over and R arm under, to form a tight ring and swing clockwise. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Swing partners. | 8 bars |
| 4 | 1st side couple house within.
Swing four with the couple on their L. |
16 bars |
| 5 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 6 | 2nd top couple house within.
Swing four with the couple on their L. |
16 bars |
| 7 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 8 | 2nd side couple house within.
Swing four with the couple on their L. |
16 bars |
| 9 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 10 | House around. | 8 bars |
| Fourth Figure - Show Each Gent (Reels) | 192 bars |
| 1 | Lead around.
Swing. |
8 bars |
| 2 | 1st top lady show each gent: 1st tops dance house within the set and the lady places her gent between lady and gent of the 1st side couple on the last 2 bars, the side gent dancing out to create the space. 1st lady dances house within with this gent and places him between partners of the 2nd top couple and takes the 2nd top gent. She repeats this movement until back in place, all the gents having moved around 1 place clockwise. | 32 bars |
| 3 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 4 | 1st side lady show each gent. | 32 bars |
| 5 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 6 | 2nd top lady show each gent. | 32 bars |
| 7 | Swing. | 8 bars |
| 8 | 2nd side lady show each gent. | 32 bars |
| 9 | Swing.
House around. |
16 bars |
| Fifth Figure - The Fling | 168 bars |
| 1 | Lead around.
Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
Slide and home: couples dance 1 step towards the centre and 1 step back (2 bars) and 4 doubled steps in place, turning once or twice as preferred (2 bars). Slide and change: they dance 1 step to the centre and back (2 bars) and either double or house across into the opposite place (2 bars). |
8 bars |
| Slide and home.
Slide and change, back to their own places. |
8 bars | |
| Turn opposites: opposite dancers dance 2 steps to meet
and turn each other L elbow in the centre and dance back to face their partners (4 bars). Slide and home. |
8 bars | |
| House around, doubling the last 2 steps. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Side couples now dance 2. | 32 bars |
| 4 | Top couples repeat 2. | 32 bars |
| 5 | Side couples repeat 2. | 32 bars |
| 6 | Dance at home.
House around. |
16 bars |
| Alternative Fifth Figure - The Jig | 176 bars |
| 1 | Lead around.
Swing. |
16 bars |
| 2 | Top couples:
House around each other. |
8 bars |
| Advance, retire (4 bars) and ladies cross over R to R to the opposite gent while the gents dance in place (4 bars). | 8 bars | |
| House around each other, new couples. | 8 bars | |
| Advance, retire (4 bars) and ladies cross back to their own place while the gents dance clockwise into their 1st corner and their 1st corner ladies dance clockwise into the gent's vacated place to form new couples (4 bars). | 8 bars | |
| House around each other, new couples. | 8 bars | |
| Advance, retire and ladies cross over R to R to the opposite gent while the gents dance in place. | 8 bars | |
| House around each other, new couples. | 8 bars | |
| Advance, retire and both ladies and gents dance back to their own partners. | 8 bars | |
| 3 | Dance at home. | 8 bars |
| 4 | Side couples now dance 2. | 64 bars |
| 5 | Dance at home.
House around. |
16 bars |
| Sixth Figure - The Hornpipe | 160 bars |
| 1 | Quarterhouse: with waltz hold, couples dance 2 steps in place and turn 2 steps on to the next place on the R (4 bars). The movement is repeated from each place and back to home. | 16 bars |
| 2 | House around. | 8 bars |
| 3 | Changeover: partners drop hands and all dance 1 step into the set and 1 step back (2 bars). The gents make a clockwise turn outside the set while the ladies dance inside the set to their corner gent (2 bars) and new couples dance at home, turning once (4 bars). | 8 bars |
| 4 | Quarterhouse.
House around. Changeover. |
32 bars |
| 5 | Quarterhouse.
House around. Changeover. |
32 bars |
| 6 | Quarterhouse.
House around. Changeover. |
32 bars |
| 7 | Quarterhouse.
House around. |
24 bars |
| STEPS The reels are danced with the Clare reel step and the jig with the 'down' jig step. |
| SOURCE Connie Ryan at Cecil Sharp House, London (1992/3?) |