THE WILLIAMSTOWN SET

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 (Reels)

120 bars

1	Lead around, with crossed hand hold (6 bars), and partners dance the last 2 bars facing each other in place.	8 bars
2	Swing, with waltz hold.	8 bars
3	Top couples: Ladies turn and chain: they turn R hand one full turn in the centre, L hand to turn the opposite gent (8 bars), R hand one full turn in the centre and L hand to turn partners (8 bars).	16 bars
	Swing.	8 bars
4	Side couples now dance 2.	24 bars
5	Wheel: gents take L hands in the centre and R hand hold with partners and all dance around to the next place (2 bars) where the ladies turn one turn clockwise under R arm as the gents dance in place (2 bars). This 4 bar movement is repeated 3 times back to place.	16 bars
6	Advance, retire and half house: taking waltz hold, all advance and retire and house around to the opposite place (8 bars) and repeat the movement back home.	16 bars
7	Swing. House around.	16 bars

Second Figure (Reels)

112 bars

1	Lead around. Swing.	16 bars
2	Swing corners: gents turn to their 1^st corner lady and swing her in the corner.	8 bars
3	Advance, retire and turn the lady: new couples advance and retire twice, R hand in R (8 bars), and the lady turns 2 full turns clockwise under arm (8 bars).	16 bars
4	Swing partners: new partners dance past each other R to R into place (2 bars) and swing their own partners (6 bars).	8 bars
5	Top couples: Arches: both couples advance and retire once, R in R (4 bars). 1^st couple advances and makes an arch which the 2^nd couple passes through, hands dropped and the lady before the gent (2 bars), 1^st couple ½ turns clockwise into the opposite place while dancers of the 2^nd couple each turn inwards to take R hands (2 bars) (See STEPS later). The whole 8 bar movement is then repeated with 2^nd couple making the arch.	16 bars
	Swing.	8 bars
6	Side couples now dance 5. (1^st sides L of 1^st tops).	24 bars
7	House around.	8 bars

Third Figure (Reels)

120 bars

1	Lead around. Swing.	16 bars
2	Top couples: Ladies double turn: ladies dance in to the set, turn R hand 2 full turns and dance back to their partners.	8 bars
	Swing.	8 bars
3	Side couples now dance 2.	16 bars
4	Back-to-back: partners dance past each other R to R (2 bars), pass back-to-back (2 bars), fall back (2 bars) and dance 2 bars in place.	8 bars
5	Swing.	8 bars
6	Sides: top couples face their 1^st corner couples, all taking R hands in R, and facing couples advance and retire once (4 bars), drop hands and pass through each other, gents on the outside, take R hands and ¼ turn to face the next couple around the set (4 bars) This 8 bar movement is repeated 3 more times back to place.	32 bars
7	Swing. House around.	16 bars

Fourth Figure (Jigs)

128 bars

1	Lead around. Swing.	16 bars
2	Top couples: House around each other.	8 bars
	Gents cross and swing: they dance straight across to the opposite lady (2 bars) and swing (6 bars).	8 bars
	House around each other, new couples.	8 bars
	Gents cross back to their own partners and swing.	8 bars
	House around each other.	8 bars
3	Side couples now dance 2.	40 bars
4	Chain all round the set back to place (12 bars) and swing (4 bars).	16 bars
5	House around.	8 bars

Fifth Figure (Polkas)

136 bars

1	Circle: all take hands in a circle and advance and retire twice.	8 bars
2	Swing.	8 bars
3	Top couples: 1^st couple house within the set. On the last 2 bars 2^nd couple separate and dance into line with the nearest side couple to form two lines of 3.	8 bars
	Lace the shoe: 1^st couple pass each other by, R hand in R, to turn the first person facing them in line L arm, dance into the centre and turn their partner R arm (4 bars), dance out to turn the centre person L arm, in to turn partner R arm (4 bars), out to turn the third person L arm and in to take their partner in waltz hold (4 bars) and house back to place (4 bars).	16 bars
	2^nd couple house within, 1^st couple separating and dancing into line with the nearest side couple, and lace the shoe.	24 bars
4	Side couples now dance 3., dancing into line with the nearest top couples to form the lines of 3.	48 bars
5	Swing.	8 bars
6	House around.	8 bars

STEPS
All figures are danced to the normal steps. Pat did mention a description of the movement under the arch in Second Figure 5. Arches, which occurred to him when teaching this set on Valentine’s Day and which I think worth recording here. He told the dancers to dance out under the arch and turn into place as if each was dancing around the edge of a heart, starting at the bottom point - a perfect picture of the movement as he taught it and as recorded above.
Mick, in contrast, had the couple passing under the arch keep hands held, the lady ahead of the gent, and fall back to the opposite place with a half turn anticlockwise. Another minor variation was that Mick taught a full 8 bar Lead around rather than 6 bars + 2 bars in place. So take your pick!

SOURCES
Pat Murphy at his Bristol workshop, April 2000 and Mick Mulkerrin at his Wexford workshop in the following November. The set comes from the north Galway/Roscommon border area.

ENDNOTE
I have called the movement in the Third Figure 6. Sides as it reminds me of a similar movement in the two versions of the Televara which are included in these Study Notes. Movement 3. in the Fifth Figure I first called 'Strip the Willow' as this is a common pattern in English country dancing where it is know by that name, until I learned that the almost identical movement in our figure dance 'The Haymakers' Jig' is known by some as Lace the shoe. I have never heard the term myself but it seems to be much more descriptive of the movement altogether and so I have adopted it for this Figure. I am indebted to Jerry Ronneau of Valparaiso, Indiana, (via email) for this little gem!

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