Let's get to the bottom of this

Hamish Dewar

Message 61554 · 3 Aug 2011 13:17:27 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

Sometimes when a dance is encored, the cry goes up "Once and to the bottom".
This poses an additional challenge if you're dancing a 3cpl dance in a 4cpl set.
You have to drop down two places.

No problem when you are dancing a 3cpl dance in a 3cpl set.
If the dance doesn't end with the dancing couple at the bottom, you know how to get there as elegantly as possible, because that is what you always do.

Trickier for the 3-in-4 couplets (to coin a phrase).
But many of the techniques for getting to the bottom are equally relevant when the dance is 8 times through (2nd time through) .
For example:
Dance ends R&L ==> dance down one more place after the last Left
Poussette ==> 3cpl poussette
Turn to own side ==> move down as you turn
Get out of the way ==> get out of the way.

And these techniques can easily be extended when it is "once and to the bottom."

Hamish

A propos de bottes, last week I was hosting three Galician dancers for the Dunedin Folk Dance Festival. One morning having buzzed around preparing breakfast (eggs: check, cheese: check, ham: check, fruit: check, toast: check), I sank into my own chair around the table.
Looked around I said "Where is the tea cosy?".
The youngest responded idiomatically "Under your ass".