Rob Roy

Volleyballjerry

Message 62419 · 17 Feb 2012 16:30:38 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

Rob Roy has been a perennial favorite in Southern California for as long as
I have been dancing (now into the fourth decade). One thing that I have
long found makes the teaching (and subsequent dancing) of it more
successful is a "trick" that I must confess having acquired from another teacher
long ago: rather than teaching the half mirror reel as a separate figure,
merely add it on to the end of each couple's fugal track. Thus first couple's
fugal track has an additional four bars that brings it to third place ere
the reel of four. Third couple's track then brings it to first place.
Second couple still ends in second place following its set, turn, and "loop."
And fourth couple's track is simply the set and turn. And thus all fugal
tracks, beginning every four bars, bring all couples to the beginning of
the reel of four in which of course all participate. This does not alter the
dance one bit, but dancers seem to absorb and successfully execute a set
of fugal tracks followed by a reel of four more quickly and successfully
than the more complex concept of fugal tracks followed by a half mirror reel
of three followed by a reel of four.

Robb Quint
Thousand Oaks, CA, USA