strathspey@strathspey.org:44863

Iain Boyd

RE: Official variations/DANCE: Skye Barbecue

March 24, 2006, 4:49 a.m. (Message 44863, in reply to message 44721)

Dear Ian,
   
  I did try your dance last week - option 2, only.
   
  The group is mainly 'older' although most have quite a bit of experience.
   
  This is a dance for experienced dancers who are able to relate to
  the set spatially. Unfortunately, I doubt that it will find its way
  onto many social dance programmes.
   
  Bars 17-32 went well although not all second and third couples were
  able to finish the hands across in first and third places.
  Consequently, first couple ocasionally had problems knowing where
  second place was.
   
  The end of the second reel of three caused a few problems with
  second couple having to finish in top place. This made it a little
  awkward for first couple who had to finish in from the side-lines
  and then start turning down between second couple.
   
  However, the major problem was the join between the first and second
  times through and the second and third times through.
   
  The difficulty was caused by the left hands across being followed
  immediately by symmetrical reels of three on the sides.
  Unfortunately, the changes of direction are different in both cases.
  This is what makes it an advanced dancers dance. Of course, it did
  not help that second and third couples did not always finish in
  first and third places (as noted above).
   
  Regards,
   
  Iain Boyd
   
   
  

Ian Brockbank <xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
  Hi Iain,

> Firstly, let me say that I am surprised that your original 
> dance has first couple turning with right hands and dancing a 
> clockwise chase each time while second and third couples give 
> right hands then left hands.

I have to confess I dug out the instructions after 3 years, and was slightly
surprised myself.

Obviously there are three options, as you mention:
1: right hands for everyone both times
2: right hands then left hands for everyone
3: right hands then left hands for 2s & 3s + right hands both times for 1s

Thinking through the dance, the first option is not really an option. It
would be boring for 2s and 3s. They really need the contrast between the
two phrases.

I can't remember why I originally wrote the "unbalanced" (as you put it)
version, but I like the spiralling feeling of the right-hand both times
option for the 1s and feel it fits the character of the tune. I think it
was originally influenced by the cloverleaf figure which appears in
Australian Ladies, Moving Cloud and Nifty Shiftin' - in those you're turning
to the right each time.

However, there are 3 couples working together in the set, and when I re-read
the instructions at the weekend, I wondered how well option 3 actually
worked in practice, which set me wondering about option 2, which prompted my
email.

>From the people who have tried it, it has become clear that option 2 is
indeed the best option - one class thought option 3 was okay until they
tried option 2. I have revised my local instructions accordingly, and won't
be including the note.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to consider this and particularly to
those who actually tried it out with their class. It has been really useful
to get this feedback.

Ian Brockbank
Edinburgh, Scotland
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
http://www.scottishdance.net/



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