strathspey@strathspey.org:45577

Peter McClure

RE: Dancing in five-couple and seven-couple sets (was Glasgow Highlanders)

June 16, 2006, 11:34 p.m. (Message 45577, in reply to message 45568)

>
>As one of our members pointed out, leaving the 4th couple in 2nd 
>place while the 5th
>couple starts is particularly hard on the original 2nd couple, as 
>they only dance
>once as 2nd couple & twice as dancing couple. It is slightly fairer 
>for the 4th
>couple to dance once as dancing couple and then slip to the bottom, 
>as then the
>original 2nd couple are at least involved 4 times!
>

It is usually even easier to have the couples in 3rd and 4th places 
after the 7th time through (the original 1s and 2s) switch places as 
the original 5th couple begins the last turn.

However, since I think we're talking about classes, not a social or 
formal dance, is it not even better to have the musician, or CD 
player, or whatever, play the dance twice through, then stop (often a 
good opportunity for last observations to the class), then 8 times?

Peter McClure
Winnipeg, MB