March 30, 2006, 7:21 p.m. (Message 44925)
Hi Everyone Maybe those who danced Angus Macleod when it first came on the dance scene will answer this question. My dance instructions for Angus Macleod are from the GIendarroch Sheets. I do not have the dance book "Dances Of An Island Clan" that Alan Paterson's Dance Data suggests. The Glendarroch Sheets instructions for this dance come with a sheet of diagrams for Angus Macleod. On Bars 59 to 62 it shows in diagram the dancing cpls in Promenade hold ( side by side) In the written instructions it says for these bars: 57-64 With 3rd cpl making an arch and 2nd dancing under it. 2nd dance down and, together, cast up round 4th woman and dance up the middle to the top of the set, while 3rd dance up and, together, cast off round 1st man and dance down the middle to the bottom of the set. After casting, 2nd man and 3rd woman pass left shoulder ( this is where the promenade hold seems to be correct) On 63-64 1st cpl move down and 4th cpl move up. Locally it is danced with one dancer leading and the other following after they have danced under the arch. I taught this dance with the promenade hold as that is what I took from the instructions. Personally I did like the promenade hold, but "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is not a problem for me. That said, where did the promenade hold in the diagram come in, and what does "together " stand for in the written instructions? Yes, I want to get it right and who else better than to ask this question to ,than my favourite group "Strathspey Server". Cheers Marie
March 30, 2006, 7:34 p.m. (Message 44926, in reply to message 44925)
Correction: This leaflet was with my collection of the Glendarroch Sheets: Maybe because the diagrams look like they were done by the same person.OOOOPS!!
March 30, 2006, 9:21 p.m. (Message 44928, in reply to message 44926)
Out of interest, I note that in the diagrams with the instructions printed by Dumfries and Galloway News, Castle-Douglas in 1969, the two couples are show with a straight line directly connecting the man and woman. This would indicate "nearer hands joined". However in the hard cover book "The Dances of an Island Clan" published in memory of Andrew Rankin, who composed the music, when he died in 1985, the man and woman are shown with an angled connecting line, which could very well be seen to indicate promenade. I'm sure "nearer hands" is correct and original. Simon Vancouver
March 31, 2006, 12:38 a.m. (Message 44933, in reply to message 44926)
Dear Marie, I am not surprised that you have filed "Angus MacLeod" with your Glendarroch Sheets. Hugh Foss published the original leaflet in 1969 - see bottom of front page and bottom of left inside page. Iain Boyd Marie Disiewicz <xxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: Correction: This leaflet was with my collection of the Glendarroch Sheets: Maybe because the diagrams look like they were done by the same person.OOOOPS!! Postal Address - P O Box 11-404 Wellington New Zealand Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
March 30, 2006, 8:50 p.m. (Message 44927, in reply to message 44925)
Hi Marie I'm very sure I'm right in saying that the "together" in this part of Angus MacLeod means "nearer hands joined" rather than promenade. When the two couples have done the arches and under they retain nearer hands as they dance round the corner and then to top or bottom of the set. That is how I've always know it since it came out in 1969. I have never seen or heard of the lead and follow that you mention (even though we are dancing in the same area). Simon Vancouver Hi Everyone Maybe those who danced Angus Macleod when it first came on the dance scene will answer this question. My dance instructions for Angus Macleod are from the GIendarroch Sheets. I do not have the dance book "Dances Of An Island Clan" that Alan Paterson's Dance Data suggests. The Glendarroch Sheets instructions for this dance come with a sheet of diagrams for Angus Macleod. On Bars 59 to 62 it shows in diagram the dancing cpls in Promenade hold ( side by side) In the written instructions it says for these bars: 57-64 With 3rd cpl making an arch and 2nd dancing under it. 2nd dance down and, together, cast up round 4th woman and dance up the middle to the top of the set, while 3rd dance up and, together, cast off round 1st man and dance down the middle to the bottom of the set. After casting, 2nd man and 3rd woman pass left shoulder ( this is where the promenade hold seems to be correct) On 63-64 1st cpl move down and 4th cpl move up. Locally it is danced with one dancer leading and the other following after they have danced under the arch. I taught this dance with the promenade hold as that is what I took from the instructions. Personally I did like the promenade hold, but "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is not a problem for me. That said, where did the promenade hold in the diagram come in, and what does "together " stand for in the written instructions? Yes, I want to get it right and who else better than to ask this question to ,than my favourite group "Strathspey Server". Cheers Marie
March 30, 2006, 11:42 p.m. (Message 44930, in reply to message 44925)
As far as I can recall over decades it's been promenade in Southern California. I've also just consulted a member of the "dem" team MacLeod Dancers, which does the dance, not surprisingly, quite often, and have had the same confirmed. As she said, and as my own mind recalls: nearer hands through (or making of course) the arch, then shift to promenade to dance around the standing corners and pass to the opposite sides. I think that the support of the promenade hold is really needed to make that turn around the standing corners, and nearer hands conjures in my mind a peculiar picture of the man dragging the woman around the corner "whip" style, much like the Red Queen dragging Alice and proclaiming: "It takes all the running you can do just to stay in the same place. If you want to get someplace else, you have to run twice as fast." In any case, hereabouts definitely promenade hold. Robb Quint Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
March 31, 2006, 12:54 a.m. (Message 44934, in reply to message 44930)
As Simon has stated, the original diagrams produced by Hugh Foss show dances using nearer hands. On the other hand, Ann Skipper's diagrams show dancers using nearer hands pushed forward which I suspect may be intended to indicate 'leading'. I suggest that the MacLeod Dancers may have changed from 'leading' to using 'promenade' hold after the advantages of 'promenade' hold were realised. However, if one looks carefully at the last diagram in the 'promenade' series in Ann Skipper's publication one will see a straight line joining one of the couples as well as the 'pushed forward' 'nearer hands - possibly suggesting 'promemade' hold (or just careless proofreading?) Iain Boyd xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx wrote: As far as I can recall over decades it's been promenade in Southern California. I've also just consulted a member of the "dem" team MacLeod Dancers, which does the dance, not surprisingly, quite often, and have had the same confirmed. As she said, and as my own mind recalls: nearer hands through (or making of course) the arch, then shift to promenade to dance around the standing corners and pass to the opposite sides. I think that the support of the promenade hold is really needed to make that turn around the standing corners, and nearer hands conjures in my mind a peculiar picture of the man dragging the woman around the corner "whip" style, much like the Red Queen dragging Alice and proclaiming: "It takes all the running you can do just to stay in the same place. If you want to get someplace else, you have to run twice as fast." In any case, hereabouts definitely promenade hold. Robb Quint Thousand Oaks, CA, USA Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com