strathspey@strathspey.org:45669

mlamontbrown

RE: revisiting Dolphin Reels

June 27, 2006, 1:19 p.m. (Message 45669, in reply to message 45668)

Peter Price wrote about the use of the word "Tandem" to describe the reels which
occur in such dances as Pelorus Jack and Flight of the Falcon.

While I have a great deal of sympathy with what he says, unfortunately I think we are
too late to influence the discussion. 

The latest edition of the RSCDS Manual has a section 6.23.4 on "Reel of three in
tandem" which is pretty clear that this is the term to be used to describe these
reels;

I quote:
The pattern of the reel is the same as that already described with the following
difference: when the dancers in tandem loop round the ends of a reel, the leading
dancer dances slightly wide to allow the dancer behind to take the lead.

This does leave us with the problem of what term to use for reels where the dancers
dance the reel with the couple in tandem (i.e. one behind the other) with the same
person leading for the entire reel (as in "The Dancing Master").

Malcolm
 

Malcolm L Brown
York  (UK)