strathspey@strathspey.org:45675

Peter Price

Dolphin reels revisited

June 27, 2006, 6:49 p.m. (Message 45675)

My apologies to all, and I will try to clarify my position.


In "Dancing Dolphins" Barry Skelton's directions are very specific.

- 1st couple are side by side at the start and stay parallel with the
set throughout the reel-

therefore NOT tandem reels but something very different with a very
pronounced and different feel in the dancing.  My error in not
checking every dance to see if the reels were identical but I was
focused on the particular dance.

I find that this is the only dance in the book where Barry specifies
that parallelism. One possible interpretation then is that "Dancing
Dolphins" is a special case and that in all other dances the reels are
to be tandem reels- that is one dancer following the other except for
the lead changes.

I have no problem with calling a tandem reel a tandem reel (and in
"Pelorus Jack" the reels are tandem). My problem was with teachers
calling the reels in "Dancing Dolphins" tandem reels and having the
dancers then dance the reels as tandem reels.

There are several dances in which Barry Skelton sets up 1C, one behind
the other, for tandem reels (The Sailor's Guide, An Ocean Frolic,
Crossing the Line and Opo). There are also several dances (The Playful
Porpoise, Over the Waves and Orca) where he sets up 1C side by side at
the entry into the reels but doesn't specify 1C staying parallel but
where, in my opinion, the dances would lend themselves to side by side
reeling a la "Dancing Dolphins" even though it is not specified.


Peter Price
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