strathspey@strathspey.org:23361

Lara D. Friedman~Shedlov

What is a Celtic Reel Answer

Nov. 3, 2000, 6:41 p.m. (Message 23361)

The "celtic reel" is a formation recently devised by Barry Skelton and
first appearing in his dance by the same name.  It is much easier done
than described, but basically it is a reel of 4 in a cloverleaf
pattern.  It starts and ends as in a normal reel of 4, with the dancers in
a straight line, with two dancers in the middle facing the dancers on the
ends. The dancers who start the reel in the middle pass right shoulders
with the end people and then curve out to the right to change the axis of
the reel perpendicular to where it was originally.    The "end" dancers
pass the middle right shoulders and then pass each other left should 3/4
of the way around to end up facing the new axis. This is bars 1-4.   The
reel is danced at half the speed of a normal reel of 4 so that it takes 16
bars to get back to original positions.  A complete description can be
found in the Celtic Book by Barry Skelton.

We just did the dance Celtic Reel for the first time last Friday and
though it took us a while to interpret the directions, it was a pretty fun
dance.

A question for anyone familiar with the dance:  Does anyone else agree
that it seems rather odd that the third couple are used only in the last 4
bars and then only as "posts" for the 1st couple to dance a half figure of
8 around? We tried the dance with the 1st couple dancing the half figure 8
around the 2C (above them) rather than the 3C, and it flows very nicely
that way.  We thought it made a better 2-couple dance than a 3-couple
dance.  I realize there are a number of traditional dances, such as
Flowers of Edinburgh, where the 3C are only posts, but I find it an odd
that a deviser would choose to construct a new dance that way.  Anyone
have any insights?

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Lara Friedman~Shedlov                "Thwart not the librarian!" 
xxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
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