strathspey@strathspey.org:40602

Volleyballjerry

"Rice and Lefse" progression questions

Feb. 11, 2005, 3:59 a.m. (Message 40602)

Lara Friedman-Shedlov wrote in reponse to my (Robb Quint) message:

I think there has may have been a misunderstanding about the progression of
the dance.? I had intended the dance to be done in a 3-couple set.
It finishes with couples in the order 3C, 1C, 2C, and a new top couple
starts the next repetition. (It *did* say repeat with a new top couple at
the end of the instructions I sent out -- I checked ;-). ) This type of
progression, although not exactly common, is found in a number of other
SCDs that I have encountered, though the only one that pops immediately
to mind is Gypsy Glen, by John Bowie Dickson.? I'm sure other
Strathspeyers could name others.

the 3,1,2 progression *is* a bit confusing to dancers at first -- there is
a strong tendency for the old 1C to want to step down to the bottom.

I myself had previously written:? 

> The unusual progression, such that the couple which waits out a round at 
the
> top and then begins as new top couple is the third, not the second, couple
> from the previous round, I do not recall ever encountering in any other 
dance
> (though perhaps there are some?).? Dancing couple still needs to step to 
the
> bottom after its second round, and then it works just fine, so why not?? 
Given the
> progression, this could also be a three-couple strathspey in a three-couple
> set, or even the same as a jig, though for some reason we never seem to 
have
> quicktime dances with this arrangement (I wonder why not).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, now I think that there is a bit of a problem.  The 3-1-2 progression is 
neither uncommon (nor generally at all confusing) for a STRATHSPEY.  And in 
fact the dance mentioned by Lara as an example, Gypsy Glen, is a Strathspey.  
There are lots of three-couple strathspeys danced in three-couple sets, e.g. 
Neidpath Castle, MacDonald of the Isles, and many many more.  Logically there is 
no reason that the same could not be done in quicktime, as I had already 
mentioned, but for some reason, by tradition, we don't.  While there are plenty of 
strathspeys in this configuration, I cannot think of a single three-couple 
quicktime dance that is done three times in a three-couple set.  So where are we 
going to find  3 X 40 jig music to use for this?  Now of course new music 
could be composed, and why not a 3 X 40 jig or a 3 X anything jig or reel in a 
three-couple set?.  But has there ever before been such a thing in the 
R.S.C.D.S. tradition?  Is there any other?

The other possibility is to dance this 40-bar 3-couple jig as any other such 
would be danced:  8 X in a four-couple set, each couple twice through, which 
is exactly as we danced it in class using "The Express" for our music.  It 
works fine 8 X  with the dancing couple stepping to the bottom and the bottom 
couple stepping up on bars 1-2 as a new couple begins, exactly as we do all the 
time.  The only unusual thing here is that it is always the third couple from 
the previous round (rather than the second) that is the new couple starting at 
the top.  And is there any precedent for this?  Is such a thing going to be 
accepted?  I personally don't see why not; every couple still gets a 2 X turn.  
Is there any other quicktime dance in a longways set where?n it is not the 
second couple from the previous round that begins as new couple in an 8 X 
progression?  I personally favor this alternative because there is plenty of music for 
8 X 40 jig, and I personally know of none for 3 X 40 jig.

Either way, as a quicktime dance, unless someone can provide examples to the 
contrary, "Rice and Lefse" gives us an entirely new progression mode for a 
quicktime dance.  If there is any published precedent for either of the two 
aforementioned possibilities, it still is something exceedingly rare.

I really like the dance, as did my class, this already reported, and I am 
personally quite content with the unorthodox progression mode for a quicktime 
dance, but I believe that for a QUICKTIME dance this mode is in fact unique.

Or am I still missing something???

Robb Quint
Thousand Oaks, CA, USA