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"Rice and Lefse" progression questions
Volleyballjerry
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
Both Robb and Lara have written that 3 couple quicktime dances are rare if not non-existent until now. There is one other that I know but it's in a triangular formation. It's M(a)cPherson's Jig and I have a photocopy of printed instruements with hand written annotations and clarifications. There is a signature at the bottom "J.Johnston, Becholt '92". I can't remember where I acquired it but it was on a social dance programme in Rosendaal, The Netherlands several years ago. It's not a difficult dance and, in the other set of instructions that I have, it says that it often used in a medley with Wind On Loch Fyne. Margaret
A 3x32 jig which we enjoy in the Dietlikon group (and is handy when numbers in the class are low!) is "Bottoms up" (H. Rhodes, Snowdon bk 3) which, as it name indicates, brings the bottom couple up from 3rd to 1st pl. I use the recording for "The Misses Cramb of Linlithgow" from the Book 40 & Children's book CD, which for some reason is 3x32, although the dance itself is a conventional 3C in a 4C-set one. Sophie Quoting Margaret Lambourne <xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xx>: > Both Robb and Lara have written that 3 couple quicktime dances are rare > if not non-existent until now. There is one other that I know but it's > in a triangular formation. It's M(a)cPherson's Jig and I have a > photocopy of printed instruements with hand written annotations and > clarifications. There is a signature at the bottom "J.Johnston, Becholt > '92". I can't remember where I acquired it but it was on a social dance > programme in Rosendaal, The Netherlands several years ago. > > It's not a difficult dance and, in the other set of instructions that I > have, it says that it often used in a medley with Wind On Loch Fyne. > > Margaret > -- Sophie Rickebusch CH - Wettswil a. A.
On 11/02/2005 09:57, Margaret Lambourne wrote: > Both Robb and Lara have written that 3 couple quicktime dances are rare > if not non-existent until now. Hmmm. Let's have a look at the database: 112 Reels with 3-3 sets 95 jigs with 3-3 sets 352 strathspeys with 3-3 sets Or. If we are restricting to 312 progression: R: 5 J: 7 S: 27 Some are 231 progression - but most I don't know. (Since I was responsible myself for one of the jigs and one of the reels!) Alan
Robb wrote: > 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. Well I have instructions for about 40 jigs which are for 3 couples in a 3 couple set (2 of them 40 bars), and over 30 reels (6 of them 40 bars) - the problem is that I don't have any 3x40 reels or jigs on CD, so I quite like the idea of making them into 4 couple dances as Robb suggested. Malcolm Malcolm L Brown York
> Well I have instructions for about 40 jigs which are for 3 couples in a 3 couple set > (2 of them 40 bars), and over 30 reels (6 of them 40 bars) - the problem is that I > don't have any 3x40 reels or jigs on CD, so I quite like the idea of making them into > 4 couple dances as Robb suggested. > > Malcolm > > Malcolm L Brown There you are Marie, a requirement for your proposed CD. 3x40 Reels and Jigs! Is a 3x48 of anything required?
Yes, it had been noted earlier that it is extremely difficult to find recorded version of 3x40 jigs. There were a couple of responses saying that there is at least one such recording on a new CD, "Old Favourites and Odd Couples." It also has a 3x40 reel, I note. I haven't heard the CD, so I don't know how well those particular tunes will work, however. Although I originally conceived it as a 3x40 jig, I certainly have no objection to this dance being done as an 8x40 jig in a 4-couple set. It should work just fine. Interestingly, it had also never occured to me that the 3,1,2 progression has thus far only appeared in strathspeys. I should think that is merely accidental. / Lara Minneapolis, Minnesota USA RSCDS Twin Cities Branch ******************************** Lara Friedman~Shedlov "Librarians -- Like Google, but xxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx warm-blooded" ********************************