The Dirk Dance - a dance collected by Mrs. MacNab

Chris J Brady

Nov. 15, 2013, 11:11 p.m. (Message 64998)

Readers might be interested in this dance from the MacNab collection:

See:

<http://colinrobertson.net/ddrecon.html>

It was taught by John Wesencraft at the Reading Cloggies' Step & Clog
Dance Festival in 1996.

And it has been uploaded to YouTube from the official Festival video: 

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh8s_3virjA>

[A better version is in preparation.]

Colin says "Joan Flett produced the book ‘Traditional Step-Dancing In
Scotland’, which included The Dirk Dance notation, the publication of
which was just prior to the Step Dance Festival." 

Also see:

<http://dirkdance.tripod.com/id6.html>

"The version of the Dirk Dance taught by Louie Pastore was recovered
in Canada by renowned dance researchers Tom and Joan Flett, back in
the 1950's. The dance was passed to the Flett's from Mary Isdale McNab
who stipulated that she would teach it only on the condition that it
was a 'personal' dance and not to be taught to anyone else. 

"Tom kept to this stipulation but before his death he decided to pass
the dance on to one person before it was lost forever, teaching the
steps to John Wesencraft who later agreed to teach Louie the dance in
late 2003-04." [Note: Tom also taught it to his daughter Jane]

CJB