These dances are in longways sets (ie a line of men facing a line of women, men's line is on the right from the caller's point of view). Some are for specific numbers of couples, others are more flexible.
In the descriptions, numbers in parentheses are beat counts. Except for waltzes, when they are bar counts (yes, that's inconsistent. Deal with it).
Last update: 11 April 2023
Anderson Ferry Reel
by Eric Conrad
Longways for 5,6 or 7 couples
32 bar reel
Easy (mixer!)
Begin with everyone facing up, holding inside hand with partner
A1 (8) 4 steps forward, 4 steps back
(8) Repeat
A2 (8) Dosido partner slightly more than once, to face a new partner (leaving two loners at the ends)
(8) Swing this new partner. Finish on the sidelines, facing this person
B1 (16) The two loners “ride the ferry”: the lone man weaves down the women’s line to the bottom of the
men’s line, while the lone woman weaves up the men’s line to the top of the women’s line
B2 (8) Lines forward and back while shifting left (to face another new person across)
(8) Swing this new partner (person directly across) and end facing up
Axes to Grind
Peter Foster 7 July 2014
4 couple longways
4x64 jig or reel
Medium-Hard
A1 (16) All cast off individually, 1s arch, others come through the arch.
Now in order 2341, all facing up holding inside hands
A2 (16) Peel off as couples (to the right first) to finish in head lines (see note),
Lines go forward and back
B1 (8) Ladies chain up and down, finish facing across
(8) Ladies chain across, finish facing up and down
B2 (8) Ladies chain up and down, finish facing across
(8) Ladies chain across, finish facing up and down
C1 (16) Give and take (women take) and swing, finish facing across
C2 (16) Give and take (women take) and swing, finish facing up and down
D1 (16) Give and take (women take) and swing, finish facing across
D2 (16) Everyone forward and swing partner, finish facing up with the woman on the right
Finish in order 4123 (reverse progression)
Notes:
A2 – couple at the top (original 2s) cast right, next couple cast left, These 2 couples
keep wheeling around to make a line of 4 facing up. The next couple casts right, the
final couple left, join to make a line of 4 facing down.
For the give and take, the lines go forward, then hold opposite by both hands and the women pull the men back with them (so women back, men forward)
The final swing is NOT a give and take. Instead, meet partner and swing there to finish in a longways set
Inspired by Pam Gainsford's Delight by Noreen Grunseit
Boston Tea Party
6 Couple Longways (or 5 or 7)
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
A1 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Top couple galop to the bottom
A2 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Same couple galops back to the top
B (32) Everyone face up and take inside hand with partner, except
top couple who face down (stay on own sides):
Top couple (and only the top couple) dip and dive to the bottom.
Everyone else, as they pass the dip and dive they cast off. Top
couple makes an arch at the bottom, other couples come through
the arch to progress. Swing to use up any remaining music
Bottoms Up
My variation of a dance by Graham Spencer
Longways for 5 couples
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
Start by taking hands along the side, bottom couple also take hands across the bottom to
make a horseshoe
A1 (16) Women thread the needle (men 1 and 2 make a single arch)
A2 (16) Men thread the needle (women 1 and 2 make a single arch)
B1 (8) Bottom couple galop up to top
(8) The two couples at the top galop to bottom (top couple taking bottom place for next turn).
The rest of the set moves up as the 2 couples are galloping down
B2 (16) All swing partner
Canberra Trams
5 couple longways (all proper)
5x32 bar jig or reel
by Peter Foster 9 May 2011 (based on Melbourne Trams by Jane Bullock)
A1 (8) Couple 1 cross right hand and cast 2 places, couples 2 and 3 move up
(couple 1 finish in third place on the wrong side)
(8) Take hands on the side and advance and retire (don't go too far back!).
Lead couple let go of hands, other couples retain hands on the side
(this is making tram lines on the side)
A2 (8) Man 1 dance up between couples 2 and 3, woman 1 dance down between couples 4 and 5.
Cast right, around the end person only. Support couples then make tram lines across
the set, ie they drop hands with that person, turn to face that person, and take
their partner's inside hand
(8) Man 1, woman 1 dance through the tramlines and cast left,
finishing in third place on their own sides
Now repeat this in the other direction:
B1 (8) Support couples make tramlines on the side. Man 1 dance down between
couples 4 and 5, woman 1 dance up between couples 2 and 3. Cast right,
around the end person.
Support couples then make tram lines across the set
(8) Man 1, woman 1 dance through the tramlines and cast left,
finishing in third place on the wrong sides
B2 (8) Middle couple (the original couple 1) cross and cast to the bottom,
couples 4 and 5 move up
(8) Everyone advance and retire
Cheltenham Flyer
Longways for 3 couples
32 bar jig
Easy
A1 (16) Ladies weave (lady 1, followed by ladies 2 and 3, weave behind 1st man, in front of 2nd man,
behind 3rd man and up to place)
A2 (16) Men weave (men weave around the ladies)
B1 (16) Tops galop down and back, finishing at the bottom of the set (don't come all the way back!)
B2 (16) All galop down and back
The Compass
4 Couple Longways, couples 1 and 3 improper
Peter Foster 17 Feb 2023
64 bar jig or reel
Hard
Couples 1 and 3 improper.
If the 1s and 3s face down, others face up, you will be facing your neighbour.
Dance starts with everyone facing partner
A1 (16) Couple 1 galop down the middle and back
A2 (8) Everyone dosido partner (right shoulder)
(8) Everyone dosido neighbour (again by right shoulder)
B1 (16) On the sides, hey for four (start by passing neighbour right shoulder)
B2 (16) With neighbour, gypsy and swing. Finish facing across with the woman on the right
C1 (8) Mens chain: men turn left hand halfway, then right turn partner partway.
Finish with woman on the right of the man. Everyone is now with partner
(8) In fours, right hand stars once around. Women finish facing out
C2 (6) Middle 4 left hand star 3/4 as the others chase 1/4 clockwise. In this chase,
the women are in front of the men. Note that this chase is just 1/4 of the way, until you see your partner again
(10) Swing partner, finish in top and bottom lines (finish the swing with the woman on the right)
NOTE - THE SET HAS NOW CHANGED ITS ORIENTATION!!!
D1 (8) Ladies chain across (to neighbour. All are now facing partner across the set)
(8) Lines go forward and back
D2 (16) Couple 1 lead a cast off, 1s arch, others come through the arch to progress in a new orientation.
Do NOT swing partner at the finish!!
The dance changes orientation after each time through. It starts facing up (north), then to the callers left (east),
then down (south), then the callers right (west), finally finishing facing up.
The star and chase in A2 need a bit of precision, made a bit easier if dancers look out for their partner.
After the partner swing in C2, you finish in lines of 4 in the new orientation. This is the most confusing part, including
for the caller.
The cast off is fairly normal, except that the set has already reoriented itself. Importantly, note that you need to stay on
whichever side of your partner that the dance has put you. After the cast off, the set is facing in a new direction, with a
new top couple, the new couples 1 and 3 improper. That is why I emphasise NOT to finish with a partner swing. Luckily (?) the
cast off is a bit hurried, so there is not really time for a swing anyway.
Country Bumpkin
4 Couple Longways
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
A1 (8) Man 1 and lady 2 set to each other twice, man advancing as he sets
(8) Man 1 swing lady 3 and return to place
A2 (8) Woman 1 and man 2 set to each other twice, woman advancing as she sets
(8) Woman 1 swing man 3 and return to place
B1 (16) Couple 1 lead down the middle, separate and come back to the
top behind their own lines
B2 (8) Couples 1 & 2, couples 3 & 4 circle left only (not back to the right!)
(8) Couple 1 cast to the bottom, everyone else moves up
Digger’s Jig
by Mark Dabbs
Longways Set for 4,5 or 6 couples
32 bar jig
A1 (8) Lines forward and back
(8) Change places with partner passing right shoulder
A2 (8) Lines forward and back
(4) Go forward again, join right hand with partner, left hand with next
(4) Set once, then raise hands in air to form arches (do not let go!)
B1 (16) Top lady lead set (with hands loosely joined) down centre of set under arches,
let go and cast up outside of set on own side
B2 (16) Top couple only swing down centre of set to bottom
The arches in B1 represent a trench. Note that after going through these arches, you cast off on
your own original side. The dancers may need to be reminded what side they started on
Downsides
4 Couple Longways
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
By Peter Foster (adapted from Upsides)
A1 (16) Top couple galop down the middle and back
A2 (16) Couples 1 & 2, couples 3 & 4 do right hand stars and left hand stars
B1 (16) Couples 2 & 3 do right hand stars and left hand stars while the
other couples swing
B2 (16) Top couple lead a single cast, make an arch at the bottom, everyone else
come through the arch (progression)
The cast off needs to be fairly efficient, as the dance restarts with the new
couple charging down the middle and collecting anyone who is still coming through
the arch
The stars and swing sequence is from Upsides
Ellis Through the Looking Glass
Peter Foster March 2016
Longways 6 Couples
A1 (16) Top and bottom couples pass through up and down the set (see note),
then cast on own side to finish in the middle of their lines
(Other couples need to move up or down to make room)
Finish in order 236145
A2 (16) (Women thread the needle): All hold hands around the set, the 2 men in the
middle of the mens line make an arch, the 2 women in the middle of the
womens line go through the arch (dragging everyone else with them), separate and
go around the outside to place
B1 (16) (Men thread the needle): Middle men go through an arch made by the middle women
B2 (16) Everyone swing partner
Note:
In A1, the top couple lead down the middle, the bottom couple lead up the middle. Pass the same
sex person by the right shoulder, continue to the end and cast out.
This dance was adapted from a Norm Ellis dance, Rollin’ Doddy. And, seeing as I stole Norm's
dance, it seemed fitting to name it after him. The name makes a bit of sense, as the start has
a bit of mirror type symmetry, and the thread the needle moves feel a bit like going through a mirror.
Empire Reel
by Colin Towns
Longways for 5 couples
32 bar reel
A1 (8) Top couple individually galop down the outside to the bottom
WHILE bottom couple take hands and galop up to the top
(8) Couple now at the top individually galop down the outside to the bottom
WHILE couple at the bottom take hands and galop up to the top. All are now back where they started
A2 (16) Middle 3 couples right hand star and left hand star
B1 (16) Top 2 couples and bottom 2 couples circle left and right
WHILE the middle couple do whatever they want (but finish back in place!)
B2 (16) Top couple weave to the bottom (crossing between couple 2, outside couple 3, between couple 4,
outside couple 5). They meet at the bottom and take hands, ready to galop up
Falling Masonry by John Kirkpatrick 5 Couple Longways (but see note) 32 bar jig or reel Easy A1 (8) Advance and retire (8) Pass through but do NOT turn around (stay facing out) A2 (8) Retire and advance (8) Pass through backwards (no peeking!) B1 (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up B2 (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up (4) Couple at the top galop to the bottom, everyone else move up (8) All swing partner In B1/B2, each couple in turn galops to the bottom. Then the original top couple go down one more time, which is the progression. Make sure the next couple goes down at the right time, even if the previous couple haven't quite reached the bottom yet. When doing this dance for non dancers (at weddings, parties etc) I don't insist on 5 couples. Instead, I change B1/B2 to simply continue the galoping down the middle until the music runs out.
The Fire Hose Reel
Longways for 5 or so couples
Jig or reel, any length (the dance is not very structured)
Easy
Begin with everyone facing up, holding partner's inside hand
(16) Everyone up and back. Repeat
Now take hands: everyone has a free hand. Men reach their left
hand over the joined hands and take the free hand of the woman
behind. Check: everyone is holding 2 people, only the men have
their arms crossed. Top woman and bottom man have a free hand
Now, no-one is to let go hands for a long time:
(??) All raise their joined hands to make a tunnel. The top woman goes
through, dragging everyone with her. When she gets to the bottom
she turns left and goes anticlockwise around the others. The bottom man
needs to *keep still* - do not move, do not turn around, do not do
anything: as the others continue moving anticlockwise they will wind up
around the bottom man until everyone is in a solid clump. Then...
Bottom man (in the middle of the mess, can't move and probably can
hardly even breathe) needs to unwind the set. To do this, he should
crouch down and make his way through to the outside. When he gets to
the outside he turns right and leads everyone around clockwise into
a circle (a reminder, no-one is to let go hands during any of the
winding/unwinding moves)
From the circle, everyone swing partner and reform into a longways
set with different couples at top and bottom. Yes, this is a very loose finish
This is a fun dance with the right crowd. Sets tend to wind/unwind at their
own pace, so I don't usually try to keep the sets together.
Five Around Three By Peter Foster 3 June 2013 Longways for 4 couples 32 bar jig or reel Easy-Medium A1 (16) Man 1 cast, women follow (top man lead the women around the other 3 men) A2 (16) Woman 1 cast, men follow (top woman lead the men around the other three women) B1 (16) Right hand stars, left hand stars at top and bottom B2 (16) Top couple swing to the bottom while the other couples move up After getting home in A1, the top couple need to immediately turn around to lead back the other way. This dance is amusing to watch, as dancers go the wrong way with the wrong people at the wrong time
Galopede Longways for up to 8 couples 32 bar jig or reel Easy (very easy) A1 (8) Advance and retire (8) Pass through A2 (8) Advance and retire (8) Pass through B1 (16) Swing partner B2 (16) Top couple swing to the bottom, everyone else move up
Haymakers Jig
Longways for 3 (or 4) couples
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
Top man and bottom woman are first corners
Top woman and bottom man are second corners
A1 (8) First corners right hand turn
(8) Second corners repeat
A2 (8) First corners do si do
(8) Second corners repeat
B1 (8) First corners honour
(8) Second corners repeat
B2 (16) Just the top couple do a single cast to the bottom, everyone else
move up (progression), everyone swing partner
An honour is a really fancy bow or curtsy. I like to tell people that the
second corners must do a fancier honour than the first corners.
There are many, many, many versions of this dance. This particular one is
probably the shortest and simplest. I suggest no more than 4 couples in a set,
otherwise there is too much standing around doing nothing.
Jenga - The Dance Peter Foster 13 April 2019 Longways for 5 couples (reverse progression) Level: easy A1 (8) Lines advance and retire (8) Couple 1 start weaving (see note) A2 (8) Couple 2 start weaving as couple 1 continue weaving (8) Couple 3 start weaving as couple 2 continue weaving B1 (8) Couple 4 start weaving as couple 3 continue weaving (8) Couple 4 finish their weave B2 (8) All take 2 hands with partner and galop up to place (8) All swing partner In the weave, couple 1 start by going in front of person 2, behind person 3 etc, finishing at the bottom (the weave is down your own line, no crossing over). The weave takes 8 bars to get to the bottom. However, the next couple starts weaving after 4 bars, so at that point there will be 2 couples weaving. The weave always starts by going in front, so (for example) couple 2 start by going in front of the 3s. Note that the other people do NOT move up during the weave, so the set finishes further down than it started. In B2, the set returns to its original place. This action of weaving and staying at the bottom is like building a structure, which then falls down (the galop up to place). This is reminiscent of the game Jenga, hence the name of the dance. Dancers may give an Aaaaargh! as they galop up, as that is a typical reaction in the game when the tower collapses. Incidentally, the final swing can be said to symbolise the resultant jumble of bricks. Adapted from Windy Ridge by Rob Mahony
The Long and Winding Road
Peter Foster 5 July 2014
Longways for 4 or 5 couples.
Level: easy
Start by taking hands along the side, bottom couple also take hands across the bottom to
make a horseshoe. These hands are held for most of the dance
A1 (16) Woman 1 lead a thread the needle (woman 1 leads everyone through an arch made by the top 2 men)
A2 (16) Man 1 lead a thread the needle (through an arch made by the top 2 women)
B1 (16) Couple 1 lead down through an arch made by the bottom couple and cast up to place
(so man 1 and woman 1 both thread the needle through the bottom couple)
B2 (16) Couple 1 swing down to the bottom, everyone else move up
A very easy dance. As you are holding hands for most of the dance it is almost impossible to go
the wrong way
Mount Ainslie Reel
By Peter Foster 2 November 2013
Longways for 3 couples
Level: Intermediate
Begin with everyone facing up, holding inside hand with partner
A1 (8) Walk forward for 4 steps, then back for 4
(8) Dosido partner
A2 (16) Reels of 3 on the sides, men start right shoulder, women start left shoulder
(so the 1s start by going through the middle)
B1 (16) Progressive grand chain: 1s face across, others face up; 1s pass by right hand,
then give left to 2s, etc, the 2s and 3s joining in as the 1s reach them.
Keep going until everyone is back where they started
B2 (16) 1s cross right hand and cast to the bottom as the other couples move up.
Then all swing partner, finish facing up with the woman in the right
The reel of three into progressive grand chain is from Gipsy Hill Jig. Although in that dance
the reels are specified as right shoulder, which does not flow as smoothly
Nelly's Reel
3 couple longways, numbered 123
Peter Foster 11 Feb 2017
32 bar reel
Medium-Hard
A1 (8) Top couple lead a cast off to invert the set (finish in order 321)
(8) Bottom 2 couples circle left once around
A2 (8) Couple at the bottom cast up to the top as the others move down
(8) Top 2 couples circle left once around
B1 (16) Reels of 3 on the sides, top couple start by splitting the middle couple (so men start
passing right shoulder, women start passing left shoulder)
B2 (8) Top couple, nearer hands joined, lead down the middle, middle couple and bottom couple
fall in behind and follow
(8) All turn alone and return (take a bit of time with the turn alone, as there is not very
far to travel back)
Finish in order 231 (standard progression)
Most couples spend most of the dance in a position other than where they started, so it's a bit
confusing to refer to couples by number. That is why the above description does not mention any
numbers at all.
The initial cast can also be a bit confusing. Dancers need to follow the one in front, but not
overtake them, so that they finish in reverse order
The dance is dedicated to Nelly (don't know her last name): at a sparsely attended dance, Nelly was
the only one to turn up on time, so we started with a couples dance (Nelly dancing with the caller).
This dance was written during that evening.
Dance inspired by The Oak Tree by Eddie Upton
Opera Reel
Longways for 6 couples
32 bar reel
Level: Easy-Medium
A1 (8) Lines go forward and back
(8) Top couple take 2 hands and galop (slip step) to the bottom as the others move up
A2 (8) Lines go forward and back
(8) Couple that is now at the top, galop to the bottom (others do NOT move up this time)
B1 (16) 2 couples at the top do a right hand star and left hand star
Next 2 couples do a circle left and circle right
2 couples at the bottom do rights and lefts
B2 (8) Couple at the bottom galop back to the top
(8) All swing partner
An easier B1 is to have the bottom couples also do stars (instead of rights and lefts)
OXO Reel
6 couple longways
32 bar jig or reel
Easy
A1 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Turn partner right hand
A2 (8) Turn partner left hand
(8) Advance and retire
B1 (16) OXO:
top 2 couples circle left and right
next 2 couples star right and left
bottom 2 couples circle left and right
B2 (16) Top couple swing to the bottom, everyone else move up
Designed for 6 couples but more are easily accommodated: either
add more stars/circles (I've done OXOXO) or have more than 2 couples
in the various stars/circles.
The Penny Farthing
Peter Foster
Longways for 5,6,7 couples
Easy
A1 (16) Top couple take 2 hands and galop down the middle and back
A2 (16) Top 2 couples take hands in a circle of 4, remaining couples take hands in
a larger circle. Circle left and right
B (32) Top couple lead a cast off, all follow the leader. Top couple make an arch at the
bottom, the others lead their partner up through the arch to progressed places
The Sausage Machine
4 couples longways
(author unknown)
Easy-Medium (tricky, but fun)
A1 (16) Top couple take 2 hands and galop down the middle and back
A2 (16) Top 2 couples and bottom 2 couples do right hand stars and left hand stars
B1 (16) All join hands in a circle. Top couple dance down under an arch made by bottom couple, then cast back
up to the top, making an arch over the other dancers. Other dancers follow as appropriate.
Keep hands joined throughout this movement (which is not easy!)
B2 (16) Top couple swing down to the bottom
B1 is the main part of the dance. To make it work, the top couple go under the arch made
by the bottom couple, then turn AWAY from each other, bringing their joined hands over their
own heads. They continue moving their joined hands over everyone else, as the others continue
to move down the set. Certainly a bit tricky, but when a set finally gets it right there is a
great sense of accomplishment
Snowball Jig
5 couple longways
48 bar jig or reel
Easy
A1 (16) Top couple right hand turn, then left hand turn
A2 (16) Top 2 couples, star right and left
B1 (16) Men 1,2,3 and women 1,2,3 do arches:
Hold hands on the sides, 2 and 3 raise hands to make
arches, man/woman 1 goes under the arch and goes around
the centre person, finishing in original place (centre
person needs to turn under their own arm to avoid breaking
anything). Then man/woman 3 goes under an arch made
by 1 and 2. (Note that this all takes place on the sides,
you are not dancing with your partner in this figure)
B2 (16) Top 4 couples advance and retire twice (couple 5 need to
fight the temptation to join in!)
C1 (16) Everyone circle left, once around
C2 (16) Top couple lead a cast off, make an arch at the bottom, everyone
else come through the arch (progression)
It takes more than 16 beats to complete the cast off, but that's all
right as the dance can still restart on time with the new top couple
A Snowball's Chance
Longways for 5 or 6 couples
Peter Foster 25 Oct 2017
32 bar jig or reel
Medium
A1 (8) Lines go forward and back
(8) Top couple galop to the bottom as the others move up
A2 (16) In one big circle, circle left halfway (so everyone finishes on
the opposite side), then all go forward and back (or just back).
All are now on the wrong side of the set, facing their partner
B (32) Top couple start a snowball grand chain. When they meet at the bottom,
they swing partner. As each couple runs out of people to chain with, they
also swing partner
Finish in order 234561 (standard progression)
Note that in the snowball grand chain, everyone chains across the top with their
partner. For the last few couples, it can be a bit unclear when the snowball
finishes. The rule is, everyone needs to cross at the top with partner to get
back to their original side. They then continue chaining until they run out
of people.
Speed the Plough
4 couple longways
32 bar hornpipes - step hop throughout
Easy (except for the step hop)
A1 (8) Top couple take inside hands and advance and retire to
woman 2 (can do a quick circle if desired)
(8) Top couple repeat with man 2
A2 (16) Top couple down the middle and back (they can go a
long way, it's 8 step hops down, then 8 back)
B1 (16) Top couple lead a single cast, make an arch at the bottom, everyone else
come through the arch (progression). All face across
B2 (16) Plough the field: pass through and keep going. After 8 step hops,
turn around and come back. Encourage the dancers to do "free form"
ploughing in random directions
The Squeezebox
Longways for 8-12 couples
32 bar jig/reel
Peter Foster 14 June 2017
Dedicated to Mike Paterson, concertina player
A1 (16) Top couple face down, bottom couple face up. They walk up/down the set to the other end
(pass the same sex person by the right shoulder)
A2 (8) (Squeeze the bellows) Those in the top half face down, those in the bottom half face up,
and hold nearer hands. Move forward for 8 steps to squeeze the concertina
(8) Turn alone and take nearer hands again. Move out toward the ends. Stay facing that way for...
B (32) Cast out from both ends. When the leaders meet in the middle they make a circle of 4 and
raise hands to make a 4 way arch. Others go in through the side arch, meet their partner
and head out to the same end that they came from.
All swing partner to finish
The casting movement takes a while, especially in a 12 couple set.
Note that the end couples swap ends in A1, so they finish in the other half of the set.
Tea Break Waltz
Peter Foster - 11 November 2013
Waltz
Sicilian circle (or in a column)
Music: 32 bar waltzes
Level: Medium
A1 (4) Ladies chain along the set
(4) Partner dosido
A2 (4) Circle right 3/4 around, take neighbour in ballroom hold
(4) Waltz across the set (go halfway around the other couple)
B1 (2) Forward 2 steps, take 2 hands with partner
(2) Men take partner back with them (women forward, men backward),
take ballroom hold and aim at the other couple
(4) Waltz partner across the set (go halfway around the other couple)
B2 (8) Ladies chain across the set
(8) Left hand star, finish facing a new couple
There are 2 ladies chains, one along the set, the other across the set
In A2, after the circle right, ooze into your neighbours arms and continue in the same direction,
this time with a waltz
In B1, men pull their neighbour back and slightly around so that you can take a ballroom hold, aimed across the set
This dance was written during the tea break at the Monday night dance classes.
Tea Break Reel
Peter Foster - 26 May 2014
Longways for 3 couples
32 bar reel
Level: Medium
A1 (16) Couple 1 face down, right hand in right. Lead down the middle,
then cross over (woman in front of man) and come up the outside of the set,
finish at the top but on the wrong sides
A2 (16) Second couple swing while the other couples dance rights and lefts (starting
right hand to partner). Finish with couple 1 facing down, others facing up for...
B1 (16) Dip and dive (start with 1s going under 2s arch)
B2 (16) Couple 1 (only) continue to dip and dive to the bottom, all swing partner (finish on your own side)
In B2, you may prefer 1s lead a cast off (others follow), 1s make an arch and the others come through to progressed places. Or 1s cast to the bottom, others move up and all swing partner
Another dance written during the tea break at the Monday night dance classes.
This dance was adapted from the dance Bideford Bridge
Thady You Gander
4 couple longways
40 bar jig (suggest playing a 32 bar tune AAABB)
Easy
A1 (16) Top couple take right hand in right and face down.
Lead down to the bottom, cross over (woman in front
of the man), come to the top behind the lines.
Finish at the top on the wrong sides
A2 (16) Top woman lead the 3 men around the women's line
A3 (16) Top man lead the 3 women around the men's line
B1/ (32) Strip the willow: top couple turn once by the right
B2 arm, turn man/woman 2 by the left, meet in the middle
and turn right etc until you get to the bottom. Finish
on your own sides
40 bars is an unusual length. Simplest is to take a 32 bar tune and
add an extra A or B. I suggest AAABB, because then if you forget to
play the extra A you still have time to play an extra B.
Here is a variation for Christmas. The difference is in the lead around
figure: instead of leading, they face down and Santa (at the top) drives
the 3 people (the reindeer) around the other line.
It is mostly the same, but I'll write it out in full for completeness:
Thady You Santa
4 couple longways
(author unknown)
40 bar jig (suggest playing a 32 bar tune AAABB)
Easy
A1 (16) Top couple take right hand in right and face down.
Lead down to the bottom, cross over (woman in front
of the man), come to the top behind the lines.
Finish at the top on the wrong sides
A2 (16) Those on the mens side face down. Top woman drive the 3 men anticlockwise
around the women's line (feel free to crack the whip)
A3 (16) Top man drive the 3 women clockwise around the men's line
B1/ (32) Strip the willow: top couple turn once by the right
B2 arm, turn man/woman 2 by the left, meet in the middle
and turn right etc until you get to the bottom. Finish
on your own sides
Tornado Alley
Peter Foster 11 April 2019
Longways for 5 couples (or 4 or 6)
32 bar jig or reel
Level: Easy-Medium
A1 (8) Lines forward and back
(8) Top 2 couples, bottom 2 couples, right hand star ...
A2 (8) ... and left hand star (middle couple do nothing. Or contemplate the coming storm)
(8) Lines forward and back
B1 (8) Top couple galop down. As they pass, each couple crosses to the other side
(8) Top couple galop back. As they pass, each couple crosses back
B2 (16) Top couple galop to bottom. As they pass, each couple moves up and swings.
Top couple also swing when they get to the bottom
A tornado leaves a trail of carnage in its wake. The second half of the dance is
certainly reminiscent of that.
5 couples is a good number for this dance. For less experienced dancers, 4 couples
is a bit easier. For the very quick, you can try 6 couples.
In B1, when the couples cross over (and back again) it can be with or without
hands. You could prescribe it (eg cross right hand/shoulder over, left hand/shoulder
back), but I think it's better to let them cross as they see fit. In particular, the couple
at the bottom have very little time to do their crossings.
You could say that the right hand star at the beginning symbolises a wind eddy, a precursor to
a tornado. The left hand star symbolises a wind eddy in the other hemisphere.
The galop sequence is from Weavers Galopede by J. Reay
Trip to Gunsburg
Longways for 4 couples (reverse progression)
32 bar reel
Peter Foster - 26 May 2016
Level: Medium
A1 (16) Top 2 couples and bottom 2 couples, right hand star and left hand star
A2 (16) Woman 1, followed by women 2, 3 and 4, dance anticlockwise around the men's line.
Except that woman 4 takes a shortcut, passing between the top 2 men to finish
at the top of the women's line (women now in order 4123)
B1 (16) Men go around the women's line, with man 4 taking the shortcut
B2 (16) All swing partner
Note that this is a reverse progression, with the bottom couple finishing at the top
Adapted from the Scottish country dance Trip to Gatlinburg
Virginia Reel
Longways for 6 or 7 (or possibly 8) couples
32 bar reel, 32 bar jig, 16 bar march
Easy
(reel)
A1 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Turn partner right hand
A2 (8) Turn partner left hand
(8) Turn partner both hands
B1 (8) Do si do partner right shoulder
(8) Do si do partner left shoulder
B2 (16) Top couple galop down the middle and back
(jig)
C/D(64) Strip the willow: top couple turn by the right arm, turn
man/woman 2 by the left, meet in the middle and turn right etc
until they get to the bottom. Then swing back to the top and
keep swinging until...
(march)
E1/2 (32) Top couple lead a single cast, make an arch at the bottom, everyone else
come through the arch (progression)
Some bands play reels throughout and leave it to the dancers to make it fit. I like
to have distinct tunes for the various parts of the dance.
Waves of Tory
5 couple longways
48 bar reel
Medium
A1 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Pass through
A2 (8) Advance and retire
(8) Pass through
B1 (16) Swing partner
B2 (16) Top couple lead a single cast, make an arch at the bottom, everyone else
come through the arch (progression)
C1/C2 (32) The waves: couple that is now at the top turn around and go under
an arch made by the next couple, go over the next couple, under the
next etc. As each couple gets to the top they turn around and go
under. Similarly, as each couple gets to the bottom they turn around
and go under. Continue until the couple that started the waves get
back to the top. The others continue until they too get back to where
they started the waves.
Note that the progression happens before the waves: the original top
couple is at the bottom when the waves start, so when the waves finish
that couple will be at the bottom
In the waves, when turning around I suggest doing a california twirl (swap sides,
man turning the woman under their joined hands). That way there is no need to let
go hands and you always have man on the left, woman on the right.
There is only just enough time to do the waves, so you can't dawdle. In the cast off,
remind the top couple not to go too far, otherwise the cast off will take too long and
dancers will struggle to finish in time.
Note that there is no need to wait until the cast off is completed before starting
the waves: the first couple through the arch can start the waves as soon as they get
to the top.
The dance can be made a bit more forgiving by moving the swing to the end. That gives
people much more time for the waves, and those sets that finish quickly just get
a longer swing.
Any comments - email pfoster@pcug.org.au