Nollaig Shona Dhuit!

And a very happy New Year to all my fellow TCRG candidates - especially the ones who are actually sitting the exam in 2011!

Step Up

I've never been a hip hop dancer. In fact I've never tried any vaguely modern type of dance. So why then, when I channel-flick and come across Step Up on TV, do I immediately want to get up and Irish dance? It's like a button gets pressed in my brain any time I see somebody perform, or even practice, any type of dance. I don't dance in my seat, but I subconciously move in unison with them, even if it's just leaning in the direction of their arm extension or lifting my ribcage when they jump. Despite the predictable wrong-side-of-the-tracks/love story thing it's brought out the dancer in me again, so out came the poodle socks and the jig shoes.

I've spent the last hour or so drilling clicks and trebles, all to a hip hop soundtrack. It means I missed half the storyline but it's only the dancing I'm interested in anyway, and I relate. I might not be able to pop and lock, I can't pas de chat and I definitely can't fouette. But it's the same for all of us, really. Trying and trying. In films everyone succeeds. Maybe I'll fail. I might not be able to learn their dance form but I can learn from their determination.

Back to click drills.

Testing Times

Despite it being nearly Christmas, I'm doing my best to plod along and fit in some TCRGing between the ubiquitous "do", shopping and general festive panic. Predictably it's not dancing or teaching (yet), just practice exams and music.

A few months ago I was pulling out high passes on the music exam but it's amazing how quickly I can forget! So I typed up the list in full, printed it out, and have scribbled all over my sheet in pretty coloured pens with silly ways to remember the set tunes. And I do mean silly, for example...Fairy cakes, fairy cakes, fai-ry-cakes at the start of the set in Miss Brown's Fancy (reminds me of fondant fancies), or hurdy-gurdy, hurdy-gurdy in the set of Madame Bonaparte. At times I think this music could drive me insane! But it's obviously helped. I'm quizzing myself by opening iTunes and putting the album on random, then checking my work after 19 tracks. I scored 61% on my first exam (fail), 74% after the first lot of scribbles, and then just now 88% after really trying hard to find identifying features in each of the sets!

The Fiddler Round the Fairy Tree muddles me every single time; on the last two exams I've even written it in twice because it makes me second-guess myself. I think the only way to remedy this would be to dance it, and it's short enough at 8/12/28!

I can rarely get the following sets right either - Three Sea Captains, Rub the Bag, Lodge Road, Kilkenny Races (usually mix up the last two unless I'm counting), Bonaparte's Retreat, Roving Peddler and Piper Thro' the Meadow Straying. I muddle Youghal Harbour with the White Blankets almost every time and again, second-guess myself. Then again, I only allow myself one listen in my quiz, whereas in the exam you hear each tune in full twice.

Happily I have a list of 18 set dances that I can get every single time including the musical information so if they play all of those I'm well sorted. I assume they'll always play both Blackthorn Stick and Drunken Gauger because there's only a tiny difference between them, but I doubt they'll play the more distinctive ones on my list.

I've also done three practice ceili papers and just about scraped a pass each time - 78%, 88% and 86% thus far. Sides Under Arms is a big source of confusion as I just cannot make myself remember which way you go first in The Sweets of May, and which way in The Three Tunes.

But, progress. I think I've managed to negotiate hiring a hall for a ceili class, so fingers crossed I can start that in the New Year. I've lofty intentions of staying behind after class or getting there early to host a one-woman solo class, but we'll see how it goes. I'm brimming with solo ideas after visiting a couple of Oireachtais this year - next feis, Dublin!

I thought this day would never come...

I officially know all thirty ceili dances. Leabhar 1, Leabhar 2 and Leabhar 3. Ar Rinci Foirne, inside out.

Well, probably not "inside out" but definitely cover to cover. For each dance I can draw the formation and list the movements in order along with bars. "Inside out" will come later. I don't know how I feel now. Sad that there are no more to learn? Definitely! Happy that I can start doing past papers in full? Yes, strangely.

So many times I've looked at a dance and tossed the blue book to the other side of the room because it just seemed impossible. I remember back in May or whenever it was, being utterly flummoxed by Advance and Return and Right and Left Half Turn (Antrim Reel). I remember seeing the diagram for Square (Fairy Reel) and thinking I might as well be looking at quadratic equations - same for Swing Into Line in the Eight-Hand Jig, although in my defence the typesetting has clearly gone wrong in my edition. I remember being terrified by the Sixteen-Hand Reel. Sixteen dancers? As in, double the usual amount? How on earth was I supposed to learn that? But all you really have to do is break it down into couples - in the body, each couple and the one either side of them. In the figures, their opposite. I feel a bit silly that so many dances I put off and put off actually turned out to be quite straightforward.

The home straight has been scarily easy. I guess the more ceilis you learn, the more familiar you are with the terminology and the more accustomed you are to the whole process. The last few have flowed into my brain almost effortlessly. But, I'm a regular visitor to the TCRG Voy. Most of the candidates passed ceili written with marks well into the 90s. I think I spotted one model student with 100%! As I said a few weeks ago, the booksmarts were always going to be the easiest for me.

I suppose now the real work begins. *





* I'm not going to type out St Patrick's Day or the Sixteen Hand Reel. You'll have to take my word, because I'm going to do the first of many practice exams.

It's results season...

This week, people just like me learned their fate. The results from the Washington and Boston exams were released, and while I was able to congratulate one or two friends, most of the people I've got to know needed a pep talk and a virtual shoulder to cry on. And it's their experience that has stayed with me for the past couple of days, rather than the jubilation of the people now embarking on their new life as a TCRG.

I even dreamt about receiving my results, and how unrealistic a dream it was! Full marks in the dancing yet 13% in the written ceili? Must be unheard of for anyone, let alone me. I woke up sad that I'd failed, yet relieved that for me it was just a bad dream. For some people it's reality. They're further along in the process than me, and have been of enormous help as I've struggled through my 29 ceilis and 2 trad sets (to date). They've given me a leg up, and somehow they're sitting disappointed and disheartened.

Don't quit. Please don't let it get the better of you. A few weeks ago I was disillusioned and grumpy; after a little time and a little study, I've weathered the storm and am full of enthusiasm, ideas and dreams. Once the initial shock has subsided, and you have your full results, I'm sure you'll feel the same. Ready to pick up where you left off. Maybe you'll be angry. As dancers, we're always told to use that negative energy for a positive purpose, and put it into our dancing. We can do the same as exam candidates - use our disappointment to fuel our final push for success.

I don't doubt I'd be just as heartbroken to fail. I don't imagine I'll pass first time. But I know that despite everything, I want this. I'm never going to be able to turn my back on Irish dance and airbrush it from my memory, so while I'm able, I'm going to keep trying. I really hope that everyone who suffered disappointment this week will keep trying too. And one day we'll be able to laugh about all of this, over a well-earned drink at a major championship, where one of our own has just recalled for the first time.

I think you'll all make damn good teachers.

Excitement!

Oh! I just experienced a small but exciting moment of realisation. I know all the eight-hand ceilis!*

The excitement I'm feeling right now is a culmination of the last couple of weeks' work, and is the result of how my emotions towards dancing have done a complete turnaround during the same time. I'm right back where I should be. I love dancing again.

I don't suppose it ever fully went away. It was just disillusionment - more to do with external factors like my illness than the dancing itself. I was kept from dancing, and absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. In this case it made me angry at myself for not trying harder to fit dancing in, for how easily I let it slip away - however briefly. I won't be afforded that luxury when I have my own school and that responsibility for my dancers.

My dancers. Yes, I'll open a school. I'll be happiest with a small school. I've picked my colours already - in my mind, we already have a class dress and a little beginner's uniform. I've thought about how I'll structure it, where I'll hold my lessons. I'm actually daring to think about post-exam now, which isn't something I've ever allowed myself to do before. I'm beginning to feel a little confident that I'll pass.

I'm really good at the ceilis, the book-smarts. I've completely overdosed on Parades of Champions over the past couple of weeks - Southern England's, the NAFC belt, Canada. I wish the other regions would hurry up and have their Oireachtas already, so that I could watch their parades over and over. I've tried a few things. I don't think my own light dancing (or my attempts at teaching open dancers) would be so atrocious anymore. And I know I can get help with heavies, which has always been my weak point choreography-wise. Having said that, I even have ideas for beginner jigs and hornpipes. Like never before, I feel like I belong.

I'm back. Full of love for this ancient, glorious, silly, energetic, ridiculous, beautiful form of dance. How is that? Why does it refuse to let me go? Why is this the only hobby I continue to obsess about, out of all the others I've tried? It's the same for everyone, you know. There are very few people who manage to escape after they're sucked into Irish dancing. It makes everything understandable. Why we spend hours dancing on bloodied toes. Why we pay thousands for a dress. Why we'll fly abroad for lessons. Why the only websites on our favourites list are somehow concerned with jigs and reels.

There's only one thing I want to add, and it's the parade from the Southern England qualifiers. And I just want to draw your attention to one of my favourite slip jigs of all time, which begins at 06.50.



If, one day, by some miracle, I ever have a dancer like her, everything will have been worth it.





* For the eagle-eyed among you...I know I haven't typed up St Patrick's Day but I've been working on it for a little while and it's nearly there.

Eight-Hand Jig

Love this one, despite the fact that I avoided it for ages because of Swing Into Line, which is actually fairly straightforward. I was also put off by Set All-Round, until I realised it's actually exactly the same as your average Back to Back, but with one big circle instead of two 4-hand circles. Easy way to remember it? It's demonstrated on Olive by Sean Eireann McMahon and everything in the body begins with an S. Makes it so much easier when I recognise dancers and cay say "Sinead goes to the left while Tara goes to the right" etc instead of lady number 2 and lady number 3.



Please note I'm doing this in very short short-hand. I know it's not book-perfect in type but I think it is in my head.

Lead Around

Body
Sides - as in Humours of Bandon - see yesterday's post :)
Skip Across - unlike the Eight-Hand Reel, you do actually 'skip' across in this one. And you also give different hands - in the reel it's right-left-left-right, this one is left-right-left-right. All the gents go at the same time, with tops passing in the centre a fraction before sides. Give left hand to opposite lady, then chain to lady on left of original position and give right hand to her. Gents swap over to opposite position as before, left hand to lady, then back to partner with right hand.
Swing Into Line - all take right hands with partner. Top couple turn outward from circle (if in competition they would now be facing the judges/audience) and all other couples turn into place behind them - first sides directly behind, then second sides, then second tops - all ladies behind top lady, all gents behind top gent. Top couple cast off and retake hands at the bottom of the set, promenading back to place with other couples following suit. All turn to face partner, each line taking hands, and perform the rising step once on each foot then turn back to original position.
Set All-Round - like Back to Back in the Eight-hand Reel except all takes hands in one large circle. Tops swing around couple on left to finish.

First Figure - Advance and Retire
As in Eight-Hand Reel - tops advance and retire twice then swing around each other. Repeated by sides.

Second Figure - Right and Left Chain and Right Hand to Opposite Lady
Tops chain as in the Four-Hand Reel - So if I was the top gent I would give right hand to 2nd top lady, left hand to partner, right hand to 2nd top lady, and left hand to partner. I've seen that as an exam question actually, "which chain ends with left hand to partner". Then the second part of the figure is from the Sixteen-Hand Reel - again if I was top gent I would give right hand to 2nd top lady, back to partner with left hand, then take right hands with 2nd top gent in the centre and turn, then give left hand to 2nd top lady and back to partner. Swing around to finish, and sides repeat the figure.

Finish
As in Eight-Hand Reel.

Two to go :)

Sides

Inspired by the "16-Hand Reel Question" on the TCRG Voy, I wanted to see how many different movements come under the name of "Sides". The answer's ten!

1) Eight-Hand Reel, Cross Reel
Technically this is Extended Sides but I'll include it anyway. Partners exchange places with sidestep and threes, then continue on the same direction. Gent takes right hands with the lady on his right and they turn in place before chaining back to meet own partner in original place (16).

2) Morris Reel
Partners take both hands - right in right, left in left. Tops dance sidestep and threes to the right and back, while sides dance to the left and back. Tops then dance sidestep and threes to the left and back, while sides dance to the right and back (16).

3) High Cauled Cap
Partners take inside hands. Tops dance sidestep and threes to the right, sides to the left. Continue in the same direction back to place (16).

4) Sixteen-Hand Reel
Partners exchange places with sidestep and threes, then back to place (8).

5) Humours of Bandon, Eight-Hand Jig and St Patrick's Day
Partners exchange places with sidestep and rising step, then back to place (8).

6) Siege of Ennis
Partners take inside hands and exchange places with the other couple in their set of four, with sidestep and rising step, then back to place (8).

7) Harvest-time Jig
Each trio moves to the right with sidestep and rising step, then back to place. On the repeat, they move to the left and back to place in the same way (8).

8) The Three Tunes
All hold hands in a ring and sidestep/threes to the left and back, then to the right and back (16).

9) St Patrick's Day
Another Extended Sides, done in the same way as the Eight-Hand Reel but with the rising step in the place of the two short threes.

10) The Duke Reel
Partners exchange places with sidestep and threes, then return to place. Gents then exchange places with lady on their left in the same way, and back to place (16).

Thank goodness for consistency, right?! I think my favourite method is the Morris Reel, just because of the crossed hands.

The Three Tunes

I first saw this dance on the Worlds 1994 video; I think it was about 2002 by the time I finally got my hands on a copy of said video. A girls' team from the Scanlon school were performing what I later learned was the "Roly Poly", and I couldn't believe my eyes. Up until that point my ceili experience stretched only as far as the Four-Hand Reel and the High Cauled Cap. What were they doing? But it's now one of my favourites, just for it's complete uniqueness and the seamless link between each of the three tunes and the dance that accompanies it. It all just fits, perfectly. Looking at this ceili, and at the traditional sets, I can't help but wonder if people had a better grasp of rhythm, musicality and syncopation "back in the day".

Here's my attempt at remembering - corrections done after in some contrasting colour or another.

a) Sides (Haste to the Wedding)This would probably be called "Rings" in any other dance. Sidestep and threes to the left and back, then to the right and back.

b) Rings (Haste to the Wedding)Ladies take hands in the centre and promenade clockwise for 4 (back to place). All clap twice to one bar, then half-sidestep past partner (count 123, ladies in front) then full sidestep back to place (gents in front). Gents now repeat this movement! (How on earth did I forget that?!)

c) Lead Round (Leslie's Hornpipe)As ever.

d) Stamp and Clap (Leslie's Hornpipe)Stamp stamp stamp, clap clap clap. Partners exchange places with sidestep and back to places, clap hands above knees 5 times (RLRLR), clap clap clap. Repeat! Why do I keep forgetting the repeats?!

e) See-Saw (The German Beau)
Partners take hands and swing a complete anticlockwise circle, turning clockwise, back to place. Then reverse direction and swing a complete anticlockwise circle, turning anticlockwise, back to place.

f) Roly-Poly (The German Beau)With hands in fists and arms raised across chest, roll the hands around each other 3 times forwards then 3 times back. Pivot around on right heel and clap once. Gents shake right fist towards opposite in threatening manner whilst also stamping forward with right foot; repeat with left fist/foot. Gents stamp feet three times and clap hands near face of partner three times. The ladies usually raise up onto demi-pointe and turn their head to the right during the claps. Sidestep and threes (consecutive sevens - no threes) to exchange places with partner, and then return to place. Repeat.

g) Hook and Chain (Haste to the Wedding)
Gents hook left arms with the lady on the left and turn in place, then chain back to partner with right hand and continue the chain in the same direction until they meet their partner back in place.

h) Rings (Haste to the Wedding)As before

i) Sides Under Arms (Leslie's Hornpipe)Top couples form an arch under which couple to their left pass. Turn about and side couple form the arch under which tops pass. Tops then form an arch under which couple to their right pass. Turn about and side couples for the arch under which tops pass.

j) Stamp and Clap (Leslie's Hornpipe)As before.

k) Thread the Needle (The German Beau)All take hands in a ring except gent of first tops and lady on his left (lady of first sides). Top couple form an arch and lady on left passes under and back to place with all other dancers following. Lady then makes an arch with partner and top gent leads the line under the arch and back to place.

l) Roly-Poly (The German Beau)As before.

I also flipped See-Saw and Hook and Chain, but I put them back in their original places because my descriptions were correct. With some of the dances, remembering the sequence of movements photographically has helped, so I'll have to try and use that so I don't get it wrong in future. Overall though, quite pleased with how I did there.



So, twenty-seven down and three to go. I'm quite sad that there isn't more to learn, really.In terms of doing the exam 30 is more than enough of course, but if there was another book of dances that weren't on the exam then I'd want to learn them all too. I've enjoyed learning them all, I really have. A right little voyage of discovery.

I've also made a bit of a leap forward and (gulp) put some money in a savings account last night. The exam fund has begun. It's starting to get real.

The Sweets of May

I wish it was May :(

Corrections in a different hue as before - I'm yet to decide which colour to use.

First Figure - Rings
All take hands in a ring, sidestep to the left and back then the right and back, finishing each time with two short threes (16).

Body
Cross Over and Back - top couples take inside hands and exchange places, gents left shoulder to left shoulder, turning into places without releasing hands. While top couples are exchanging places couples 3 and 4 dance two threes in place. Side couples exchange in like manner while tops dance two threes. Tops return to place as before, followed by sides (8).
Advance and Retire - tops advance to centre while sides mark time with two threes. Tops retire while sides advance. Sides retire while tops advance, then while tops retire sides mark time with two threes (8).
Ringing the Bells - all beat hands above knees four time (right on right first) then clap hands twice. Repeat. Sidestep past partner and I can't remember! - sidestep past partner and dance two threes in place. Repeat whole movement this time sidestepping back to place (16).

Second Figure - Lead Round

Third Figure - See-Saw
Partners take both hands and swing a complete anticlockwise circle back to place, turning clockwise. Reverse and swing a clockwise circle back to place, turning anticlockwise (16).

Fourth Figure - Sides Under Arms
Tops make an arch under which sides on right pass (2nd sides under 1st tops, 1st sides under 2nd tops). Tops then pass under arch made by sides. Tops turn towards sides on left who pass under their arch (1st sides under 1st tops, 2nd sides under 2nd tops). Tops then pass under arch made by sides (16).

Can't remember if there's a finish or not... Repeat rings.

Not bad! :)



Can I make an announcement please? Of course I can, this is my blog.

I have finished Book Three!!!!!!

Trip to the Cottage

I remember at my first Qualifiers, the most repeated phrase was "Team number x, dancing Trip to the Cottage". I nearly died of boredom while waiting for my results, but now that I'm actually learning it I'm a big fan. No movement names to learn is always a bonus!

Here's my attempt at typing it out from memory - I'm not aiming for perfect terminology at this point, just checking my understanding. My original work is in black - any corrections are in a tasteful shade of orange.

Cross Over and Lead ARound
All couples are holding inside hands. Tops exchange places, gents passing shoulder to shoulder and turn into places without releasing hands. Sides exchange places in the same way. Tops return to original places in same way and all dance two threes in place (8). All perform a half-lead round anticlockwise for 4 bars then tops exchange places returning to original places once more; all dance two threes in place (8). All the above is repeated with sides going first (16).

Body
Top gentleman takes inside hands with partner and lady on left. All advance to centre (diagonally across the set) and retire (4), and repeat (4). Each trio now forms a ring of three and sidesteps to the left finishing with two short threes (4), then takes the remaining gentleman into the ring between the two ladies and sidestep to the right finishing as before (4). Each ring breaks into couples who take both hands and swing around each other anticlockwise back to place (8). All the above is repeated with side gentlemen taking inside hands with partner and lady on left (24).

First Figure
Lady of 2nd tops advances towards 1st tops and takes gent's left hand in her right. 1st tops make an arch under which 2nd lady passes, gent turns under and they form an arch under which 1st lady passes, gent turns under. Top couple form a final arch under which 2nd lady and gent pass, then the 2nd gent is taken into a ring of 4 between the ladies (8). All sidestep to the right finishing with two short threes (4) then perform the following movement without releasing hands: Top couple form an arch under which 2nd tops pass. 2nd tops then turn outward under their own arch and tops pass under own arch then 2nd tops arch, falling back into a ring (4). All sidestep to the left and finish with two short threes (4) then couples take both hands and swing back to place (4). Repeated by lady of 1st tops, lady of 2nd sides and lady of 1st sides.

Second Figure
Tops advance towards each other twice, retiring each time (8). Ladies of top couples promenade between couple on left, dancing around gentleman then passing between couple on right and again dancing around the gentleman, back to place. Gents of top couples perform the same movement but dance first around lady on right then lady on left (8). Gents allow ladies to pass before them at all times. [WRONG - Couples take both hands and swing a complete circle anticlockwise back to place (8) - WRONG]. Repeated by sides.

Finish
Cross Over and Lead ARound.



I'm well pleased with that, not too many mistakes. And the best thing is that is now only have five ceilis left to learn! Four of them I'm really not worried about - Eight Hand Jig, The Three Tunes, St Patrick's Day and The Sweets of May. I've read through them and seen them danced at competitions a fair few times; I understand most parts and they should be simple enough. I am petrified of the Sixteen Hand Reel, just because there are so many people, but hopefully by the time I get round to it I will have calmed down (having already learned 29) and can devote as much time as necessary to it.

In other news, my poor little blue book has finally become detached from its cover. Sniff. It was so neat and lovely when I bought it way back in April - six months later and it's well-thumbed, scarred with accidentally creased corners, and stained with the odd bit of food or dead fly. Poor book. Need to get an industrial-sized stapler.

Next up then, the Sweets of May.

Pre-Trip Review

No, I'm not going on holiday. I want to start Trip to the Cottage (the only remaining dance that I've done before) but I thought I should make sure I can at least remember the bare bones of the previous three first.

The Duke Reel
Ring
Body - Sides, Link Arms, Interlace, Advance and Retire
First Figure - Figure of Eight
Body
Second Figure - Right and Left Chain
Body
Finish - Swing Around

Humours of Bandon
Lead Round
Body - Sides, Half Right and Left, Sides, Half Right and Left
First Figure - Advance Through Centre
Body
First Figure repeated by opposites
Body
Second Figure - Centre Meet
Body
Second Figure repeated by opposites
Body
Third Figure - Ladies' Chain
Body
Finish - Lead Around

The Cross Reel
Lead Round
Body - Extended Sides, Full Chain, Gentlemen Interlace, Back to Back, Exchange Places
First Figure - Figure of Eight and Ring
Body
Second Figure - Circle Round and Hands Across
Body
Finish

*check*

Three mistakes, I've corrected them ^ above but here they are:

In the Duke Reel, I called the second figure Ladies' Chain instead of Right and Left Chain. In the Cross Reel, I forgot Gentlemen Interlace in the body and called the first figure Advance and Retire instead of Figure of Eight and Ring. Pretty inexplicable that one.

I'm happy enough though so off to the cottage I go.

The Cross Reel

OK, so I haven't reviewed Humours and although I reviewed Duke just below, who knows if I can remember it. But I'm doing the Cross Reel now, because it seems fairlyeasy, and I need a quick win right now. I still don't know if I can even be bothered to do this exam. Because I don't know if I can be bothered to get up and teach a dance class every night. Great sentiment from a future TCRG, huh? Someone you'd really want to send your kids to? I want to get past this. Hopefully I can weather the storm with some easy ceilis rather than battering myself down with a toughie. It's the illness talking.

Here are some lovely, lovely Dohertys. I bet Gavin and Seaneen never had these doubts.



NOTE - Book says this is a round dance. Not specified for some of the other 8 hands. Must remember!

Lead Round
Body - Extended Sides, Full Chain, Gentlemen Interlace, Back to Back, Exchange Places
First Figure - Figure of Eight and Ring
Second Figure - Circle Round and Hands Across
Finish (same as HCC)

MORE NOTES

- Extended Sides is the same as 8-Hand Reel
- Full Chain is exactly as it sounds
- Gentlemen Interlace is NOT the same as Gents Interlace in HCC
- Back to Back is virtually the same as in the 8-Hand Reel and Morris Reel, without the swingy bit
- Exchange places is done without hands AND without short threes - so if a question asks for movements done with consecutive sevens, this is one!
- First figure concludes with a ring instead of the more common swinging

I definitely need to see the second figure danced - must consult Olive. I'm pretty sure I get it, although it'll be very fast if it is what I think it is. This one finishes with the swing.

I like this one.

Six-month review

I'm trying to remain upright and not let this wobble topple me all the way over. Today I've gone through the 23 ceili dances I've learned to date, and tried to write out all the names of the movements.

Perfect = Walls of Limerick, Rakes of Mallow, Siege of Ennis, Bridge of Athlone, Siege of Carrick, An Rince Mor, Harvest-time Jig, Rince Fada, High Cauled Cap, Antrim Reel, Bonfire Dance, Haymaker's Jig, Fairy Reel, Glencar Reel, 8-Hand Reel, Morris Reel, Gates of Derry.

Nearly Right = Haste to the Wedding (I put Swing Around instead of Swing Out), Waves of Tory (I called them Right Wheel and Left Wheels instead of Right & Left Hands Across, and Left & Right Hands Across), Lannigan's Ball (got Stack-Up and Flirtation the wrong way round), 4-Hand Reel (forgot Down the Centre in the body).

Totally Forgot = Humours of Bandon, Duke Reel.

That stands to reason; they were the last two I learned so I've spent the least amount of time on them. I don't have my DVDs with me at the moment so let's review the Duke Reel as I have the clip on YouTube.

We start with Rings. All 3 couples hold hands in a ring and sidestep to the right for 4, two short threes, sidestep to the left for 4, two short threes.

The Body consists of Sides (16), Link Arms, Interlace, and Advance and Retire. The latter three are eight bars each. In Sides, partners sidestep to each other's places, finish with two short threes, and return to places finishing as before. They then continue on in the same direction (ladies towards right, gents towards left) and swap places with the lady or gent of the next couple, returning to partner as before. In Link Arms, partners link arms and turn once in place. Then each dancer heads towards the lady/gent they danced past during Sides, and links arms with them to turn round. All of this is repeated once more and we go straight into Interlace. This is essentially a full chain without taking hands - ladies going clockwise and gents anticlockwise. I think. Advance and Retire is the same as always, performed in a ring.

The First Figure is the Figure of Eight and takes 48 bars. Couple 1 advance towards couple 1 and perform a figure of eight between and around them, lady passing around opposite lady then gent, gent passing around opposite gent then lady. They all take hands in a ring and sidestep left, finishing with two short threes, then break into couples and swing back to place. Then Couple 2 dance around Couple 3, then Couple 3 dance around Couple 1.

The Second Figure is Right and Left Chain, and takes 48 bars as before. It's basically the same as the Right and Left Chain that appears in the body of the 4-Hand Reel, with a complete 8-bar swing around to finish. The couples repeat as above.

The Finish is a complete swing around.

I *should* remember this...



To review the other parts of the exam?

I remember St Patrick's Day up until the end of the set, at which point I've become a little hazy. I haven't danced it in months.

I can't remember any of the Blackbird, and have attempted none of the others.

I haven't done any solo dancing or teaching in months. This due to a life-threatening injury/illness, which I'm not exaggerating about but also don't want to talk about here.

Because of my illness I feel like I'm beating myself up unnecessarily about being lax on my prep, but equally I'm off work and could be doing a lot more. But then my leg is so weak...

Just emotional, don't mind me.

It's here.

The wobble. It's here.

Do I really want to do this? I could, of course, take the exam and then never use it for anything other than personal satisfaction. A TCRG who doesn't teach. A TCRG who learned thirty ceilis and four traditionals, choreographed nine set dances and solos besides, went to all that effort and expense - and then did nothing with it.

I know it would be a waste, a horrible waste. I just don't know if I have what it takes to devote my life to it. I love it. God I love it. But there's a big difference between watching YouTube clips and trawling the internet for results, pictures and dresses, and going to work at the studio every night. A day job and then a night full of screaming kids who won't listen. I've never taught a full class in my life, never assumed total responsibility for a room full of expectant, demanding young faces.

Naturally I assume that if I had my own school, I'd have World Champions coming out of every pore. I understand dancing; I know the why and the how, even when I can't articulate it with my own limbs. And of course, all my students would be conscientious, hard-working and ridiculously naturally talented. I'd have so many students that I could leave the day job. I'd have fabulous hair, an LBD and sky-high heels ready for my turn on the stage as the champion's teacher.

Come on. Come off it.

I'm in a region with superschools so that's just not going to happen.

But.

I daren't give up. I need to achieve something in dancing, and if this is it, if this piece of paper saying TCRG is it, then that's something. I've just laughed at myself - I also daren't give up because I've told so many people I'm going for it. I don't want to be seen as a quitter; I don't want to live up to my reputation as someone with hairbrained schemes, someone who'll get all excited about a new project then almost instantly fade into apathy.

So that's the real reason I started this blog. I mean I could always delete it and pretend it never existed. I just want to finish this one project, this one time. Once I've got those letters on that piece of paper? I guess I'll have a decision to make. Until then, I keep going.

I'm going to take a break.

I've got a busy month coming up. In fact it's already begun; I've tried to sit down and do practice papers this week, and have been distracted by an urgent task each time. In addition, my dance class has closed down.

The latter has really forced me to think about my preparation for the exam so far. I've been almost wholly focused on the academic aspects, the "book smarts". I might have choreographed some dances, but that's it really. The class cancellation is only going to make that worse. I'm feeling really down about the whole thing - it seems so out of reach.

So I'm allowing myself a break, which might seem counterproductive, but hear me out. I need to get this busy period out of the way, and if I'm really going to start making an effort at the practical side of dancing then I need to get myself fit. I need to eat better and to work out. I've had some interest in setting up my own informal adult ceili class, so if I'm going to teach that I need to be at a good level of fitness. And I need a better than good level of fitness if I'm going to get my dancing steps up to scratch. If I don't do that, I'll ace the writtens and fail badly on the practicals.

I suppose a break is no big deal. I haven't even thought about an exam date, let alone booked myself on.

I just hope I can motivate myself to start again. I often set out on these grand plans only to tire of them and let them slip from my mind. I've come too far to stop altogether, but then I doubt my ability to pass the practicals. Get fit, then get learning. Fingers crossed.

The Duke Reel

This one's cute. I read the book and watched the DVD on Friday and it's Monday now. Let's see if I can remember:

Rings
Body: Sides - Link Arms - Interlace - Something else.
First Figure: Figure of Eight?
Body
Second Figure: Some sort of chain?
Body
Is there a third figure?
Finish?

Ah, didn't do too well there. I remember exactly how to do the two figures, but I genuinely don't remember if they even HAVE names. Oh dear. Let's check.

Oh! Not that bad then. The correct version is:

Rings
Body: Sides - Link Arms - Interlace - Advance and Retire
First Figure: Figure of Eight
Body
Second Figure: Right and Left Chain
Body
Finish (Swing Around)

Done! Now to remember it...

Humours of Bandon

Easiest body in the world, but why do they have to repeat it so many times?! I can't stand a ceili that repeats the body in between each couple dancing the figures. Why? No need. No, no, no. [I iknow it's because it goes with the music but seriously it's exhausting].

With my rant out of the way, here's the actual dance:

- Lead Round
- Body (Sides, Half Right and Left, Sides, Half Right and Left)
- First Figure - Advance Through Centre
- Body
- Opposites repeat First Figure
- Body
- Second Figure - Centre Meet
- Body
- Opposites repeat Second Figure
- Body
- Third Figure - Ladies Chain
- Body
- Finish - Lead Round

304 bars.

If you ever use the TCRG Exam Website for help, they've added the bars up incorrectly on the dance summary sheet. They forgot about the body repeats, so just be aware.

Anyway, I'm confused about the second figure. The book doesn't specify what the 'free' partners are doing during the sidestep and rise and grind bit. Olive has them doing two threes and the rising step, but is this just an embellishment? I think it looks a little "busy" if I'm honest.

Productive weekend

More progress today with some primary and intermediate steps. I guess for open I'm going to have more luck with a slip jig, so if I need an open reel I'll just substitute a bicycle for a lift. I still don't have any heavy steps to teach - I mean obviously I can teach my own jig, but I have nothing for a hornpipe and nothing for beginner or primary. Not even sure how I'd go about choreographing a beginner jig or hornpipe since somehow I never learned one. Plagiarise the trad sets? Who knows. No negativity - I've done well. Even have a lovely sequence for my Downfall which is verrrrry slowly taking shape in my brain. Not bad.

Beginner reels and jigs

Thought it was about time I started thinking about the solo teaching part of the exam. Save for the steps I'm going to dance myself, I have nothing prepped really. So I stuck Dean in the laptop, uploaded him to iTunes, and now have a full beginner reel, hop jig, light jig and slip jig.

The slip jig is very pretty though I say so myself - this one took way longer as I kept getting distracted and making up open-level steps. Oops.

Then I had a slight wobble, because I realised these aren't just the steps I will call upon in the exam if I'm given beginner dancers. These are the steps I will teach in my classes, to my own dancers. These are the steps my future dancers will compete with, win with, and move up with.

Passing the exam is one thing. Being a real teacher with real dancers is quite another.

Attempting the Gates of Derry...

I was terrified of this because of the Gates and the Telescope, but...dare I say it? It's actually not that hard.



Advance and Retire
The Gates
Rings
The Gates
Rings
Telescope
Right and Left Wheels
Swing Around

Trouble is, this dance gets weird when it comes to the repeats. For the first repeat you don't dance advance and retire and only the two middle couples perform Right and Left Wheels and Swing Around. Then for the second repeat you do dance advance and retire, and all couples perform all movements. Why?

I decided to do this one next as I tried a practice exam that asked for an explanation of the Telescope, and as I'd watched the clip a few times and read/thought through the book once I thought I might as well try.

I nearly had it - I said that the hand-holding couples hold right hands when really it's both hands, uncrossed.

And I've also just realised (after watching the video and thinking I'd made a mistake, so checking the book) - it actually doesn't say which of the centre couples hold hands/go down the centre. I just had whichever couple were already holding hands keep them there - ie if you're couple 1 you go all the way down the set holding hands, and then all the way back up around the outside. But Olive had them swapping each time which is probably the way to go.

How did I do?

One horrendous mistake and a couple of silly ones.

- Difference between sides in Morris Reel (MR) and High Cauled Cap (HCC)? Spot on.

- Who does Gent 3 meet in Skip Across? Spot on.

- Describe Right Hands Across. I had the gents giving left hand first then right, but they do exactly the same as the ladies.

- Who does Gent 1 meet in Return Chain? I agonised over this one and would have got it right if I'd sent my dancers in the right direction. Ladies go Left, Gents Go riGht.

- Explain how Ladies Chain is danced. Spot on.

- List in order the movements of all dances. Spot on.

- Describe Back to Back. Missed out that gents pass right arm to right arm when returning to place, but spot on apart from that.

- Describe the Finish of the MR. Spot on, except I didn't give details like "forearms bent sharply upwards". Surely that goes without saying?

- Describe Skip Across in the Eight-Hand Reel (8HR). Spot on. I often put unspecified details in - book doesn't say they all sidestep right, but I did. So don't.

- Describe and compare the first movement of the body of the 8HR and MR. Got the MR right, but totally failed on the 8HR. For some reason I sent the partners sidestepping together, but they swap places and then go on individually. I think subconciously I knew this was wrong as I then couldn't work out which way they chained - they go back the way they came. Fail.

- Describe the first two movements of the body of the 8HR. Fail as above on Extended Sides, but Skip Across spot-on as above.

- Name and describe in detail the first figure of the 4HR. I knew it was Figure of Eight and Rings of Three, and apart from sending the couples in a full circle swing rather than just a half-circle back to places, I got it right. I need to be clearer and actually state that the free gent sidesteps right and left too; I just put that "all dancers" did it, but I could be clearer to be sure. To be sure, to be sure.

Will need to review these before I move on to the Cross Reel or Trip or something. Undecided what to do next. Thoughts?

Eight-Hand Reel and Morris Reel

Tip for anyone who hasn't got this far yet: Kill two birds with one stone and learn these two dances at the same time. You won't be overloading yourself with information; these dances are exactly the same save for two movements in the body. See?

Eight-Hand Reel
Lead Round
Body (Extended Sides - Skip Across - Return Chain - Back-to-Back)
First Figure - Advance and Retire
Second Figure - Ladies' Chain
Finish

If you've done the Four-Hand Reel already, you already know Ladies' Chain. And if you know High Cauled Cap, then you know the Finish. And everybody knows Lead Round :)

Morris Reel
Lead Round
Body (Sides - Right Hands Across - Return Chain - Back-to-Back)
First Figure - Advance and Retire
Second Figure - Ladies' Chain
Finish

Back-to-Back is almost impossible to work out from the book description alone. Definitely had to rewind the DVD a few times to get that one, but it's deceptively simple once you know it. Obviously. I feel like any experienced ceili dancer reading this would think I was a complete idiot, but as a reminder I'd danced about four ceilis in my entire life before taking on this challenge, never in full and never with correct terminology. I'd never even really watched them before. So I'm doing quite well in my own little way, climbing my own personal mountain.

So here I am, with four "ceilis with figures" floating round my head. I thought a test was in order, so I constructed myself a practice paper based just on the Four-Hand Reel, Eight-Hand Reel, Morris Reel and one question on the High Cauled Cap for comparison. I answered it at work today...now I'm going to mark it. I'll let you know how I got on in the next exciting instalment...

Four-Hand Reel

My second "ceili with figures". Properly chuffed I learned this one so quickly although let's be fair, I'd danced the lead and body before.

Lead Round
Body - Square, Four Sevens, Hands Across, Down the Centre, Right and Left Chain
1st Figure - Figure of Eight and Rings of Three
Body
2nd Figure - Ladies' Chain
Body
Finish (Lead Round)



In other news I went through some of my past papers and did all the Lannigan's Ball and Waves of Tory ones I could find - I'm not using the exact same terminology and I keep wanting to put in things that aren't specified, but I'm confident I know those pretty well.

I also worked out how to do the Full Chain in Glencar Reel - took me shamefully long to do it, but I got there in the end and that's all that matters.

Next, the Eight-Hand Reel. What the hell is "Back to Back" all about?!

The Waves of Tory and Lannigan's Ball

I'm back on it! Managed to get my hands on some DVDs and since I'm happy with my knowledge of the first fifteen, I'm learning new ones. I'll be kind of sad when I know them all - I do actually enjoy the process of discovering them.

The Waves of Tory

Definitely not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Advance and Retire - Right and Left Hands Across - Advance and Retire - Left and Right Hands Across - Lead Off to the Right and Up the Centre - The Waves - Cast Off.



Lannigan's Ball

I love this dance! I'm not sure what it is about it, but it's one of my favourites so far. Let's see if I can remember all the movements in the right order...

Ring - Quarter's Hook - Rise and Grind Step - Lead Round in Centre - Flirtation - Stack-Up - Lead Round - Ring.

Woo!

Oops!

I'm still here! Rest assured, I haven't totally given up on this thing. I haven't put massive amounts of effort into TCRGing at the moment, I admit. What little I have done has been ceili theory, but I've got so much else going on in my life that there's just been so little time. But, this is the whole reason I started studying before booking the test, and in fact not even applying until I'm 100% ready already. So that minor distractions like real life can happen without dire consequences!

This week I did step it up a little and made the effort to write out all 15 of the ceilis I've learned so far. I finished it yesterday after working on it off and on fora few days, so last night I sat down with the book to mark it. Here's what happened:

Walls of Limerick - didn't make any mistakes. Well, you'd be hard pushed to! One thing I did put, was that in 'Dance Around' partners take crossed hands. That's not actually specified in the book, but I let myself off because I think they would let me off. Right?

High Cauled Cap - no mistakes on formation or names of movements. When describing the body I inexplicably forgot to mention that the stamp and clap is repeated twice before starting the sidestep each time. My version just went "stamp, stamp, clap clap clap, hop 234567 back 23, back 23 and repeat" rather than "stamp, stamp, clap clap clap, stamp, stamp, clap clap clap" etc. For the second figure, Circle and Cross, I said that gents exchange places rather than 'advance to opposite ladies' - just a slight difference in terminology but I was harsh and took half a mark off for that. Again for the third figure, Ladies Chain, I said that they take crossed hands when, strictly speaking, it's not specified. They specify crossed hands in the second figure though so I left it. No problems with the Finish which I was worried about as I blanked!

Siege of Ennis - no mistakes. I didn't describe 'sides' book-perfect, so I'd hope they'd let me off because it was otherwise spot-on.

Harvest-time Jig - nothing major. In Left Hands Across I made a silly error and said that the dancers take left hands first, then reverse and give left hands. D'oh! Obviously the second time they give right. In Step and Turn I forgot to specify that the gent takes the left hand of the lady on his left to perform the turns. That was it though, not bad!

Rince Fada - this was the only dance where I gave the wrong name for a movement, which I guess is quite good. I called the fifth movement 'Down the Centre' when it's actually 'Advance Down Centre'. I should remember that because they face the other couple head-on rather than sideways. I correctly said that the Right Wheel goes around clockwise, but then also put that the Left Wheel goes around clockwise, which of course it doesn't. Otherwise no major errors.

Bridge of Athlone - I mixed up Cast Off and The Bridge a little - the last thing I wrote for Cast Off should be the first part of The Bridge - but other than that I did well.

Haste to the Wedding - managed to get the name of Up the Centre' correct for the first time ever! It is "up" the centre rather than down because the even couple are leading, so they go up rather than down the set. When odds are leading it's always 'down'. If I can remember the Siege of Carrick (and I can!) then I should have no excuse for forgetting that rule. Anyway I mixed up the start of one movement with the end of another again - Leading couple actually take the odd lady into the circle at the end of Up the Centre, not the start of First Ring.

Siege of Carrick - near perfect! There were just some terminology differences - I was using odd/even couple rather than top/bottom couple which is no biggie I don't think (I hope!) and for Right and Left Wheel the book specifies that the dancer's hands are shoulder height with ladies above gents, but I didn't mention that at all. Important? I don't know. Hopefully I'll remember to include it in future just in case.

Antrim Reel - I had the ladies and gents crossing on the wrong shoulder in Sidestep and Heyes. On the first repeat, Ladies cross on the Left!! I made the same direction error in Left and Right Wheels - they go anticlockwise first. Other than that, no problems!

Glencar Reel -I got the formation right but numbered them incorrectly. For some reason, from left to right it goes 3-2-1 rather than 1-2-3. But why?! Anyway that meant that in Figure of Eight I had the dancers turning the wrong way - I knew which number dancer commences the figure of eight, but because I'd numbered them back-to-front they were turning in the wrong direction. I also had the Ring going to the right first when really it's left then right. I don't full understand the Full Chain either, may need to ask on TCRG board, so I got that wrong. Gents go anticlockwise and ladies go clockwise - I mixed that up.

An Rince Mor - I only had a problem with Link Arms here - I had the gent giving the wrong arm to the lady. It actually goes - right arm to left lady, left arm to partner, right arm to left lady, both hands to partner.

Haymaker's Jig - I love this one. No problems at all, except I put in things that the book doesn't specify (like which direction the leading couple swing during Link Arms).

The Fairy Reel - in Slip Sides I called them the 'remaining ladies' but the book calls them the 'free partners' - I much prefer that terminology! In Gents Centre and Link Arms I had the gents linking arms with their partners when in fact it's hands. I didn't specify that, during the Square, the ladies turn in on the two short threes. But that was about it really!

The Rakes of Mallow - I sent the trios swinging in the wrong direction at the end but that was the only mistake!

Bonfire Dance - nothing massive. I didn't say that, in The Rose, the ladies advance to their partners before turning to finish in original positions, and I also said that they take both hands when it fact it's just the right hands. In Swing and Exchange Partners I wasn't hugely clear that the partners exchange places with one another, but overall it was good enough.

Not too bad of an effort considering the complete lack of enthusiasm of late! I suppose I'd better put more effort into actually dancing though, plus learning the other 15. So near yet so far.

Wet Socks

Today I have hair-dried the inside of my shoes which I am currently wearing on top of damp socks. It's not the most pleasant experience ever, and can mean only one thing.

New Shoes!

In a way, it's kind of good to know that dancers aren't the only ones who have to put up with this hell. Teachers need to do it to. On the other hand, I thought I'd left this behind years ago. Sadly not.

In other news, I can now do back trebles on my left foot for the first time in YEARS. I'm taking much confidence from this breakthrough!

Revision.

I'm really not sure how interesting revision is to an audience (if there is one!) so that's why I haven't been posting recently. I've tried a lot of practise papers recently and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Every relevant question from the earliest ones I could find, 1970s papers, up to the end of the 1990s. I scored 88%! That'll do!

I'm sadly no further on with solo dancing or teaching, or sets since I STILL haven't been contacted re the CD, but I feel confident enough on those 15 ceilis. From next week I'm hoping to start on the other ones. Lannigan's Ball seems simple enough to me as does the Waves of Tory, so hopefully I can get those out of the way. 8-hands are being left until last.

There's a new ceili class starting at my dance class, for another TCRG candidate to practise teaching, so hopefully we can get through one a week. I still haven't told them I'm going for mine. It won't be a problem; I just don't want to take away from the other candidate at the moment. And I don't want to be rushed. No pressure til I'm ready to apply.

I'm still alive!

It's been a while since my last update. I have to admit, I haven't been doing much work really. Mostly worrying about NINE set dances. But I have done small amounts of revision which is better than nothing - let's not forget I haven't actually applied for the exam yet, so it's not like I'm slacking.

1) Past Papers
This is usually when I'm bored at work - obviously I only know 15 dances so I can't accurately gauge my progress (for example, most of the ten-pointers are 8-hands, of which I know only one), but I do tend to get close to full marks for what I attempt. I also know bits and bobs about dances I haven't learned yet; e.g. if the question is "which dances have a stamp and clap", then I know it's HCC but also The Three Tunes, even though I haven't learned that one yet.

2) The Cup of Knowledge
I'm very pleased with myself on this one. I have a straightforward cup for work (it's a smaller cup) and a more in-depth one for at home (it's a pint cup). Inside the cup are pieces of paper (each is 1/16th of an A4 page) with a prompter written on it. If the one I pull out simply has the name of a dance, then I have to name all the movements and give the formation, music notes, type of dance etc. Then others will say "Describe..." and I have to identify and describe the movement in full - for example "Describe the fourth and fifth movement of the Rakes of Mallow". Then there are music ones, asking me to list 2/4 sets, or jig sets with a 16 bar set, etc etc. Finally I have teasers like "name all ceilis named after a place in Ireland", "name all ceilis danced to a tune of the same name", "list all ceilis which include the rising step". So I pull a few out of the cup, write down all my answers, and then mark my work. I'm not doing too badly.

I'm just getting myself quite worked up about all the solo dancing. I've never really choreographed much for heavies and I can't remember many of my own steps. We only do lights in class so I'm not going to get any heavies help there, but that's what I need more help on. Ceili I can do alone; I've already had interest from a few people who want to learn ceilis. And heavy steps to teach, too; for some reason I never learned baby jigs or hornpipes - I kind of got fast tracked onto the harder stuff since I'd done show dancing in heavies before I started learning competition dances. Oh, it's all arse about face. I wish it had been different.

Haste to the Wedding

Remember this post? I wrote myself a list of the first 15 ceilis I was going to learn and set myself a target of the end of May to do it. Well...I've done it!

Haste to the Wedding - believe me, this is the best video I could find despite the dodgy camera angles:



Starts the same as Rince Fada - The Rising Step 4, Right Wheels 4, The Rising Step 4, Left Wheels 4. Then you go into Up the Centre 8, First Ring 4, Second Ring 4, and Swing Out 8.

This is one of the ones that I thought was going to be really hard, so I left it til last. Tit squared.

Glencar Reel

Hmm.

At first glance I thought the two Figures of Eight and The Waves would be the hardest part of this to get into my head, but it's actually the Full Chain. I'm used to chains where everyone is already boy-girl-boy-girl, but here they start off with a gents line facing a ladies line. Managed to find a mixed rather than girls video, but I still don't get it. A few more watches are in order I think.



Advance and Retire - Ring - Sidestep Through - Figure of Eight - Double Figure of Eight - The Waves - Full Chain.

The first Figure of 8 looks very (hate this phrase) wishy-washy to me though, it almost looks as if they ought to be chaining rather than just dancing around each other. I guess it will look better on the Olive videos. Until then...

Going Solo

I'm not sure what I was drinking last night but I'll have to try it again - this morning I've woken up with the germ of idea for a boy's reel step should I have to teach one, and also an idea for a Downfall of Paris opener for my own steps.

This is the only thing I haven't touched yet. It's tough, because I have one class a week in which we don't ever do heavies, and don't really get as far as champ reels and slips. I'm nearly there; one of the girls has said she'll teach me an open slip jig soon...but I already have one. It's definitely heavy practice I need since the exam is weighted so heavily in that direction (nine set dances, why? Why are reels and slips not equally important?), but there's nowhere to dance at home either. When I finally get round to joining the work gym, perhaps there'll be a space in there.

But I'm pleased with myself just for starting to think about this at least!

Lest I forget: Step and click click lift 23 and baby-bicycle turn...I know I want to finish with a heely-heely-heely and double click cut as well. And Downfall; out down entrechat back treble-treble toe stamp.

The Fairy Reel

In this video you have to skip it to 1.05 before The Fairy Reel starts. Cool costumes :)



Advance and Retire - Rings - Advance and Retire - Rings - Slip Sides - Gents Centre and Link Arms - Square - Arches - Advance and Retire.

When reading it I made a couple of slight errors - first of all I just didn't get what the book was telling me for Gents Centre and Link Arms - it looks as if he links arms with the left lady (it says "whom he turns with left arm"), and then for some reason I was assuming he chains to left lady twice but the video doesn't do that and the book seems to be saying he doesn't. So well done video! I also assumed that the gent would make the left-arm arch twice in Arches, but my brain was just filling in the gaps. It's right arm arch twice but only once with the left.

Costumes are SUCH a help to keep track of everyone, especially when they're doing Slip Sides and Square.

Haymaker's Jig

I feel a bit of a tit to be honest as I read this one through ages ago, decided it was too hard, and passed over it. But now that I'm running out of ceilis on list one, I kind of had to try it. So I did, on the bus on the way home, and it's soooo easy. Even the book description is proper straightforward.

Terrible quality video - where's Olive when you need her?



Advance and Retire - Turn in Centre - Swing in Centre - Link Arms - Arch.

Points to note (in my shorthand, will mean nowt to anyone else!);

• Advance and retire is in (2), out (2), repeat (4), rising step left and right (4), in and out (4)
• Turn in centre - first gent and last lady go first with right hands. Second time around they go left hands first
• Swing in centre - each pair only goes in once but they swing for 6 and return for 2
• Link arms - right arm to partner, left arms to others
• Arch - is basically the same as Bridge of Athlone, cast off first then top couple make arch and everyone else passes through. End!

Woohoo, that's only three more ceilis to learn from my first lot of 15, and I've got until the end of the month to do it!

Bonfire Dance

Cute dance, nice and slow. Reel, ideally with six couples. From what I can gather from the TCRG board this one comes up loads in exam:

Advance and Retire - same as always but instead of advancing and retiring twice to make up eight bars, you advance in slowly for 4 and retire slowly for 4 (8)
Rings - same as always, sidestepping anticlockwise first, end with two short threes, return clockwise, end with two short threes (8)
Advance and Retire - as above (8)
Rings - clockwise first this time, and end up facing partner (8)

Side-step In and Out - sevens to the right; ladies advancing into the circle and gents moving outwards. Consecutive sevens back to place; no short threes (4)
Link Arms - link right arms with partner and exchange places clockwise; release arms, link left arms and return to place (4)
Side-step In and Out - as before but ladies move outward and gents towards centre (4)
Link Arms - as before, but partners link left arms first (4)

Let's break this up with the clip:



The Rose - ladies advance slowly to centre (4 bars), take hands and sidestep anticlockwise, ending with two short threes. On the second 'three', ladies turn right to face outwards, retake hands in a back-to-back circle and sidestep clockwise, ending with two short threes. While the ladies have been dancing, gents stand with left arm on hip and right toe pointed slightly forward. Ladies now advance to partners then take right hands and turn to finish in original positions (16). Gentlemen now repeat this movement but in the ring, sidestep clockwise first (16).

Swing and Exchange Partners - partners take crossed hands and swing slowly to exchange places (4). Partners bow to each other (1), turn to face new partner (1), bow to new partner (1), and retake hands in ring to recommence.

I actually think this one's quite easy. A few repetitions, and a few variations. Not sure on the bows though - in my head I assumed the partners would all drop hands to bow, and would bow more from the waist, but on this clip they're all holding hands (?) and only bow from the head. I shall wait for Olive to arrive and confirm because the book doesn't say either way.

Antrim Reel

Check me out! Okay let's see if I can remember this bookless:

Advance and return - half right and left - sidestep and heyes - dance down centre - right and left wheels - dance with opposite - left and right wheels - swing out.

*checks book*

Damn! Nearly.

Advance and return - right and left half-turn - sidestep and heyes - dance down centre - right and left wheels - sidestep with opposite - left and right wheels - swing out to next couple.

So out of eight movements I got 5 spot on, missed of the end of 1, and got 2 there-or-thereabouts. Coolio.

Trying to get back on track

I've been so awful recently. I tested myself on the dances again earlier this week, did almost perfectly on movement names and bars but STILL can't remember my progressives from my longs. I'm going to have to force myself to do it now that the initial honeymoon period is over. If I'm to hit my target I've still got seven dances to learn by the end of the month and it's the sixth already. I don't want this to be one of my neverending schemes that I'm so enthusiastic about...and then totally lose interest in. No. Not this time!

So.



I know the lead-round, body and first figure very well indeed. I've danced this one a lot. The second figure, to me, is the trickiest one. Third figure and finish, piss easy. Well, probably not to teach but to explain. Let's go:

1 - Lead Round (16)
2 - Body (80 - 16x5)
a) Sides
b) Double Quarter Chain
c) Ladies Interlace
d) Gents Interlace
e) Stap and Clap
3 - First Figure - no name (64 - 16x4)
4 - Body (80)
5 - Second Figure - Circle and Cross (96 - 24x4)
6 - Body (80)
7 - Third Figure - Ladies Chain (32 - 16x2)
8 - Body (80)
9 - Finish (40)

...with a jaw-dropping total of 568 bars; around ten minutes of dancing!

So the first figure is sort of "up the centre, turn, dance through and turn". Tops take right hands and sidestep towards opposite couple, finishing with two short threes then sidestep back, finishing with two short threes. Couple turns once in place and gent dances around lady on left and back while lady dances around gent on right and back; both take right hands and turn once in place. Repeat with opposite tops, leading sides and opposite sides.

Third figure is ladies chain and dead easy; Top lady and opposite give right hands in centre, chain to opposite gent and turn in place. Each lady returns to own partner and turn once in place. Both couples take both hands and dance a full circle around each other. Repeat with sides.

Finish is dead easy too; take hands in ring and advance and retire twice; sidestep to right and end with two short threes, return to left and end with two short threes. Advance and retire twice, sidestep to left and end with two short threes, return to right and end with two short threes. Couples take hands and dance a complete circle back to place.

Second figure.

For some reason you even get a CHOICE!

Here's what happens BEFORE you get a choice: Leading tops advance to opposites and pass through and around. All four give right hands across and dance around clockwise. This takes 6 bars. Then;

a) leading tops release hands and dance back to place while opposites turn once in place. Then gentlemen advance, passing right arm to right arm, to opposite lady

OR

b) Couples take right hands and turn once in place (leading tops returning to place). Then gentlemen advance, passing left arm to left arm, to opposite lady.

WHY?!

But then either way, you finish the figure in the following fashion:

Gents take left hand of opposite lady and dance around her, release hands and dance back to place passing right arm to right arm, take own partner's right hand and turn once in place. This is 16 bars. Couples then take both hands and dance a circle to the right around each other to place. That's 24 bars. Then you repeat with opposite tops advancing towards tops. Then leading sides to opposite sides; then opposite sides to leading sides. Waa.

It's totally in my head, but can I write it their way?

I'm terrible

I knew this would happen. I was so eager at the start - I knew it would tail off. I haven't done a thing since my last post! Well, not strictly true. Here's a short list of things I've done in handy bulleted format:

• Read through High Cauled Cap, watched the video a few times, sorted it all out in my head (last weekend)
• Quizzed myself on music and I can now separate most tunes into 6/8, 2/4 or 4/4 (last weekend)
• Quizzed myself on the 8 ceilis I know so far giving 1 mark for each of; correct movements in right order, right # of bars, jig/reel identified correctly, any other music notes, type of dance (round, long etc) identified correctly, and formation drawn correctly. I got 37/39
• Ordered the ceili music and set dance CDs

Must try harder. WILL try harder.

Rince Fada

Easy easy easy easy easy.



The Rising Step - Right Wheel - The Rising Step - Left Wheel - Advance Down Centre - Dance Around.

Love it for its easiness.

Earlier at work (after my 2-3 mile walk) I tested myself on set dances (just their names, sorted into jig, 2/4 hornpipe and 4/4 hornpipe categories). Out of 38 I managed to think of 29 tunes, and of that 29 I got 25 in the right categories. Not awesome but a start. And last night, I went to circuits which was pretty awesome. Admittedly I didn't put in as much effort as I could have done, but you don't want to push yourself too hard the first time.

Plan for the weekend - well, none really. Revision I guess? I know eight dances by movements now, perhaps I should pause on learning new ones and just be able to write them out properly before I move on.

Harvest-Time Jig

First, an update on last night. I had planned to learn a ceili before dance but as it happened, I got caught up in revision. I started out by writing out the movements for each dance (going to have to start putting the bars each time now), and then started scouring through the past papers for questions pertaining to the 6 I already knew. I reckon I got 95%! And I was harsh marking myself. At class, I think I've sown the traditional set seed with one of the teachers. Hopefully we'll be taught them soon because I don't think I can do it on my own with Olive.

But tonight! I'm going to put the clip in first 'cause it's so cute! Ignore the caller though, she's not using the correct movement names:



So, the Harvest-Time Jig. I really don't think I need to note down what time it's in, right? Dancers line up in threes, facing, with a gent between two ladies. A thorn between two roses, is that the saying?

Advance and retire - Sides - Right hands across - Sides - Left hands across - Step and turn - Advance, retire and pass through.

Dead easy! Points to remember - sides go to the right first, then left. And it's a jig, so it's the rise and grind not two short threes.

Coolio! That's number 7! My eagerness is telling me to learn another one tonight - my sensible self is telling me to revise the ones I already know, writing them out with bars this time. I'm going totally against the grain and I'm going to be sensible.

Possibly circuits tomorrow night for fitness - so no dancing, but some revision.

An Rince Mor

No idea what it means, but I like this dance a lot. Reel time, round dance, as many couples as you like.

Ring to left and right - swing with ladies on left - swing with partners - link arms - lead round.

Pretty simple apart from the link arms bit - it's a chain of four links, the first three are link arms and the final one is take hands and turn. Should be easy enough to remember. And it's the first dance I've done that finishes with a lead round.

Ceilis in the sunshine

The sun is shining - it's absolutely glorious today - so I really didn't fancy exerting myself by learning the rest of the Blackbird. So I've done two ceili dances instead!

The Bridge of Athlone
Jig - any number of couples. Gent in one line, ladies in another, couples facing.

Rising step, advance and retire - down the centre - cast off - the bridge

I kinda like this one - I think it would be fairly easy to teach as well. But I can only find really amateur videos of it on YouTube, so I'll have to wait til I have the DVDs before I can properly check. Any dance that has a bridge is fine by me!

The Siege of Carrick
Jig - danced to Haste to the Wedding. Same formation as Walls, sets of two couples facing one another with lady on the gent's right.

Ring - right and left wheels - down centre and turn - up centre and swing

Down/up centre is a little tricky and when I watched the video, it didn't look at all how I'd imagined when I was reading the book. But it's a lovely dance, apart from the hooking arms which is just a bit Cotton Eyed Joe for my liking. There's clapping though, which I like. Will need to watch this one a few times more:

Review

A good friend sent me written instructions for the Blackbird. I feel a bit better about it now. It was clearly just a poor frame of mind on my part. Here's a ceili review:

Walls of Limerick
Advance and retire - half right and left - dance with opposite - dance around

Rakes of Mallow
Advance and retire - swing with opposite lady - swing with lady on right - link arms in centre - swing around

Siege of Ennis
Advance and retire - sides - hands across - advance, retire and pass through

Walls and Rakes both reels, Siege is a jig. Walls is for any even number of couples, Rakes is for any even number of trios (one gent and two ladies), and Siege is for any even number of couples. Rakes is danced to a tune of the same name.

Learning another ceili tomorrow night, finishing Blackbird on Saturday, learning another ceili at some point over the weekend.

I'm also going to start writing out the ones I know, it's about time. Revising music I will have to leave until a) my laptop is working and b) I have the correct CLRG set dance CD. Must buy Olive ceili music CD as well.

That is all.

Blackbird Part 2

This is me, hating on the Blackbird. She doesn't go slow enough and then what the dancers do doesn't look like what she did in all parts. Here's what I've got.

Hop down treble + back hop rock 23 hop rock 23 jump 23 jump 23 jump 23 + treble + back
Hop change change rock rock brush treble + back + treble + back
Tip onto your heel 12 12 tip onto your heel stamp toe heel.

I cannot get the last bit. She doesn't even bother explaining the end treble combination, it's shocking. I *think* it's: .

Change 2345 change point back rock 23. Then a load of trebles.

I actually need somebody to show me, in person, how to do this. I'm really worried now. She took St Patrick's Day really slowly, and although it took me ages I did get it. I was overly frustrated at myself during the Blackbird step but eventually got it because it's so repetitive, not because it was explained well. If I was now in the frame of mind to concentrate and try, I could get the thing that I think that I got. But anything after that is not going to happen tonight. I probably don't need someone to show it to me, I probably just need to NOT try and learn a dance after a driving lesson and not be such a baby.

Up yours, Blackbird.

Blackbird Part 1

This is just to say, it is floofing torturing me. I feel like a whale in pyjama bottoms, hopping on the spot.

Brush + brush tre-ble 12 12 + brush tre-ble 12 12 + brush tre-ble 12 12 + brush treble 12 12
Brush + treble + back + treble + back 12 jump 23 + brush tre-ble in front tre-ble behind.

THEN WHAT?!

OH MY GOD Olive, why can't you s-l-o-w i-t d-o-w-n! "That's easy enough!", she gloats. Yeah, if you've known it your whole life it is. I hope I never teach like this.

That is all. I have an hour left before the boys come home. I will have the set by then. OMG.

Siege of Ennis

Last night I decided which ceili dances I'm going to tackle next. I used the remarkably unscientific method of reading through the entire book, noting down which ones looked short (in terms of number of movements) and easy (in that I kind of understood most of them already), and wrote myself a little list. Then I put them in order from shortest to longest. Here it is:

The Walls of Limerick - 4 parts - done
The Rakes of Mallow - 5 - done
Siege of Ennis - 4
The Bridge of Athlone - 4
The Siege of Carrick - 4
An Rince Mor - 5
Haymaker's Jig - 5
Rince Fada - 6 (or 4 depending on how you're counting)
Glencar Reel - 7
Harvest-time Jig - 7
Haste to the Wedding - 8 (or 5)
Antrim Reel - 8 (or 7)
The Fairy Reel - 8
Bonfire Dance 9 (or 7)

Hence it's the Siege of Ennis tonight.

I actually remember doing this one many years ago, for a school play during 'Irish Week' called "Larry and Kathleen's Wedding". I had a line, too! My very own line; "Come on lads, play the Siege of Ennis!" To this day I can't say 'Ennis' in an Irish accent. Got a laugh from the crowd, did that.

Siege of Ennis is my first jig-time ceili, so it's got the amusingly-named Rise and Grind (hop, hop back, hop back 234). Obviously I've been dancing this move in light jigs my entire life but didn't know it had a name.

"Dancers line up in fours, two couples in each line; each set of two couples stands facing another set of two couples, each gentleman on his partner's left."



Advance and retire, sides, hands across, advance retire and pass through. Dead easy. What I don't get, is how to decide which couples make the arches. It says "each set of four facing the music raise hands". Facing the music, wtf? There won't BE any music. I'm probably just going to get the left hand lines (as you look at them) make the arches, same as in the video.

Other plans for the evening - practice St Patrick's Day, do some exercise. I'm not going to pass the dancing part with my current level of fitness. Tomorrow, review the ceilis I know so far, practice St Patrick's Day, and learn the Blackbird. I'm under the impression that one's harder, so maybe only the step. I'll see how I go.

Advance and retire, sides, hands across, advance retire and pass through.

The Rakes of Mallow

I like this one.

It's one of the ceilis danced to a tune of the same name, which is annoying, as that's now a tune I've got to learn and lilt, more's the pity. I can't do karaoke, what makes them think I'm going to be comfortable lilting?! Or be nice to listen to?!

Anyway, five movements of eight bars each. Danced by any even number of trios - but the trios have to be one gent with two ladies on his right. As in:
OOX
XOO

Advance and retire, swing with opposite lady, swing with lady on right, link arms in centre, swing out.

It's the little linky bits that are going to drive me nuts when teaching. Olive has the ladies dancing in to form the circle on the last two bars of link arms in centre, but that's not in the book. Just one of those little flourishes that people add I guess - it looks neat, though.

Enough philosophising. Here it is, Olive style:



The tune's bouncy, I like.

My progress so far

To date, my entire life, I've danced very few ceilis. Here they are;
- The 4-hand reel (only the body, and when I was about twelve)
- The Siege of Ennis (but not convinced we did it book-perfect)
- The High-Cauled Cap (only the body and first figure, but I know it very well)
- Trip to the Cottage (and I always mess up the basket thing whether I'm a lady or a gent. See, I don't even know the terminology!)
- Another 8-hand which for the life of me I can't remember

So, not much to build on eh?

Now that I'm the proud owner of the blue book, I can add Walls of Limerick to that list. Never danced it before but thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I know it. And I know the names of the movements, too! Advance and retire, half right and left, dance with opposite, dance around. A tiny milestone, one that any seasoned ceili dancer would scoff at (it is, undoubtedly, the easiest dance ever), but I've got to take encouragement from somewhere. Here it is:



My knowledge of traditional sets was limited - I remember joining in with the babies when my teacher was trying to get them through St Patrick's Day, but I only joined in because I was injured and helpfully, this was about five years ago.

So on Saturday just gone I rearranged some furniture, opened the patio doors, tied up my hair, and settled down with Olive and the gang for an hour. I now know St Patrick's Day! Okay, I haven't done it in shoes yet (kind of don't have any...) but at least it's in there *points to head* and so's the tune. Not to shabby for an hour's work - considering that I'm disgustingly unfit and had to take several sit-down breaks.

That's where I was until today.

Today, I've found a list of all the set dances along with their timing, and the number of bars in the step/set. I didn't know some of them were so short! Pencilling those in for the exam. I've also got an unexplainable desire to put Is the Big Man Within? on my list - it's a dead-cert they'd ask me to dance it, surely?

Also today I found out that the Rakes of Mallow is a similarly piss-easy ceili, so that's on my list for this evening. Right now in fact, once I've posted this.

Finally, my solo dancing and teaching. I have a champ-ish level reel, slip jig and heavy jig. I've got a standard-level light jig and hop jig but these are my own teacher's choreography so I might create my own for the exam using theirs as a base. I have absolutely no set dances anymore - I can remember bits and pieces of my last competition set dance - and no hornpipe. For those of you that don't know, I need 9 complete set dances (with no repetition of steps between them), 4 in jig time, 4 in hornpipe, and a floater which can be either (helloooo, Big Man!) Oh dear.

Rakes-of-Mallow-O'Clock.