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?!
Thursday 29 July 2010
Monday 26 July 2010
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!
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!
Saturday 17 July 2010
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.
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.
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