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...
Monday, 30 August 2010
Monday, 23 August 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
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.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
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.
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.
Monday, 2 August 2010
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?
- 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...
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...
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