Book One revision

I haven't touched the vast majority of ceilis for absolutely ages. We do the Four Hand Reel (but no figures) and a few of the Eight-Hands in class, but for months I haven't even looked at a past paper, video, or Ar Rinci Foirne itself. It's about time I started revising again so today I tried to write them all out, in book order. Not in full, obviously, just movement names, formations and numbers of bars.

First of all Book One.

I didn't get them in book order. Put Siege in before Humours rather than 9th. BUT - I didn't get anything wrong. All movement names present and correct, all bars correct. The girl done good. But I want to revise...

1) Four Hand Reel, 1st figure - Figure of Eight and Rings of Three
2) High Cauled Cap, 2nd figure - Circle and Cross, both versions
3) 16 Hand Reel, all
4) Humours of Bandon, both figures - Advance Through Centre and Centre Meet
5) Eight Hand Jig, 2nd figure - Right and Left Chain and Right Hand to Opposite Lady

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.