Crossover

Teaching Sweets and had a panic about Cross Over and Back. I know in Cross Over and Lead Around the gents pass shoulder to shoulder and I know in Circle Round and Hands Across the ladies go shoulder to shoulder. So I dithered and sent them gents left to left. OF COURSE it is gents left to left. I know this, I know I know it. Stop second guessing yourself, you're absolutely fine.

15 days.

I don't know what to write.

I thought it was probably about time I posted an update, but I've been staring at the screen for a few minutes thinking about what on earth I could write.

I've gone to my Monday ceili class every week. Occasionally we co-teach, other times like last night I just participate. I'm not at all confident with teaching. I don't even speak loudly enough! Perhaps it's because they're an established group already and I'm the new girl, I just feel a bit out of my depth and I much prefer just dancing along rather than teaching along. That's all I expected when we joined - I just wanted to learn by dancing. They've been very good to me by allowing me to teach but I didn't expect it at all.

We've been working on the Cross Reel for a wee while which is ace because I'd never danced it before. Lead, Extended Sides, Full Chain, Gentlemen Interlace, Back to Back, Exchange Places, Figure of Eight and Ring, Circle Round and Hands Across, Finish. I do remember things!

Solo dancing, very apathetic at the moment. I'm so injured and although I'm having physio for various things, it seems to be making other areas worse. For example my Achilles aren't playing up anymore, but instead the outer calf is killing me. My arches aren't improving and I sprained my toe the week before last whilst practising solos so I haven't done any practice since then. My leg that nearly killed me is so weak.

I think dancing's making me quite sad at the moment because I truly thought I could get there, however long it took, but it seems I can't.

"If you get it wrong, you have to get it right. You can't just leave it."

Wise words from a ten-year-old. And she (Julia, Jig) is right - you can't just leave it. This is why I was never a particularly good dancer. I would start off practising my reel, only I couldn't get the timing or I couldn't do that bicycle...so I'd move on to slip jig instead. What Julia, or Brogan, or Claire would have done, is to keep practising until the timing was stuck in my head, or get between two chairs and figure out that bicycle. And to be fair, that's not even just a champion's mindset. That's just a hardworking mindset.

It's slowly dawning on me that things worth doing need work. Why did I never put my shoes on and drill trebles? Why did I just accept that I would miss them occasionally on my left foot? Now that I've drilled, I don't miss them on my left foot. Why did I just accept that I couldn't hit clicks? Now that I've drilled, now that I've actually caught on to the concept of pointing and turning out, I CAN hit them. Not consistently still, but I'm getting there, because I am no longer just leaving it when I get it wrong. This is so infuriating to me. Ten year olds know this stuff - why didn't I? I did know it deep down, but why didn't I apply myself?

I can't remember whether I wrote about Monday's class or not. There again, during the warm up I was really concentrating on turning out and crossing my skips. I looked down, and everything was where it was supposed to be. It was working.

I ran through Sweets again, and caught up the people who hadn't been there the previous week. It was R's first time doing it as she couldn't go last week so she was nervous, but picked it up a treat. Such a lovely dance. We then moved on to Cross Reel and I took turns teaching it with the regular teacher - he's definitely better than me! I'm too meek. I need to speak up and have a bit more fun with it. We got through lead, extended sides, full chain and gentlemen interlace - next week back-to-back, which I've never taught and can only dance as top gent or lady. Nevertheless, should be interesting. No class next week due to the bank holiday so just my Wednesday practice session - more heavy jig work. No use moving on until I've got both steps PROPERLY right, because as Julia says: "If you get it wrong, you have to get it right. You can't just leave it."

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.

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.