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.

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.