Cork Traditional Sets

Really interesting. With the exception of Garden of Daisies, which is similar to the version I know but performed differently, not many of these set dances are anything like the ones I know. I've seen many different variations over the years but I've never seen some of these. St Patrick's Day in particular. I genuinely didn't even know there was more than one version of the 'Lion's Claw' step.

Performed by dancers from the McTeggart school after a workshop with Maureen McTeggart-Hall, ADCRG.

Three Sea Captains

I uploaded some grabs of the Olive dvd for the TCRG Voy Board so I thought I'd post them here too. I think this one could be my favourite:





I'd seriously recommend buying these DVDs. I got mine from Antonio Pacelli - along with the ceili DVDs, these have been a lifesaver.

Four out of five.

Weekend was fairly productive.

1 - gently run my traditional sets - done! Kicked myself in the shin two bars into St Patrick's Day and set off a nice little bruise, but it was an ok session apart from that. St Pat's itself was fine, not my favourite trad set. I feel like I sink too much in the four trebles. In the Blackbird I tangled my feet in the step (tried to go 'and brush and brush treble and back 23' when of course there's no 'back') but started again and it was fine. Garden I really struggled with especially in the step, but I got myself back on it. I probably haven't danced it since my exam so it's always going to be rusty. Jockey was ok considering it's still quite new to me and I've practised it a grand total of about four time. Three Seas similar - need to work out which foot I'm on in the boxes. Job I actually did correctly all the way through at the first time of asking for the first time in my ENTIRE life. And King, although I only did the step, was ok. More on this....

2 - review King, because it's not sticking in my brain - in progress. I've done a video clip on my phone so that I don't have to always put the dvd on to review, but it's still a source of confusion in places. Must try to actually dance it now.

3 - attempt some hornpipe choreography - well, yes. I've got 8 bars that look really nice in my head and would be good for both dancing and teaching, but my feet won't move fast enough because in my infinite genius I put in a move I can't do. Yet.

4 - work on the new sequence I've learnt recently - forgot about this one.

5 - identify areas for study, ceili-wise - yes, done. Basically I thought through every single dance and wrote a list of things I wasn't sure about - like "which was does the ring go in dance x" or "which side do the gents cross in movement y". I then used the book to answer all my own questions which was quite a useful exercise.

As there's less free time during the working week, I am going to give myself another five tasks but this time I've got five days rather than two. Here we go for w/c 29th April:

1 - go to dancing tonight and practice on a further occasion (definitely heavies, probably trads)
2 - continue to review King
3 - review the ceilis of the first dvd (easier than going in book order as you don't have to keep changing the disc)
4 - hornpipe choreography (I'm scrapping a couple of sets and starting again)
5 - work on the new jig sequence I learnt recently (carried over from the weekend)

Three Sea Captains met the King of the Fairies...

...and had a wee dance together.

I am 99% of the way there in terms of completing the traditional set dances!

I've actually lost count of the amount of times I've wound and rewound the DVD - I recorded a video of it onto my phone for easier rewinding and easy, 24/7 access to the steps. I've written and rewritten and colour coded and watched and watched, and I'm close. Three Seas I know, and I can almost dance. King I'm fairly sure I know, but haven't properly danced.

So I guess with that, my original aim is complete. I wanted to learn all of the Coimisiun ceilis and traditional sets because I felt I wasn't a complete dancer/fan/enthusiast/obsessive of the dance form without this knowledge. And now I have it. I know all the traditional dances that one could possibly rock up at a feis and dance. I'm quite pleased with that.

Three Seas

Tip and down treble-treble and a back tip and change
Out and kick out and kick out and brush heel and down
Back rock 23 back rock 23
Tip and down heel and down and back tip and change

Tip and down treble-treble and a back tip and change
Tip and down treble-treble and a back tip and change
Treble-treble and back treble-treble and back
Treble 1 treble 2 treble 1234
Tip out tip and back tip and change tip and down
Tip out tip and back tip and change tip and down
Tip and down hop back tip and cut to your heel
Tip and down, tip box 23 treble and a heel,
Back and down back and down brush and box234
Tip and down, heel treble and a back tip and change



Not quite as polished as Olive's lot but you get the general idea I hope.

King

Brush down kick heel-and-a-heel-and-a-heel-and-a-down
Kick treble and treble and treble and treble and
Up cut down and up cut onto your heel and treble and back
Brush down brush down kick cut down
Treble and a back 12 and point and back 12
Brush down kick treble and tre-ble and a kick and down

And brush and brush treble and 123
Brush treble and treble and twist 23
Hop 23 and over and onto your heel brush and treble and back
And brush kick treble-and-treble and kick and 123 down kick box 234
Down treble and back and treble and toe, stamp, treble and treble and
Tre-ble and a heel kick down brush cut down box 23 and 123
Treble and treble and down treble and back
And brush kick heel 234 and change, stamp, brush 2, 3, 4, and back treble and back brush treble up tre-ble and a back



This music seems extra fast to me so well done to them for keeping up! Watch the lady in the white top if, like me, you struggled with the bit after "hop 23 and over and onto your heel brush treble and back".

"And that's it! Let's look at the dancers..."

"New" traditional sets

I'm well on my way with these.

Jockey to the Fair

Tip and down tip and cross tip and down tip and stamp-stamp, and stamp-stamp, and stamp-stamp,
and step hit your heel tip and step hit your heel
tip and box 234
treble-treble and a back tip and up hop back

Treble-treble and a 1234567
Treble-treble and a 1234567
Treble-treble and up cut tip down and tip down
Hop back treble 1 treble 2
and treble and a stamp
Brush, 2, 3, 4,
and step hit your heel tip and treble and back
Tip and box 234
Treble-treble and a back



King of the Fairies

Tip down kick* heel and a heel and a heel and a down
Kick treble and treble and treble and treble
And up cut down and up cut onto your heel treble and back
Tip 1 tip 2 kick cut down
Treble and a back 12, and point and back 12
Tip down kick treble and tre-ble and a kick and down

I've only got as far as the step on this, really. I know the first 2 bars of the set but not worth typing it until I know it all. "Kick" refers to kicking the heel of one shoe with the toes of the other - on this slowed-down video the dancer is doing toes at the back (as in tapping the toes off the floor), but the toes should be hitting the back of the other shoe. Coimisiun do actually specifically that toes shouldn't be done in place of heel-kicks.



Three Sea Captains

Tip down treble-treble and a tip over down
Change and kick out and kick out and tip and heel down
Back rock 23, back rock 23
Tip down and heel down
And back tip and cross

FAST! Again I've only got the step so far.



Plan for February - work on the sets of both and then dance the shit out of them.