28 Jun
2013
28 Jun
'13
6:34 p.m.
I'm in Oxford with a group of GA Tech undergrads and the Prof who is teaching a Jane
Austen class has requested that I teach them a bunch of ECD from that era, things that
would really have been danced then. I don't have with me the resources I had available
in the states. I need a selection of maybe a dozen dances, and a resource from which to
give them interesting tidbits about etiquette, flirtation, the circumstances of a ball
such as chaperones, the necessity for an introduction before inter gender conversation
could occur, etc. I want something as authentic as possible, but they are all newbies and
I want them to have fun. Recommendations most welcome. I have a fiddler and a Barnes
book, and notes for a few dances and any I can glean from the web, unless one of my
esteemed colleagues loans them to me. I'm confident about the teaching part, it is
more a matter of what to present.
Thanks
Andrea
Sent from my iPad
28 Jun
28 Jun
7:05 p.m.
On 6/28/2013 3:34 PM, Andrea Nettleton wrote:
I'm in Oxford with a group of GA Tech undergrads
and the Prof who is teaching a Jane Austen class has requested that I teach them a bunch
of ECD from that era, things that would really have been danced then. I don't have
with me the resources I had available in the states. I need a selection of maybe a dozen
dances, and a resource from which to give them interesting tidbits about etiquette,
flirtation, the circumstances of a ball such as chaperones, the necessity for an
introduction before inter gender conversation could occur, etc. I want something as
authentic as possible, but they are all newbies and I want them to have fun.
Recommendations most welcome. I have a fiddler and a Barnes book, and notes for a few
dances and any I can glean from the web, unless one of my esteemed colleagues loans them
to me. I'm confident about the teaching part, it is more a matter of what to
present.
Thanks
Andrea
I just send Andrea a big file of dance notes off-list. That file has
mid-1700s to early 1800s in it - probably too much, but I had it already
made up. For Jane Austen class it's probably more apropos to do
Austen's lifetime (1775-1817) than strictly Regency (1811-1820).
For extremely authentic you'd be teaching them to make up dances out of
building block figures. Many of the reconstructed Austen-era dances for
modern dancers have been tweaked; triple minors often became
three-couple sets. There's a number of 1740s or 1750s dance patterns
that are very much like c.1800 dance patterns.
Suggestions more closely focused on Austen's lifetime and general
accessiblity, as I think of them and not in the order I would present them
Haste to the Wedding (as a longways set, not Sicilian Circle)
Midnight Ramble
Young Widow
Marlbrouk Cotillion
Dover Pier
Trip to Tunbridge (contra corners, similar to Chorus Jig)
North Down Waltz
Long Odds (requires the ability to RH turn 1.5 in four bars, which may
be challenging)
Physical Snob
Prince William (crossover mirror hey _and_ contra corners!)
Rakes of Rochester
The Spaniard
The Bishop (gypsy is historically questionable)
Dover Pier
(If your fiddler doesn't like any of those tunes - and I hear "the
Bishop" can be a bear to play - it would be period practice to use the
figures with a different tune.)
Hope this helps!
-- Alan
29 Jun
29 Jun
3:10 a.m.
On Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:05:58 -0700, Alan Winston wrote:
The Bishop (gypsy is historically questionable)
(If your fiddler doesn't like any of those tunes - and I hear "the
Bishop" can be a bear to play - it would be period practice to use
the figures with a different tune.)
It's not just the gypsy - the whole modern reconstruction is
historically questionable! The original wording is:
The 1st Gent cast off and turn the 3rd Lady.
1st Lady cast off and turn the 3d Gent.
Lead thro' the top and cast off.
Hands 6 quite round.
I believe gates are a 20th century invention (along with double figure
eight and draw poussette), and as you can see it's a full circle
rather than two half circles punctuated by other moves.
I imagine Alan is referring to "Miss Dolland's Delight" - the tune set
to it by the reconstructors - with the syncopation. The original tune
is a lively jig reminiscent of "Daisy Bell", so maybe your fiddler
would prefer that and it would be historically accurate.
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://www.colinhume.com
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2 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
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Alan Winston -
Andrea Nettleton -
Colin Hume