I'll just add to Rich Hart's meticulous description that during the final part
of A1, the cast-off, the active couples each walk forward as the inactive pivots
them around.
It's a lovely dance, and can be a significant challenge for folks accustomed to
the current spate of duple improper and Becket dances.
Fully three quarters of the dance (A1, A2, and B1) have pieces that are not part
of the contemporary norm.
A1: As Rich notes, actives-- and yes, this is a dance where the terms "actives"
and "inactives" are really relevant-- go straight across the set, not
diagonally. Duke Miller, famed called in upstate New York and the Monadnock
region of NH, used to call this as "Cross... down the outside, then cross... up
the middle."
In A2, it's just the active couples who form the long wave. Inactives simply
watching. With the proliferation of dances these days with "Rory O'More
balances," dancers are more accustomed to the balance and slide motion, but
newbies will need to be reminded to face the same wall during this figure. For
example, the active gent is facing the wall behind the women's line. He forms
the wave, balances right and left, slides to his right, reforms the line, all
still facing that same wall. Similarly for the active woman.
B1 Contra corners: Again, depending on your local customs, dances may have
encountered this already (Chorus Jig is the best-known classic contra with the
figure, though some people encounter it in a more modern dance such as
Alternating Corners.) Since you've already introduced contra corners to your
regular dancers, this will go more smoothly.
Finally, a key point, at the end of the active balance and swing in B2, they
must finish facing UP the set, on their proper set. Most dancers today are
accustomed to finishing a swing improper, and that will leave them on the
incorrect side. I've seen many hot-shot dancers familiar only with modern
choreography get through the dance fine until that final end of swing, and then
they're on the wrong side for all else that follows. Not a pretty sight...
Have fun with it.
David Millstone
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