This year we are again using a core repertoire of dances and would like your assistance in implementing it. The committee has agreed on a smaller set of dances than last year, just 10, that cover different styles, ages, set shapes and complexity. The intention is to repeat all the dances many times over the course of the year so that we become familiar with them and are able to dance them confidently, and (hopefully) to concentrate a little more on technique and dancing them well not just getting through them. The hope is that we can get some of the dances so well known we could announce them and then start the music like you once could with Sharp’s version of Newcastle or Nonesuch. We noticed a marked improvement in the dancing of several of last year’s core dances so we hope that you are finding it helpful.
Below is a list of all 10 dances in the current core. If you would like a copy of the notation, please ask Victoria or one of the other committee members. Please talk to Victoria if anything is not clear in the instructions; she has taken them from the original source where she can.
As last year, we have a chart living with the club microphone. For each week the caller will mark all the core dances that he / she has done. We will try to repeat dances – it helps to consolidate the learning – but also try to make sure all the dances get reasonably equal coverage.
We are still experimenting with the best way to approach core dances so please keep passing on feedback to any member of the committee.
Where possible, links to the notation for the dance have been included. No guarantees as to the content of other sites can be given! See also our links page for web sites which provide hints on dance (and calling) technique.
Happy dancing!
| Dance Name | Formation | Source | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whirligig | 3cpl longways | Playford | Traditional, fast, need to keep formation |
| John Tallis's Canon | Longways | Pat Shaw | Tricky, timing, precision |
| Newcastle | Square | Playford | Revised version, not the one generally done |
| Andes Anomaly | Longways Becket | Cary Ravitz | Tricky, timing, precision |
| Mr Beveridge’s Maggot | Longways | Dancing Master 1695, interpreted by Pat Shaw | This is Pat Shaw’s interpretation which is almost identical to the words in Playford. It is the version more usually done in England; in the States they tend to use Cecil Sharp’s version (AABB) still. |
| Picking Up Sticks | 3 couple longways | Dancing Master 1651, 1st edition | Traditional |
| X Marks the Spot | 2 couple | Anthony Heywood | |
| Mary K | Longways improper | Gary Roodman | Triple time, petit-fours (walking in squares) figure |
| Brief Encounter | 5 couple longways | Marj Hendy | |
| Sea Caves | 5 couple longways | Jeff Green | Scottish |