Warm-up

We’re going to use a warm-up that UK SCD teacher Mervyn Short used for the RSCDS online “Dance Scottish at Home” class last week. Mervyn took my class at the Cambridge Summer School, he is a wonderful teacher and it is a bit of a bonus to be able to have his teaching again so soon. The Dance Scottish at Home classes are live every week at 6:00AM NZ time and a recording of them is made available by Saturday (NZ time). The teacher each week is a surprise. The class recordings can be found here Dance Scottish at Home Classes Mervyn’s class is the one on 15th April, the warm-up starts at about 12 minutes 30 secs into the recording if you want to skip the hellos and getting things sorted at the beginning.

Bar 1 to 4 – March on spot for 4 bars (8 steps, 4 each leg – obviously alternate each leg!)

Bar 5 to 8 – Forward R and L, back R and L, repeat

Bar 9 to 12 – Step to side –R together, R together, L together, L together

Bar 13 to 16 – Single side steps R together L together, R together L together

Bar 17 to 24 Forward R, L, R then point L heel to floor; back L,R,L then point R heel to floor, Repeat.

Bar 25 to 32 4 Pas de basque (just movement, no impact or lift) then skip change of step forward for 2 and back for 2 (again no elevation and impact)

Go through this 4 times, being more energetic and taking longer steps each time and adding arms.

This will be best done with some music, since you may not have much of a SCD music collection here is a link to a suitable two-step, ignore the video and the general hubbub of chat (if the musicians are playing it is for a reason and that is to dance)

https://youtu.be/8KkoExPh9H4?t=37

Dance

Tarry a While (RSCDS 1st Graded Book)

A simple dance that you can dance on your own (or with whoever is in your bubble) with “ghosts” making up the missing dancers. Make sure that hands are at the right height (the ghosts will not be able to help you – you have to support the weight of your own hand), that you make eye contact and smile at the ghosts and make the pousette a crisp square shape with good 90 degree corners. Here is a link to a video of the dance being done well in a small living room Tarry a while

The Dance instructions:

Bars 1 to 8 1st Man and 2nd Lady turn R hand and then L hand

Bars 9 to 16 1st Lady and 2nd Man turn R hand and then L hand but for 1 1/4 times to end in diagonal line taking R hand with their partner

Bars 17 to 20 Balance-in-line – setting twice

Bars 21 to 24 1st Lady and 2nd man turn 3/4 meeting their partners (who step in) ready for:

Bars 25 to 32 Pousette

And the diagram:

Dance the dance through twice, make sure that you are standing ready to dance when you need to come in – in this dance everyone has bars of dancing and standing so listen carefully to the music and be ready.