Yesterday I used ChatGPT to write a Scottish Country Dance lesson plan. I conclude that SCD teachers are not going to be under threat any time soon! It suggested The Duke of Perth as a simple dance for a mixed ability group and wanted it to be repeated at a faster and faster tempo over a 20 minute period. All this was written in very plausible language but SCD is clearly a niche in the dance world that the model will take a while to get right – it wanted figures of eight to take 16 bars and reels of three 32 bars (and included some highly improbable geography). Despite correcting it, it also kept referring to a couple finishing a formation in “first position” rather than in “first place” – though it did amend this to “first position (first place)”. The nonsense content is obviously drawing on the wide world of dance and that also provided some good content – a comprehensive list of what the teacher and the dancers need to bring for example and a strong warm up part of the lesson, devoting much more time to that than usually happens for SCD.

A few days earlier, while visiting Auckland I attended the nearest SCD club, that meant a 20 minute brisk walk to get there and I arrived just in time to join in the10 minute warm up routine. That combination would be good every club night.

We are back to dancing every week (unless otherwise posted).

2023 marks 100 years since the formation of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in November 2023.

One of the ways that this is being marked in New Zealand is “Pick up 52”: clubs and dance groups were invited to video a dance from one of the RSCDS published dance books and these videos are being uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel. Pick up 52

The idea is to reflect Scottish Country Dance as it is happening week by week at clubs throughout the country (rather than a set of demonstration videos). Lawrence is taking part in this and the video clip will be put up shortly, in addition here is the whole video of the dance being danced eight times through in a three couple set – there were a lot of people away that night Knit the Pocky

After several weeks of wet and windy weather on Wednesdays, we finally had a fine one.

Back in February but here is MacDonald of the Isles

Great music from Sharlene Penman and here is a video summary: Lawrence November 2020

Gunn of Kilearnan was in our November programme as a “thank you” to Janine Gunn who is the driving force behind the Lake Roxburgh group. Here is the dance (once through), devised by Gary Morris and published in the Harbour City book: Gunn of Kilearnan

Club nights have now stopped until 2021

For Lawrence dancers wanting to do some homework on the Strathspey Pousette (“diamond pousette”), it was taught in the RSCDS On-line Class last week by Robert McOwen, here is the link to the recording of the class, he starts teaching the pousette at about 40 minutes in (00:40:00 on the timer bottom left) On-line Class 22 July

It was also recapped (particularly the phrasing) by Gary Coull in the Summer Celebration session Wednesday 29th July (UK time) Summer Celebration 29 July  at about 00:39:40, and covered once again and then danced by Duncan Brown (and family) at about 01:23:29. Duncan also covers the rondel starting at about 01:19:20.

We need to try to make sure that we return to dancing (at what every time in the future) in as good physical condition as possible.

Here is a link to a clip I was sent by The Recovery Room (physios in Dunedin) with some good simple exercises to keep your back working, I have managed to do them more or less every day – it doesn’t take long. Recovery Room – back health

Doing one of the warm-up exercises every day (Amazing Grace or the Mervyn Short – links in earlier weeks) – during daylight hours in the morning feels better to me than in the evening.

Keep connected to other SC Dancers – have a look at what the Italian family have been doing (link last week) or watch the weekly lesson from somewhere in the world Dancer Scottish at Home Classes go to the “On-line Classes” menu at the bottom and then you can see the “previous classes” all listed. Or of course you could join the live class at 6:00Am Thursday mornings.

Warm-up

Mervyn Short’s warm-up (see the instructions in last week’s post)

Formation

Stepping up and immediately dance skip change of step.

This is usually for 2nd couple, for example if first couple lead down and up (for 3) and then cast off followed by 2nd and 1st couple dancing rights and lefts). It is more common for 2nd man (than 2nd woman) as he has also to do this if 1st couple cast and face their 1st corner.

What we want is for 2nd couple to look as though the stepping up and dancing is all one planned movement and not as if they have been taken by surprise. The problem is that for skip change of step the hop (and extension of the right leg) come before the first beat of the bar (on the first beat the dancer is stepping on to the fully extended right) but meanwhile stepping up takes 2 bars of music ( step-cross-step together on the 2nd and 4th beats of the two bars), so the couple stepping up are both completing the step up (“together”) and hopping and extending their right leg. Something is going to have to give.

The solution is anticipation – be ready for the hop so that both couples are moving at the same time. This is easier for 2nd man than 2nd women. 2nd man is standing on his left leg as he closes the right “together” and (importantly) is on the balls of his feet so that as his right comes together he can hop on the left and change direction of the right. 2nd woman has a trickier time, she is standing on her right foot which needs to be released before it can be extended ie she needs to be hopping on the left foot which is at that moment the one that is moving “together”. So she must get the left foot into place (again must be on balls of the feet) and hop in the amount of time that she would normally just come “together”.

Here are a couple of examples with the stepping up and dancing done very neatly

Mairrit Man’s Favourite (Book 24)

Lead down and up, crossing and casting followed by half rights and lefts

Pluto’s Head (Book 51)

Lead down and up and cast followed by rights and lefts

1st couple can help the appearance by not passing through second place too early – they should be passing through it on the first beat of the bar and not before, slow down if necessary. Here is a clip of a dance being done in a very confined space (during lock-down in Italy) where 1st couple are careful to not be ahead (to the point of pausing slightly). The stepping up comes on bars 23 and 24. The Lads of Saltcoats (MMM)

Fun stuff to look at

Here are 4 dancers in lock-down in Italy doing a lot of 2 couple dances in a confined space well. Quite inspiring. “Damn Virus We Will Defeat You”

Dance

A Jig for Mrs Dunn A Jig for Mrs Dunn

Bars 1 to 8     1st couple dance a Figure of 8 round 2nd couple

Bars 9 to 16   1st couple lead down the middle and up (remaining in the middle, 2nd couple step in on bar 16)

Bars 17 to 24 1st and 2nd couple Promenade and 1st couple cast to 2nd place

Bars 25 to 32 2nd and 1st couple circle 4 hands round and back

Be careful with the phrasing of the Promenade, it is different from a standard 2 couple Promenade. Here are the 8 bars:

Bar 1   Both couple dance a small step diagonally to right and 1st man wheels to left bringing his ptnr beside him, 2nd couple follow them

Bar 2  1st couple dance across to the men’s side and face down, 2nd couple follow them

Bar 3  1st couple dance down the men’s side, 2nd couple follow them

Bar 4  1st couple dance down and into the middle, 2nd couple dance down men’s side

Bar 5  1st couple dance up middle, 2nd couple dance down men’s side

Bar 6  1st couple dance up middle, 2nd couple dance into middle and face up

Bar 7 and 8  1st couple release hands and cast off into 2nd place, 2nd couple dance up and diagonally out to 1st place