Category: Irish Set
Description:
This set was revived by Mickey Kelly, John Joe Geraghty, Eamonn and Mary Connolly and the Newport Dancers.
Notes from Toss The Feathers by Pat Murphy, reproduced with permission.
Additional notes from Set Dancing News.
“THE HORNPIPE FIGURE - The step danced throughout this figure by the source set quoted below is very different from that normally danced to a hornpipe in that the weight is always carried on the ball of the foot except when the heel is dropped for emphasis in much the same way that ‘brush’ is used in the jig figure. So dancers rise on to the balls of both feet to start, and dance drop1, drop2, drop1 2 3 (2 bars) repeated right through the figure.
Having said that, I imagine most dancers would be happy enough with the normal hornpipe step, and why not?
THE POLKA FIGURE - the step danced throughout this figure, apart from the long polka, is brush1 2 3, brush2 2 3, brush3 2 3, brush4 2 3 etc.”
Figure 1: Diagonal line (Jig)
264 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
The steps in this figure are, 123, 123 when moving forward or back and 1-2, 123 when dancing on the spot. All the swings are for 6 bars. dancing 1-2, 123 for the last 2 bars.
 |
 |
| 1 | Everyone Dance in & back Holding crossed hands in front, all couples advance (2b), dance in place (2b), retire and turn to lead around. |
8 |
| 2 | Long lead halfway Lead around to the next position, dance on the spot, dance to opposite position and dance in place, ladies facing in and gents facing out of the set. | 8 |
| 3 | Swing & lead home All couples swing in waltz hold (6 bars); take crossed hands again (2b) and lead around to home (8b) | 16 |
| 4 | Tops Advance & pick up lady Top couple leads across, holding right hands, and top gent takes opposite lady’s left hand, both ladies facing him (4b). He reverses to place, ladies dancing forward, bringing his hands back on to the ladies’ shoulders, as they turn in beside him (4b). |
8 |
| 5 | Wheelbarrow The three advance, dance on the spot and the gent dances back, second top lady facing him, as top lady crosses to the other gent. | 8 |
| 6 | Swing Top couples swing, all with the opposite lady or gent. | 8 |
| 7 | Repeat 4 to 6 Second top gent leading. | 24 |
| 8 | Sides Dance 4 to 6 First side gent (on left of first tops) leading. |
24 |
| 9 | Repeat 4 to 6 Second side gent leading. | 24 |
| 10 | Tops Advance & retire to sides Top couples dance to the right into a diagonal line, gents in the centre, dance in place, retire and dance in place (8b). They dance to the left into a diagonal line, ladies in the centre, dance on the spot and top gent dances to face opposite lady in the centre, while their partners reverse to place (8b). |
16 |
| 11 | 1st top gent Swing with opposite lady Top gent and opposite lady swing (6b) and reverse to place. |
8 |
| 12 | Tops Dance 10 and 11 Second top gent and top lady swinging. |
24 |
| 13 | Sides Dance 10 and 11 First side gent and opposite lady swinging. |
24 |
| 14 | Repeat 10 and 11 Second side gent and opposite lady swinging. | 24 |
| 15 | Tops Ladies chain with middle turn Top ladies chain with right arms, dancing a full turn in the centre; then a full turn with left arms around the opposite gent, continuing until they are facing in on his left-hand side, in a circle of four. |
8 |
| 16 | Swing in four Swing in four (6b) and reverse to place (2b). | 8 |
| 17 | Sides Dance 15 and 16 |
16 |
| 18 | Everyone Advance and retire Advance, dance on the spot. retire. dance in place. |
8 |
Figure 2: Gates (Hornpipe)
176 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
The steps in this figure are: hop 1, hop 2, hop 123 all through.
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| 1 | Everyone Advance and retire Holding right hands, all couples advance, dance on the spot, retire and dance in place. |
8 |
| 2 | Turn the ladies around the set With ladies in front of their partners, all dance clockwise in single file around the set. Ladies turn four times, right hand in right, (anticlockwise) in the first position on the left (4b), left hand in left (clockwise) in opposite position (4b), right hand in right (anticlockwise) in the third position (4b) and left hand in left (clockwise) into their own places, this time with the gents turning (clockwise) into place inside them (4b). | 16 |
| 3 | Tops Advance & retire diamond Holding crossed hands, couples dance to the couple on their left (2b), dance on the spot facing them (2b), reverse into opposite positions (2b) and dance in place there (2b). They repeat the movements back to home. |
16 |
| 4 | Sides Advance & retire diamond Holding crossed hands, couples dance to the couple on their left (2b), dance on the spot facing them (2b), reverse into opposite positions (2b) and dance in place there (2b). They repeat the movements back to home. |
16 |
| 5 | Everyone Ladies dance in Ladies dance in, turning (anticlockwise) to face their partners, take crossed hands and they dance (anticlockwise) around each other, turning twice. |
8 |
| 6 | Gents dance in Gents dancing in clockwise and turning clockwise. | 8 |
| 7 | Tops Ladies arm chain ladies dance forward (R/R) (2b), take right arms and turn once around each other (2b), dance forward (L/L) (2b) and turn with left arm around opposite gent to face back (2b). They repeat the movements, crossing back to place. |
16 |
| 8 | Sides Ladies arm chain ladies dance forward (R/R) (2b), take right arms and turn once around each other (2b), dance forward (L/L) (2b) and turn with left arm around opposite gent to face back (2b). They repeat the movements, crossing back to place. |
16 |
| 9 | 1st Tops Gates couples dance into line, leading couple in the centre holding hands low, opposite couple moving apart to the outside. All turn with the free hand (leading gent’s left, leading lady’s right) around the opposite person (4b), dance back to place and turn in; then forward (4b). |
8 |
| 10 | 2nd Tops Gates couples dance into line, leading couple in the centre holding hands low, opposite couple moving apart to the outside. All turn with the free hand (leading gent’s left, leading lady’s right) around the opposite person (4b), dance back to place and turn in; then forward (4b). |
8 |
| 11 | 1st Sides Gates couples dance into line, leading couple in the centre holding hands low, opposite couple moving apart to the outside. All turn with the free hand (leading gent’s left, leading lady’s right) around the opposite person (4b), dance back to place and turn in; then forward (4b). |
8 |
| 12 | 2nd Sides Gates couples dance into line, leading couple in the centre holding hands low, opposite couple moving apart to the outside. All turn with the free hand (leading gent’s left, leading lady’s right) around the opposite person (4b), dance back to place and turn in; then forward (4b). |
8 |
| 13 | Everyone Chain Gents face left and ladies face right. Dance forward to the corners (R/R), turn with right arms around the lady or gent; then dance forward to the next position (L/L) and turn with left arm around the next person (8b). Repeat three times, going around the set to home (24b). Back at home, each lady turns (clockwise) under the gent's arm, as he turns (clockwise) inside her into place. |
32 |
| 14 | Advance and retire All advance, dance on the spot, retire, dance in place (right hand in right hand). | 8 |
Figure 3: Sevens around (Polka)
232 Bars + 8 bar lead-in
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| 1 | Everyone Advance and retire All advance and retire twice in a circle. |
8 |
| 2 | House All couples house around. | 8 |
| 3 | Tops Top couples cross over and back Dancing ‘sevens’. They step with weight on to the leading foot and, keeping the weight on the leading foot, complete the ‘sevens’ twice on the way over. Gents dance L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L and Ladies dance R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R on the way over, dancing around the other couple without turning (4b). Starting on the other foot (gents on the right, ladies on the left), they dance the same steps on the way back to place (4b). |
8 |
| 4 | House Top couples house around each other. | 8 |
| 5 | Sides Dance 3 and 4 |
16 |
| 6 | Everyone Advance and retire All advance and retire twice in a circle, ladies move on to the right. |
8 |
| 7 | House All couples house around. | 8 |
| 8 | Repeat 3 to 7 Repeat three times, all dancing the house with their own partners the last time. | 144 |
| 9 | Advance, retire & chain Holding right hands, all couples advance (2b), retire facing each other (2b) and chain all round (12 bars). | 16 |
| 10 | Swing All couples swing in place. | 8 |
Added on 2013-05-27 14:41:32.
Modified on 2016-10-08 19:33:10.
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Modified on 2016-10-08 19:33:10.
Sign in to see who added or last modified this dance.