Let's write an Xmarks dance

[Swmbo]

A great idea - but perhaps it should go even further and, if there are enough perhaps a booklet of XMTS dances? Or even, if there are enough dancers in one area, an XMTS dance - some from the XMTS list and the rest presumably made up of such things as Makin the Tartan, The Kiltmaker, The Waggle of the Kilt, Come under my Plaidie, St Andrew' Flag, Saltire Society Reel and Saltire Strathspey ....

In the meantime, as my first attempt, how about:
XMTS - 3 couple longwise set, Jig, three times through

1-8 1st couple cast one place, set advancing and turn back to back to double triangle position. Dance first half of double triangles (i.e. set facing own side, dance round each other to face opposite side) [X]
9-16 Ist couple dance out on opposite sides, cast up into 1/2 figure of 8 (end own side 2nd place) [M]
17-24 1st couple turn the 3s with appropriate hand to go outside them, dance towards each other, turn right hand to take promenade hold and up centre to 1st place (dancing out to own side on last step of the phrase [T - yes, it is upside down]
25-28 1/2 parallel figure of 8 on own sides, 1st give left shoulder to 2s to begin
29-32 All turn partners right hand [full stop at the end]

[londonpiper]

Gosh, what a marvellous response from you all!

MartinGrenoble
Thanks for the words of warning , fortunately it looks as if we're going down a different route! Perhaps you might care to draw on your expertise to make a wee contribution of a dance.

Panache

Well done for being first out of the blocks, a valiant first attempt. I'm very much looking forward to hearing how your try-out goes. I'm slightly wondering how starting the diamond pousette halfway through an eight bar phrase will go but I expect that you'll be able to work that through on the floor, as it were.

Andrewson

Very much like yours, has it got a name? Also, as the university have now gone down, I'm hoping to come over to dance with your lot tomorrow if your all meeting up, so will I perhaps be able to have a go at yours there?

The F-H.C.A.G.

You are, of course, quite right about double triangles! I originally suggested the balance in line thingy as I had the Reel of the 51st in my head at the time!
Looking forward to your dance with the double tris in.

georgeblack7

How about a tune (or tunes) indeed!!
Perhaps, once we've decided on a dance or dances, we could take that question over to the Dunsire forum and see what they can do with it?

McMurdo
There is, of course, no good reason that I can see why you couldn't write an Xmarks dance with Dolphin reels in it. I think they're great fun to do, dear old Pelorus Jack,

Keep up the good work one and all and I'll post my little contribution once my brain cell's had a chance to have a good run up to the idea.

[MartinGrenoble]

Well, since you asked, o Piper (and to show I am not against the idea, even if my previous post was rather negative) ...

The X reel, for 4 couples in a longway set.

1-8 : All take hands on sides (of the saltire) and set, then 2nd & 3rd cps cross over and cast to nearer ends in 4 steps to form lines across (ends of the saltire), and all set facing up/down.

9-16 : All advance and retire, then 2nd & 3rd cps dance Right Hands across.

17-24 : Keeping RH joined in the centre, 2nd & 3rd cps join LH with corner persons, and all set (X), turn corners halfway with LH, all set (X) again, then turn corners once round in two steps.

25-28 : 2nd & 3rd cps dance half way round anti-clockwise to own sides, while 1st & 4th cps dance 4 hands round in the centre (the Spot?).
29-32 : 1st cp, turn inward to dance up and cast off into 2nd place, while 4th cp turn inward to dance down and cast up inyo 3rd place.

Repeat from new positions.

How about that to add to the list?
Martin

[londonpiper]

Well, since you asked, o Piper (and to show I am not against the idea, even if my previous post was rather negative) ...

The X reel, for 4 couples in a longway set.

1-8 : All take hands on sides (of the saltire) and set, then 2nd & 3rd cps cross over and cast to nearer ends in 4 steps to form lines across (ends of the saltire), and all set facing up/down.

9-16 : All advance and retire, then 2nd & 3rd cps dance Right Hands across.

17-24 : Keeping RH joined in the centre, 2nd & 3rd cps join LH with corner persons, and all set (X), turn corners halfway with LH, all set (X) again, then turn corners once round in two steps.

25-28 : 2nd & 3rd cps dance half way round anti-clockwise to own sides, while 1st & 4th cps dance 4 hands round in the centre (the Spot?).
29-32 : 1st cp, turn inward to dance up and cast off into 2nd place, while 4th cp turn inward to dance down and cast up inyo 3rd place.

Repeat from new positions.

How about that to add to the list?
Martin

Martin, this sounds great. I'd hoped to try out at least some of the other dances on this post on Wednesday with the Uni group but we spent most of the evening working on a highland demo for our ball next year so didn't have time or energy. I'm hoping to be able to give it a go before Xmas though.

[MartinGrenoble]

I'd hoped to try out at least some ... but we spent most of the evening...

How nice it would be to plan an evening's program!
But, no, something always happens to stop one from doing the dances one intended to do. My usual problem at this time of year, when the dance hall is too cold for comfort, is finding dances that keep everyone moving, not just 4-couple sets. Can't have half a dozen people sitting out. In fact, as we are never either 8 nor 16, we have to improvise and adapt quite a lot, and the 4-couple dances are pushed aside in favour of 5-, 6-, and 7-couple arrangements.
My other problem is teaching a group whose former teacher still attends and "suggests" this dance or that, never mind whether I know it or not!

Back to the dance I submitted: it has been tried, and it works.

Martin

[Andrewson]

Gosh, what a marvellous response from you all!

...

Andrewson

Very much like yours, has it got a name? Also, as the university have now gone down, I'm hoping to come over to dance with your lot tomorrow if your all meeting up, so will I perhaps be able to have a go at yours there?

...

Thanks. I did name it the "XS Reel" which can certainly be pronounced as "excess". My tongue was in my cheek when I wrote that. Although I greatly enjoy devising dances I have to recognise that with over 13,000 published dances already the world is not exactly in need of any more.

We'll be pleased to see you tomorrow night but I am not sure we will get to try out the dance. We danced Burnieboozle tonight. That's another with the "dance to corner and set" figure and it caused quite a bit of confusion and chaos. I was dancing with a very inexperienced dancer and she gave up after a few walk-throughs. It was certainly not her fault because others in the set were hesitating and forgetting to set for 2 bars and thereby making it very difficult to dance properly. But it did make me wonder if I am brave enough to teach it to a group with a similar mix of experienced and inexperienced dancers tomorrow.

[londonpiper]

Just a quick update to let you all know that we danced Andrewson's XS reel tonight and great fun it is too though not, I think it's fair to say, one for complete beginners as it's fast and furious and you have to keep your wits about you. Hesitate and you're lost! Hope Jamies try out goes well.

[Panache]

Our class was very large and very busy last night.

We didn't have an opportunity to try it.

Sorry, maybe we will get a report from Kiltman?

Cheers

Jamie

[londonpiper]

Our class was very large and very busy last night.

We didn't have an opportunity to try it.

Sorry, maybe we will get a report from Kiltman?

Cheers

Jamie

Not to worry Jamie. It occurs to me that, given Christmas, Hogmanay and Burn's night all looming in the near future, I could have chosen a quieter time of year to start this thread.

[Andrewson]

Just a quick update to let you all know that we danced Andrewson's XS reel tonight ...

As always when a new dance is danced for the first time it becomes obvious where greater clarity in the instructions is needed and where changes have to be made. So here, for the record, is the tried and tested version of The XS Reel:

The XS Reel
A 32 bar reel for 3C in a 4C set
Music: Any good 32 bar Reel; suggest Track 9 on RSCDS Book 41 The Blackwater Reel (David Cunningham and his Scottish Dance Band)

Bars 1-4
1st couple set and cast off one place to face 1st corners
Bars 5-16
Dance to corners and set, 1st couple end facing 1st corners in 3rd corner position
5- 6 1s change places with 1st corners passing RSh & 1st corners pass RSh with a ¼ turn to right in centre to face 2nd corners (as 2nd corners set),
7- 8 Original 1st corners change places with 2nd corners passing RSh & 2nd corners pass RSh with a ¼ turn to right to face 1s in 3rd corner (position) as 1C set
9-10 Original 2nd corners change places with 1s passing RSh & 1s pass RSh with a ¼ turn to right to face 2nd corner (position) as orig 1st corners set
11-16 Repeat this Fig once more until 1C end in centre facing 3rd corner positions with 3s & 2s in 1st & 3rd places opposite sides

Bars 17-24
1M picks up 3L in normal promenade hold (1M with 3L on his RHS) and dances a figure of eight round 3M and 2L giving RS to 3M to begin and ending by returning 3L to her original position, while 1L picks up 2M in a promenade hold in which 1L has 2M on her RHS and dances a figure of eight round the same two standing couples (1M&3L pass 1L&2M LS in the middle) returning 2M to his original position
Bars 25-28
1C dance ½ reel of 4 with 3M & 2L giving RS, 1M to 3M, 1L to 2L, to begin and ending in 2nd place
Bars 29-32
All turn partner to end 2,1,3 on own sides

Repeat having passed a couple.

I am very grateful to Martin in Grenoble for his suggestions on bars 17-32. It saved me great embarrassment at the debut where we did, as londonpiper has kindly said, have great fun (and only a little confusion) with it. I only regret that I missed doing the dance because I was calling it.