THE RODNEY ROOMS DANCES
SECOND SET

BY

Douglas J Dean

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THESE ARE REALLY PARTIAL RODNEY ROOMS DANCES

Why ‘Partial Rodney Rooms Dances’? Except for ‘Valerie & Bill’s Wedding’ all these dances were written at the same time as the Rodney Rooms Dances but originally did not quite flow properly. Figures taken from later dances have completely transformed these dances. ‘Roy Clowes’ once said that ‘Shiftin Bobbins’ was a whole dance and teaching it as a series of separate figures would lead to jerky dancing that would snap the thread coming off the bobbins. I believe that all dances should be a whole and not a set of parts; hence, until the comments received after the first booklet these dances have received little exposure to the dancer. I have always believed that you should always finish one figure facing the correct way to start the next figure and ‘Shiftin Bobbins’ does just that.

One of the early dances that I always found difficult to teach beginners was ‘Miss Mary Douglas’. Traditionally, when there are no additional instructions, reels of 3 on the sides are taken to be right shoulder reels and this means that the Reel in the first 8 bars finishes with the 1st lady travelling in an outwards direction towards her own place and the 2nd Cpl. travelling up the dance. This means that all three of them have to reverse their motion to start the Grand Chain in the next 8 Bars. In addition, because of their direction of travel, it would be natural for both of the 3rd Cpl. to give left hands when starting the Grand Chain. The Grand Chain finishes with the 1st Man changing place with the left hand and having to do the polite turn to face in to be ready to dance in to collect his partner for down the middle and back. Beginners do not always find the polite turn natural and, hence, the 1st Man often lags his partner when starting to go down the dance when he should be doing the leading. The dance finishes with the 1st Cpl. crossing to their own side in 2nd place, i.e. the 1st Lady naturally flows out to start her reel while the 1st Man has to quickly change direction. It is dancers such as this that have resulted in me always trying to make dances flow from one figure to the next.

I would like to thank the authors, living and dead, known and anonymous, of the borrowed figures for the use of the following figures.

‘Alison’s Strathspey’ was transformed from a difficult Reel to an easy Strathspey with the advent of Derek Haynes’ ‘Neidpath Castle’. Derek’s ending for ‘Celtic Cross’ inspired the ending of ‘Around about in St. George’s Hall’ which was an attempt to incorporate the spirit of the ‘Swinging Eightsome’ popular in the late 40s and early 50s, when those of us in our teens and early 20s enjoyed the freedom to let our hair down a bit in the dance. The ‘Bracknell Strathspey’ had the 3 couple Rights and Lefts added for teaching purposes and its ending greatly simplified by the advent of the 3 couple Allemande from ‘21st of September’.

What with all that and the inclusion of Derek’s Snowball Grand Chain to improve the flow, I felt it needed a new name as I might use the removed figures from the original dance in another one sometime. The first 8 Bars of ‘The Gates of Edinburgh’ allowed the tidying of the last 12 bars of ‘Ferry Boats on the Mersey’ and the advent of ‘Irish Rover’ allowed a complex last 16 bars in ‘Jerusalem Farm’ to be reduced to a well known and understood 8 bar figure. Roy Clowes’ ‘Dundee Whaler’ allowed ‘Lady Stoneycroft’ to become a reasonable dance. Finally, ‘Where Are We Going’ used to finish with a Poussette which less experienced dancers used to find difficult because the 1st Cpl. were progressing up the dance, hence the name. When I was short of dancers and tried to make it a 3 Cpl. dance and used a figure of 8 the dance started to flow better. ‘Valerie & Bill’s Wedding’ was written for the Wedding of two of my friends and is a simple mixing dance based on the first and last figures of ‘Around About in St. Georges Hall’.

As I stated in the first ‘Rodney Rooms’ booklet there should be no need for me to state that hands are given where ever possible as this was how all the early dances where danced and as Jean Milligan always taught, for instance as stated in the Scottish Dance Manual ‘Won’t You Join The Dance? 1st Edition’ Page 67 in a comment at end of the Chapter on Formations, “In all formations it is advisable to give hands freely and wherever possible, as not only is it very helpful, but it adds greatly to the social feeling of the dance. It also helps to maintain the shape of the set and to keep the lines straight.” My emphasis on ‘wherever possible’ but Jean Milligan’s own words.

One or two other aspects of dance etiquette. When passing with a member of the opposite sex in Rights and Lefts Hold, Smile and Pass on with a gentle caress, and with the same sex at least look and acknowledge their existence. Don’t spend the evening looking for a dropped bawbee you don’t stand a chance. I saw it when I came in. If someone pulled a coin out of their pocket during a dance my long hand would have whipped across and caught it before it hit the floor and nobody would have noticed because they would be looking at the floor for other coins. Look at your partner and smile at the rest of the set when you pass.

In the case of reels with your corners, the 1st corners pass through the centres of the reels before the 2nd corners. As the 1st corners’ partners are the 2nd corners the partner who is the 2nd corner must lag behind the partner who is 1st corner, hence to attempt to cover ones partner must make the reels jerky. The sensible way to dance these reels is for the corners to ignore their own partner and the 1st corners to look for each other and acknowledge them as they approach the centre of the reel, likewise the 2nd corners. I do hope the dancing couple already does this. The dance, ‘Diagonal Symmetry is for teaching just this.

	The Background to the Devising of these Dances			Page 2
	Contents			Page 4
1.	Alison’s Strathspey	8 x 32	Strathspey	Page 5
2.	Around About in St. Georges’ Hall	4 x 32	Reel	Page 6
3.	The Bracknell Strathspey	3 x40	Strathspey	Page 7
4.	Ferry Boats on the Mersey	3 x 40	Hornpipe	Page 8
5.	Jerusalem Farm Youth Hostel	8 x 32	Reel	Page 10
6.	Lady Stoneycroft	4 x 32	Strathspey	Page 11
7.	Valerie & Bill’s Wedding	4 x 32	Strathspey	Page 12
8.	Where Are We Going	3 x 32	Jig	Page 13
9.	Diagonal Symmetry	8 x 32	Jig	Page 14
	The Ladies Man			Page 15

ALISON’S STRATHSPEY

Progressive 3 Cpl. dance in a 4 Cpl. Longwise Set

32 Bar Strathspey

Bars
1 - 4	1st & 2nd Cpl.s set and dance Rt. hands across half way.
5 - 8	1st & 3rd Cpl.s set and dance Lt. hands across half way.
9 - 12	2nd & 3rd Cpl.s set and dance Rt. hands across half way, dropping partner’s Rt. hands at the end, but preparing to flow into a two handed turn with own partner without seizing hands at the very start.
13 - 16	3rd & 2nd Cpl.s gently bringing hands up turn their partner right round with both hands in a wide open turn finishing in Strathspey Poussette position but only actually taking hands after the initial half bar.
17 - 20	3rd &2nd Call’s dance half Poussette, 3rd Cpl. finish ready for a half Poussette with the 1st Cpl. 1st Cpl. dance in on bar 20 ready for a half Poussette.
21 - 24	3rd & 1st Cpl. dance half Poussette. Finish 2, 1, 3 on own side of the dance.
25 - 32	All Circle 6 hands round and back.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Can also be danced as a 3 couple dance with 3rd & 1st Cpl. circling to the Lt in bars 21 to 24, 3rd Cpl. opening out for the 6 hands round in bars 25 to 32.

AROUND ABOUT IN St. GEORGES’S HALL

4 Cpl. Dance in a Square Set

32 Bar Reel

Bars
1 - 8	Grand Chain one step to each hand, Men finish dancing into centre ready for Rt. hands across, Ladies cover across the dance.
9 - 10	Men dance Rt. hands across half way.
11 - 12	Men turn opposite Lady right round with the Lt. hand, Men finish again ready for Rt. hands across, Ladies finish facing anticlockwise.
13 - 14	Men dance Rt. hands across half way, Ladies dance one place round anticlockwise.
14 - 16	Men turn new Lady ¾ way round with the Lt. hand, 1st Man 2nd Lady, 2nd Man 3rd Lady, 3rd Man 4th Lady & 4th Man 1st Lady. Finish facing own partner on corners.
17 - 20	All set and change places Rt. hand with partner, finish Ladies facing clockwise, Men anticlockwise.
21 - 24	All set and turn new partner with Rt. hand into Promenade hold, Men have moved one place anticlockwise, Ladies are back in original place.
25 - 32	All Promenade anti clockwise round the set, finish men turning new partner to face ready for the Grand Chain.

Repeat three more times, each time with a new partner until back with original partner.

St. Georges Hall, Liverpool is one of the greatest 19th century buildings in the world and remains today the biggest classical reception hall in the country. The Great Hall, with an area of over 700 square meters and is lit by 10 huge chandeliers, each weighing three quarters of a ton and with a total depth of 30ft. The mosaic floor contains 30,000 tiles. In my days the Hall was the setting for the annual ‘Clan Macleod Pipe Band Highland Ball’ each January. According to the ‘Liverpool Daily Post’ in 1952 there were over 1,000 dancers, in 1953 there were 1,000 dancers and 700 spectators and in 1954, 900 dancers and 500 spectators. The numbers were similar in 1955 the last time I attended.

THE BRACKNELL STRATHSPEY

3 Cpl. Dance in a 3 Cpl. longwise Set

40 Bar Strathspey

Bars
1 - 4	1st Cpl. cross giving Rt. hand and cast off one place on the wrong side of the dance. 2nd Cpl. step up on bars 3 to 4.
5 - 16	All dance 3 Cpl. Rt.s & Lt.s 2nd Cpl. finish ready to cross as if continuing the 3 Cpl. Rt.s & Lt.s. All cross giving Rt. hands for two bars. The dancers in the 2nd corner positions, giving Lt. hands, change places on the diagonal while the others change on the sides. Repeat two more times according to position.
17 - 24	Snowball grand chain. 2nd Cpl. begin giving Rt. hands in crossing, two bars to each hand. Finish 3, 1, 2 all on own side of the dance.
25 - 26	All set on the sides.
27 - 28	3rd and 1st Cpl.s dance Rt. hands across halfway while the 2nd Cpl. cross into partners place. Finish 1, 3, 2 on the wrong side of the dance.
29 - 32	All set on sidelines and then turn own partner with the Rt. hand into Allemande position.
33 - 40	3 Cpl. Allemande to finish 2, 3, 1.

Repeat from new positions

FERRY BOATS ON THE MERSEY

3 Cpl. Dance in a 3 Cpl. Longwise Set

40 Bar Hornpipe

Bars
1 - 4	1st Cpl. cross giving Rt. hands and cast down to the bottom, 2nd & 3rd Cpl.s step up on bars 3 to 4. Finish 2nd and 3rd Cpl.s on their own sides and 1st Cpl. on the wrong side.
5 - 8	All 3 Cpl.s set and change places with Partners Rt. hands and finish facing clockwise. 2nd and 3rd Cpl.s now on the wrong side and 1st Cpl. own side.
9 - 12	All chase round ½ way clockwise, 1st & 2nd Cpl.s remain facing clockwise. 1st Cpl are now at the top on the wrong sides and 2nd Cpl. at the bottom on own side.
13 - 16	3rd Cpl. remain in 2nd place while 1st & 2nd Men, with their partners following, continue the chase to opposite ends, 1st Cpl. casting behind the 3rd Lady pass through 3rd Lady’s place and 2nd Cpl. behind the 3rd Man through 1st Man’s place to continue: 1st & 2nd Men with their ladies still following dance up and down the centre, pass each other Rt. shoulder and then the Men half turn the opposite Lady Rt. hand to all hook in to form a line down the centre, 1st Man facing 2nd Lady, 2nd Man facing 1st Lady 1st Cpl. facing down and 2nd Cpl. up, order 1st Man, 2nd Lady, 1st Lady, 2nd Man.
17 - 24	1st & 2nd Cpl.s dance a reel of 4 up and down the dance, finishing as for the start of the reel i.e. 1st Man at top facing, 2nd Lady, 1st Lady facing, 2nd Man
25 - 26	1st Man changes places Rt. hand with 2nd Lady while the 2nd Man changes places with the 1st Lady. All finish in the same line with Men in the centre facing each other and the Ladies at the ends turning to face the men’s backs.
27 - 28	Men change places Lt. hand and finish facing own partner, order 2nd Lady, 2nd Man, 1st Man, 1st Lady.
29 - 32	1st &2nd Cpl.s turn ¾ times, 1st Cpl. looping into own side 2nd Cpl. into the wrong side. 2nd Cpl. finish ready to cross down the set.
33 - 40	All 3 Cpl.s dance reels of 3 on own side of the dance 2nd Cpl. crossing down to begin. Finish 2, 3, 1.

Repeat from new positions.

The Mersey Ferries used to make four different journeys from Liverpool. One straight across to Birkenhead, one across to Seacombe, one across the river to Seacombe and down River to New Brighton and one direct down the river to New Brighton. This dance symbolises them all.

JERUSALEM FARM YOUTH HOSTEL

Progressive 3 Cp] dance in a 4 Cpl. Longwise set

32 Bar Reel

1 - 8	Giving Rt. hands the 1st couple cross, cast off one place and then dance ½ figure of eight round the 2nd Cpl. to finish in 2nd place. 2nd Cpl. step up on bars 3 to 4.
9 - 12	1st Cpl. dance across and to their right to dance ½ reels of 3 giving left shoulder to 1st corners. Man dancing with the 3rd Cpl. below him and the Lady with the 2nd Cpl. above her.
13 - 16	1st Cpl. giving right shoulder to 2nd corner positions dance a ½ diagonal reel of 4 with the 2nd Man and the 3rd Lady. 1st Man gives right shoulder to 2nd Man and 1st Lady to 3rd Lady. 1st couple finish ready to dance through the dancers on their right.
17 - 20	1st Man dancing up and across dances a ½ reel of 3 with the 2nd and 3rd Ladies at the top while the 1st Lady does likewise dancing down with the 2nd and 3rd Men. 1st Man giving left shoulder to 2nd Lady and 1st Lady to 3rd Man.
21 - 24	1st Man giving right shoulder to 3rd Man who is back in own place and 1st Lady giving right shoulder to 2nd Lady who is back in 1st Ladies place dance ½ diagonal reel of 4. Finish 3, 1, 2 with the 3rd and 2nd couples on the wrong side of the dance.
[Note:	Although there are two diagonal reels of 4 the 1st couples track is actually the same as when dancing 4 half reels of 3, the first with the couple on their right the second on the wrong side of the dance, the third again with the couple on their right and finally on their own side of the dance. For the 1st Cpl. the track is the same as in bars 9 to 24 in the ‘Tambourine Reel’ by Laurie Bowlen.]
25 - 32	Irish Rover or Diagonal Rt.s and Lt.s, 1st Man dancing down and 1st Lady up each time.

Repeat having passed a couple

Jerusalem Farm was a small fairly remote Youth Hostel near Colne Lancashire. It was popular as a venue for intimate Scottish Dance celebrations of such things as 21st birthdays.

LADY STONEYCROFT

4 Cpl. dance in a 4 Cpl. Longwise Set

32 Bar Strathspey

Bars
1 - 4	All set and turn partners once round with both hands breaking out to circle 1st Cpl. with 2nd and 3rd Cpl. with 4th.
5 - 8	1st Cpl. with 2nd and 3rd Cpl. with 4th circle 4 hands round to place.
9 - 16	1st Cpl. with 2nd and 3rd Cpl. with 4th dance an all round Poussette.
17 - 18	1st Man with 2nd Lady, 2nd Man with 3rd Lady and 3rd Man with 4th Lady change places giving Rt. hands.
19 - 20	1st Lady with 3rd Lady, 1st Man with 4th Lady and 2nd Man with 4th Man change places giving Lt. hands.
21 - 22	2nd Lady with 4th Lady, 1st Lady with 4th Man and 1st Man with 3rd Man change places giving Rt. hands
23 - 24	3rd Lady with 4th Man, 2nd Lady with 3rd Man and 1st Lady with 2nd Man change places giving Lt. hands. Finish 4, 3, 2, 1 on the wrong side of the dance.
25 - 26	All change places with partner giving Rt. hands, 4th and 3rd Cpl.s retaining Rt. hands ready to dance Rt. hands across.
27 - 28	4th and 3rd Cpl.s dance Rt. hands across halfway.
29 - 30	4th and 2nd Cpl.s dance Lt. hands across half way.
31 - 32	3rd and 2nd Cpl.s dance Rt. hands across half way. Finish 2, 3, 4, 1.

Repeat with a new top Cpl.

Lady Stoneycroft was the name given to the mother of one of the dancers who put on a posh voice when answering the phone.

Valerie & BILL’S WEDDING

4 Cpl. Dance in a Square Set

32 Bar Strathspey

A dance in which the Bride and Groom greet, mingle and dance with the guests.

Men have a new partner with each repetition. Men progress clockwise Ladies remain in original place.

Bars
1 - 8	All dance Grand Chain, one step to each hand. Finish facing own Partner.
9 - 12	All set to Partner and change places with a long Rt. hand.
13 - 16	All repeat bars 9 to 12 changing places with Lt. hand. Finish with Ladies ready to dance Rt. hands across in the centre and Men ready to cast into Partners place.
17 - 24	Ladies Chain with Ladies dancing Rt. hands across, half way in the centre. All finish the final Lt. hand change with their partners facing their own corner.
25 - 32	All turn their corners 314 with a tight 2 bar Rt. hands turn, taking Promenade hold to flow into an anti clockwise promenade 7/8ths round the square, Ladies finish in original place, men having progressed one place clockwise.

Repeat three more times, each time with a new partner until back with original partner.

Finish all facing inwards with nearer hands joined with own partner. All bow or curtsey to the first couple (The Bride & Groom) who acknowledge by bowing or curtseying back.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Progressive 3 Cpl. Dance in 3 Cpl. Sets

32 Bar Jig

Bars
1 - 8	1st Cpl. crossing down and out between own corners dance a reel of 3 on their wrong side. 1st and 2nd Cpl.s finish facing on side lines, 1st Cpl. still on the wrong side of the dance.
9 - 12	1st and 2nd Cpl.s facing on side lines, with the 1st Cpl. on the wrong side of the dance, set up and down the dance. Then, with the 1st Cpl. dancing in, they change places 1st Cpl. finishing in double triangle positions joining hands with own corners.
13 - 16	1st Cpl. set in double triangle position and then, dropping hands with the 2nd Cpl., they dance out to change places with 3rd Cpl. who finish facing down and out.
17 - 24	1st Cpl. crossing up and out dance a reel of 3 on their own side of the dance. 1st Cpl. finish in 3rd place ready to cross with partner.
25 - 32	1st Cpl. crosses up to dance a figure of 8 round the 3rd couple finishing ready to flow into the reel of 3 as the new 3rd Cpl.

Repeat with a new top couple.

The dance can be danced as a 4 Cpl. set with the full figure of 8 in bars 25 to 32 being replaced by the 1st Cpl. crossing giving Rt. hands and casting up to 2nd place to dance a half figure of 8 round the 3rd couple ready to flow into the 1st reel of 3 from 2nd place on the repeat. 3rd Cpl. step down to place on bars 27 to 28. At the end of the repeat the 1st Cpl. dance the full figure of 8.

DIAGONAL SYMMETRY

Progressive 3 Cpl. Dance in 4 Cpl. Sets

32 Bar Jig

Bars
1 - 4	1st Cpl. turn right round with the Rt. hand and cast off one place on own side. 2nd Cpl. step up on bars 3 to 4.
5 - 8	1st Cpl. turn with a long Lt. hand once round to finish ready to pass 1st corner by the Lt. shoulder.
9 - 16	1st Man dances a reel of 3 with his corners giving Lt. shoulder to his 1st corner to begin. Finish facing 1st corner as if to repeat the reel. Meanwhile the 1st Lady dances a figure of 8 round her corners also giving Lt shoulder to her 1st corner to begin and finish facing 1st corner as if to repeat.
17 - 24	1st Man dances a figure of 8 round his corners again giving Lt shoulder to his 1st corner to begin and also finish facing 1st corner as if to repeat. 1st Lady dances a reel of 3 with her corners again giving Lt. shoulder to her 1st corner to begin also finish facing 1st corner as if to repeat the reel.
25 - 30	Both the 1st Cpl. now dance 6 bar reels of 3 with their corners.
31 - 32	1st Cpl. cross to own side of the dance in 2nd place.

Repeat having passed a couple.

The purpose of this dance is to teach the fact that the 1st corners pass through the centres of the reels before the 2nd corners and as the 1st corners, partners are the 2nd corners the partner who is the 2nd corner must lag behind the partner who is 1st corner, as described in the introduction.

The following poem comes from a booklet which contains a collection of 32 very good poems all relating to Scottish Country Dancing. All of the poems are in tune with my belief that Scottish Dancing should be a light hearted and social pursuit. The booklet, entitled, ‘All Pat’s Party Pieces’ is available at a cost of £3 from:

Pat Batt,
(Editor: address deleted, please see below)

All proceeds go to the charity - Macmillan Cancer Relief.

(Editor: Pat cannot provide these any more, please contact Ron Mackey instead who will provide them for a suitable donation to charity:

Ron Mackey
39, Grove Park Road
Mottingham
LONDON
SE9 4NS

The poems are also available in Word by email for a suitable donation, see Pat Batt's Poems contents list on the Strathspey Server mailing list).

THE LADIES MAN

I’m a two sex Scottish Dancer
And may seem rather dim,
But I never spend one evening
As a full time her or him.

I change my sex from dance to dance,
My corners always alter-
It’s really not surprising I
Occasionally falter

The old and simple dances
I can manage very nicely,
And I can learn a new dance
And do it most precisely

But when it comes to next week
I don’t know if I can,
For I learnt it as a woman
And dance it as a man.

And so, you men who have the luck
To stay always the same,
When female gentlemen go wrong
Be sparing with your blame.

I’ll add a postscript to this tale
One comfort I have got-
When both the women change their sex
It doesn’t show a lot.

THE RODNEY ROOMS DANCES SECOND SET

BY

Douglas J Dean

THESE ARE REALLY PARTIAL RODNEY ROOMS DANCES

CONTENTS

ALISON’S STRATHSPEY

AROUND ABOUT IN St. GEORGES’S HALL

THE BRACKNELL STRATHSPEY

FERRY BOATS ON THE MERSEY

JERUSALEM FARM YOUTH HOSTEL

LADY STONEYCROFT

Valerie & BILL’S WEDDING

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

DIAGONAL SYMMETRY

THE LADIES MAN

THE RODNEY ROOMS DANCES
SECOND SET