Odd Numbers

The problem with neat classifications is that people like finding new ways to do things.... This section classifies the unclassifiable.

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Five Handed Reel

Difficulty: 1. Traditional (Thomas Hardy collection?)

For 5 people starting thus:

      x
 
  x   x   x
 
      x

• A: Middle person dances a reel for three with one of the lines, ending with one extra change to leave a new person in the middle
• B: New middle person faces previous middle person and they step to each other, then middle person turns around and step with the other person on that line.

  Middle person faces one place to the right and starts dance again on the other line.

 Music: fast 16-bar reels.

The Weevil

This is a SAD dance (i.e. for Seven Assorted Dancers) by Richard Mason, via Hugh Stewart

Difficulty: 3 (but getting it right doesn't matter, it's quite forgiving)

Formation: a line of four people of indeterminate sexes facing a line of three more equally indeterminate people, like so:

    x   x   x
  x   x   x   x

• A1: 3s figure eight round fours -- go through gap in front of you, turn right, round that person, through the gap and turn left to go round the other person, then go home
  
• A2: On right diagonal (except for someone at the end of the line of 4) cross giving right hands, on left: cross with left hands, on right cross with right hands, on left cross with left hands

  (This gives a progression, 2 places to the right)

• B1: top person step in, next, next ... (1 bar per step in); on last bar all join hands and step back to turn the long ocean wave into a tunnel
  
• B2: without letting go: the top person dive down through the tunnel, dragging/ unravelling it behind him; at the bottom let go and cast back up the side whence you came.

Hugh says:

NB: B2 does nothing, but the dance usually collapses by someone casting back up the wrong side so he fails to return to his starting point. The other point where the dance collapses is A2, but a) there isn't much you can do about it and b) so long as people shuffle the incorrect progression is not too serious.

Music: 32 bars, anything.

See also ...

Jack Dance

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Last updated 8 July, 2002