Content-type: text/plain; name="5 hand reels.txt" Content-disposition: attachment; filename="5 hand reels.txt" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- COTTONTAIL RAG (or Hot Tub Rag) by Steve Schnur Circles of 5 dancers; each circle pick jack/jill to start A1. Left-hand star; jack/jill rolls out, walks clockwise around circle while others continue single file A2. Jack chooses anyone, balance and swing End facing the others who are three in line B1. Two face three, forward and back Do si do: the twosome with the center person in the line of three (who will become new jack/jill) B2. New jack faces out of circle with hands crossed, others face in and all join hands in a ring. Jack pulls two individuals through an arch made by his upper arm to form a basket, and all basket swing to the left. Finish to form new l.h. star. NOTES. I usually end up doing this as a 40 bar dance. It is possible to get into the basket in about a bar and a half, however most people don't manage to do this first time, and many don't manage to do it second, third or fourth time either. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five Hand Reel (from Brian Scowcroft's site) Difficulty=2 (depends on the dancer's ability to step and reel)   Source= Traditional via Dave Townsend   Music= 16 bar reel/polka   Couples= 5 people standing like the dots on the 5 side of a dice * Reel of 3. The person in the middle faces any other person. This will form a line of three people including the person behind the "piggy in the middle". They dance or walk a reel once around to place and one extra change. This will put a new person into the middle. * Stepping. The person in the middle steps 4 times with the person they are facing; they turn to the person behind and step with them. The "Piggy" then turns through 90 degrees to face someone along the other diagonal and the dance begins again. The steps can be the usual rant step but there are many variations which probably have more traditional credibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Five Hand Reel (2) (from Brian Scowcroft's site) Difficulty=2-3 (again, involves stepping and reeling) Source= Trad, based on the dance from the village of Dummer, from Roy Dommett (adapted by B.Scowcroft)   Music= 32 bar Polka/reel   Couples= 5 people in a circle One person is nominated as number one; rest number off (2-5) anticlockwise * A1 All circle left then No.1 weaves back through the other dancers who step on the spot * A2 No.1 and No.3 step to each other; No.1 turns about and steps to No.5 * B1 No.1,3,5 dance a reel * B2 Basket for all five Next time No. 2 leads the dance and will step and reel with No.4 and No.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DUMMER'S REEL Collected from Tony Saletan Houston '93? Circle of 5 people A1 Circle Left; Same way single file A2 Jack (the "it" person) turn back and weave in and out B1 Jack swing somebody; Swing their opposite B2 Hey for 3 A1 Jack swing somebody you haven't swun; Swing their opposite A2 Hey for 3 B1 Circle left; Jack raise left hand and pull himself and 1 other under B2 Basket swing ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chris Brady posted this on rec.folk-dancing in 1998: Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing Path: nntp.Stanford.EDU!news.Stanford.EDU!logbridge.uoregon.edu!europa.clark.net !194.162.162.196!newsfeed.nacamar.de!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!peernews .ftech.net!ayres.ftech.net!news.ftech.net!peernews.cix.co.uk!cix.compulink .co.uk!usenet From: cbrady@cix.compulink.co.uk ("C J Brady") Subject: Re: Dummer's Reel Message-ID: Organization: Compulink Information eXchange References: Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 19:30:17 GMT Lines: 102 Xref: nntp.Stanford.EDU rec.folk-dancing:28226 Ahem - if I might interject. This dance is not Dummer's - whoever he/she is supposed to be. It was actually collected from the Women's Institute in the village of Dummer, Hampshire, England in the 1950s by Ann-Marie Hulme. A while later Roy Dommet published it in his notes (apparently published by CDSS and avail. from them). However the basket figure he describes and has taught at various workshops is a far more complicated and sophisticated version than the one first collected. Whilst the directions given in previous post(s) are nearly 'correct' [whatever that means in traditional dance] I have attached below the traditional unadulterated version as first collected. The tune 'Brighton Camp' or 'The Girl I Left Behind Me' fits the dance admirably. The 'jack' is actually a stuffed 'joker' or 'Punch' head held on a stick about 18 inches long. A shrunken head from Papua New Guinea would be admirable [I joke of course but that would be a good example!!]. It should have bells on it so that it rings as it is shaken by the person who is 'it' at the time. DUMMER FIVE-HAND REEL (with joker) Music: 'Brighton Camp', 'Rose Tree', (brisk) - A+ABs Change tune after 2nd basket for next open ring Five people: 1 4 Joker 2 3 Steps: Single pas-de-bas (*), Dolly's back step(**) Dance: A All five circle left with hands, holding joker vertically B All drop hands, and continue circling R, except for joker who turns to R and weaves the moving ring the other way A All stop in ring with joker in centre, joker steps to someone x4, then turns them twice clockwise with two crossed hands and 'buzz-step' (i.e. as for normal non-walking swinging), then B Joker steps to person directly behind x4, and turns them twice. A Reel of three with the joker and those stepped to - this is initiated by the Joker leaving the one just turned, and immediately going to the one behind and passing them by the left shoulder, etc. The reel should continue for 8 bars. B Then all dance forwards into a basket for five, turn this clockwise (to form basket everyone, with his/her left arm diagonally up and right arm diagonally down, dances forwards without turning round into a natural basket - with arms behind the person immediately on either side everyone takes hands with the *next* person round on either side by raising the right arm under the outstretched arms and bringing the left arm over the outstretched arms) A Joker steps to and turns someone new, then B Joker steps to and turns remaining person. A Reel of three with these. B Basket for five during which the Joker is passed on to someone else behind the backs. Music now changes tune and dance repeats. Finish with extra B for a circle L and lead off with joker in front. (*) Traditional 'pas-de-bas': Timing: 1,2,3, pause, 1,2,3, pause, etc., ... Step is entirely on balls of feet, with small weight changes from one foot to the other Step to left (about 12 inches), then place right foot just in front of left toe (so that the raised right heel is just above the left toe) and the same time lift left foot slightly off the ground, step onto left foot again, pause, repeat the other way, ... There should be no bounce or lift as in country dance-style setting, keep it neat and low to the ground. (**) Dolly's 'back step' - collect in a pub in Hampshire from a lady called Dolly: Timing: Hop, 1,2,3, Hop, 1,2,3, etc. Hop on left foot leaning body very SLIGHTLY to the left, place right foot behind left foot and step onto right foot lifting left foot up slightly in front, step onto right foot still in front and lift left foot up slightly at back, step back onto left foot behind right foot; Hop onto right foot leaning very slightly to the right, etc., ... Enjoy. Chris Brady. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE DUMMER REEL Variation from Bob Adams A1&A2 Circle left 'Leader' raise left arm and turn clockwise under it, followed by 2 and 3 Bring arms over into basket Basket B1: Finish basket and bring arms back over. 2 leads out (backwards) through gap to right B2: Leader weave the set - ending in middle A3: Leader balance & r.h.t someone Balance & l.h.t the one behind A4: Those 3 reel B3&4 Repeat with others - finish back in original place in circle Original number 2 becomes new leader This is how Bob Adams used to call it with Cock & Bull. The beauty being that it effectively gives 24 bars for the whole getting in and out of the basket bit. That gives time for most sets to get it approximately right - whilst the really energetic sets can fit in an even longer basket if they are very slick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE DUMMER REEL Variation from Dick Stanger 48 bar reel or polka Circle of 5 people A1 4 rants left and right (ie circle each way) A2 One person to the centre, face anyone and do 4 rants with them, turn and face the one opposite, 4 rants with them into.... B1 Reel of three with those two B2 Reel of three with the other two C1 Circle left... into the 'Dummer Basket' [All keep hands linked and lift them in the air - one person leads into the centre followed by one more - to make the 'inner circle' - all lift arms over neighbour to make the basket] C2 Basket to left, at end out into the circle again Next time through different person to centre for the reels...in fact quite good if this is also the one who leads into the centre for the Dummer Basket, then all get a turn in each position! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLKA DOT POLKA Colin Andrews 5 people in a cross: 1 2 5 4 3 #5 starts facing #1 A1 1, 5, 3 reel of three A2 2, 5, 4 reel of three B1 5 & 1 set (or step), change places by the right hand (half or one and a half) 1 (now in centre) and 2 set or step, change places by the right hand (half or one and a half) B2 2 (now in centre) and 3 set or step, change places by the right hand (half or one and a half) 3 (now in centre) and 4 set or step, change places by the right hand (half or one and a half) All now in new places ready to start again --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THREE AND TWO Ray Hartridge 1989 Published in Sussex Folk Harvest, 3rd crop A line of 5 people - 3 women and 2 men alternating: 1W 2M 3W 4M 5W A1. End couples balance and swing while middle person does a figure 8 round the set. A2. #1 person face rest of set, rest of set faces #1. #1 weaves down the set, start with right shoulder past #2. As #1 goes past #2, #2 turns to follow, as they go past #3, #3 turns to follow etc. At the bottom, #1 cast left followed by the others into a circle. B1. Circle right Left hand star, the two men cast out and rejoin one place back B2. Continue left hand star The original middle person (the second of the two women who are now together) break from the star and lead the set back to a line. Progressed positions are: 3W 2M 5W 4M 1W Notes: I have done this dance and it does work, but needs careful teaching. I've also had it fall apart on me for no apparent reason (probably due to less than careful teaching). It's really for people who know what they're doing.