At various Boka Halat rehearsals in the past, we have discovered that complementary rhythms to 3/2 exist all over the world: Saj in West Africa; Lando in South America and Ektaal in India being the ones we've tried most successfully. 3/2s go nicely in sets with 9/8s. Both require dancers to phrase movements in sixes rather than eights. At a Pigeon English rehearsal this weekend, we discovered that some pairs go better 3/2 into 9/8, some the other way round. This is one occasion on which I think a change of tune/rhythm DOES work as long as it's timed and managed properly. I've recently tried out a 3/2 dance which originated in one of TAPS workshops with Harrow Way Community School back in 2000 and developed further with several schools since. We've done it to ordinary jigs in phrases of 8, but earlier this year I tried it to 3/2s with Pigeons at a Chiltern Ceilidh: Rolling Heads 3 cpl longways 32-bar 3/2, 9/8 or a segue of the two A1: Heads gallop down (6 beats) and back (6 beats) A2: Heads and seconds gallop down (6 beats) and back (6 beats) B1: Cast down sides, arch by heads at bottom, others through B2: Make circle and double thread-the-needle, heads (now at bottom) leading up With 12 beats to do each of B1 and B2, new heads have to be ready to gallop at the start of the next time through. New heads are the 'eye' of the double thread-the-needle, so already hold nearest hand. At the end of this figure, as they turn under their own arch, they can let go with the other hand and take both hands with each other, ready to gallop, even if the other two couples are a few beats short of gaining their new places. After a few times through, this got really flowing (if not positively mantric!) and was done in 3/2 12 times through without noticeable complaint from dancers. Let me know if anyone tries it. RW ----- Original Message ----- From: Fee Lock To: eceilidh@netservs.com Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 9:19 PM Subject: RE: [eceilidh] tonight - 3/2 Hornpipes You need a slow-ish tune; Benji played Shreds & Patches, which is about the average hornpipe speed. North-Eastern 3/2s are a bit too fast for me, although they sound brilliant. The stepping is left hop, right hop, left right - count in sixes instead of eights. We did a 30-second practise a couple of times before we did the dance, which is simplicity itself: S&M Hornpipe by Dave Roberts (dec') 3/2 32-bar hornpipes 3cp LW sets A1 All circle left A2 Men circle right, women circle right B1 Tops swing to bottom B2 All swing The essence is in the stepping and the tune. It's deeply tantric (or is mantric?), although the 9-times through last night seemed to be a bit long. I'll probably do it again, but less long, on 19th Oct at the Kneezup with Faustus. Fee x Tim Brooks wrote: I'll second this one - there has been lost of discussion around this rhythm, but to my knowledge no published dances. So does anyone have one that they use successfully? In hope Tim -----Original Message----- From: Colin Cotter [mailto:colinjcotter@gmail.com] Sent: 06 October 2007 18:16 To: eceilidh@netservs.com Subject: Re: [eceilidh] tonight There are indeed lots of Playford 3/2s just waiting to be ceilidhfied. On Gordon's suggestion, we use our 3/2s for unphrased dances like Stoke Goldings, seem to go down well... --Colin Gloworm On 06/10/2007, john adams wrote: > > I'd LOVE to have people dancing to some of 'Our Northern Branch' 3/2 > hornpipes. Can we have a clue or two about the dances? > > J > > > On 6/10/07 15:29, "Fee Lock" wrote: > > > And I'm with Faustus at Haywards Heath ... hoping to do a 3/2 hornpipe > or two. > > > > Fee x > > > > > > > > Problems with ECeilidh? Visit > http://www.netservs.com/ec/faq.html Problems with ECeilidh? Visit http://www.netservs.com/ec/faq.html Problems with ECeilidh? Visit http://www.netservs.com/ec/faq.html Problems with ECeilidh? Visit http://www.netservs.com/ec/faq.html Problems with ECeilidh? Visit http://www.netservs.com/ec/faq.html