Review: Thirty Popular Dances

Thirty Popular Dances Volume Two

How do you achieve the impossible? How do you produce a book of just 30 dances which everyone throughout our worldwide organisation believes to be a popular dance? We all know how localised dances become and which are most popular in our own area, but the Membership Services Committee set themselves the almost impossible task of bringing together just 30. They did their research thoroughly. Firstly, all branches were asked to nominate dances for consideration. A total of 283 dances were submitted from over 100 branches. The committee must have had some very difficult decisions to whittle this huge list down to just 30. Like the original Thirty Popular Dances Book, the dances have been grouped together by dance tempo and there are ten of each: reel, jig and strathspey. Four of the dances have original music published in the book: The Cranberry Tart, The White Heather Jig, Da Rain Dancin’ and Asilomar Romantic; and two have facsimiles of original manuscripts, Hooper’s Jig of 1756 and Delvine Side of around 1790. The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs, showing devisers, musicians and occasionally fun connections such as the Gold Post Box celebrating Sir Andy Murray’s Olympic Tennis Gold Medal in 2012 (Postie’s Jig). The committee, especially Peter Knapman and Angela Young, spent hours researching the details, including speaking with families of now-deceased musicians such as Jimmy Shand and Angus Fitchet. They have provided a huge amount of information which is not available on the internet. This gives the book a kind of archival feeling which, with our centenary so close, makes it a valuable document. I have danced or taught all the dances published in the book and there are many dances I would include in a dance programme aimed at well-known and favourite dances, such as J.B. Milne, Mairi’s Wedding, Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan and The Irish Rover which have, until now, not been officially published by the Society (although in the Collins Book). Two CDs accompany this book, one newly recorded by James Coutts and his band, and one compiled from previous recordings by various bands. Both are enjoyable with good tempo and great sets of tunes. For any new teacher or local organiser just commencing, this is an ideal publication to purchase to start a collection. For a teacher who already holds a collection of RSCDS books the question of whether to purchase one which gives descriptions of many well-known dances, which they probably already own, has to be a personal decision which I happily took. For the dancer I recommend it as the one publication you buy. But for everyone, it gives a new collection and a way of looking at these well-loved dances with interesting background information and photographs. It is an excellent coffee-table book! Jane Rose, Berkhamstead Strathspey and Reel Club