Reviews

Jennifer’s Dances: A Selection of Social and Performance Dances

Marjorie McLaughlin, San Diego Branch

Each of the components of the recently published collection Jennifer’s Dances can stand on its own: a book of dances, two CDs of music to accompany the 12 social dances and the 13 performance dances, and a DVD showing the dances as performed by the Red Thistle Dancers. The complete set is well worth having to fully appreciate the dances, the music, and the performances. The result of this significant undertaking is a polished and professional package, and all of the contributors are to be congratulated.

Before their retirement Jennifer Kelly and her husband John led the San Francisco Bay Area’s Red Thistle demonstration team (pictured above) for almost 50 years and through over 500 performances. Jennifer’s choreography for the group is well-known and highly regarded, but she has also devised a number of social dances which celebrate special events and people. One of her jigs, The Scallywag, was published by the RSCDS in Book 52 and is therefore not included in this publication, but the music is included in the social dance CD and on the demonstration video. Jennifer is also known for her strathspey The Laird of Atherton which was published in the second San Francisco Collection and notable for its original tune composed by Alasdair Fraser.

The social dances in the collection are accessible and enjoyable, though likely most suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers. An interesting presentation of Red Wine and Straight Lines has the dance performed as a 1x32 Jig, 1x32 Strathspey, and 1x32 Reel. While the dance can be done in any one of the three tempi, the CD uses the full combination as that is how it was choreographed for performance and it is unlikely to be available elsewhere. Armin’s Dance includes a variation on a men’s chain where the two men begin giving right hands, while the two women cast to begin. Marianna’s Strathspey has an interesting new figure called Petronella Pass. This 4-bar figure is danced by 1st couple and they finish facing first corners; it requires careful phrasing and technique. The figure is clearly described in the book and demonstrated by the team on the DVD; Muriel Johnstone’s tune composed for the dance is included on the CD. Serendipity is a lovely five-couple strathspey and as is often the case with Jennifer’s compositions, a slight variation in a figure adds a pleasant challenge. Here the two consecutive three-quarter figures of eight followed by crossing on bars 7-8 the first time and leading down on 15-16 add just that bit of interest. All of the dances are beautifully executed on the accompanying DVD and the video angle looking down on the dancers gives a clear presentation of the figures.

The performance dances are, of course, more involved than the standard 3x, 4x, or 8x through of the social dances. But in the foreword, Jennifer urges us not to dismiss them as inaccessible. With over 500 performances to their credit, the Red Thistle Dancers have a huge repertoire from which to choose, but these have been selected for publication to show the variety that is possible. The venues, the events, and the audience all play a role in the choice of tempo, length of performance, and the complexity of figures. As Jennifer notes, ‘not all of the dances in this group are technically, or even choreographically challenging, so please do not discard them without a little investigation’.

The two CDs include original and traditional alternate tunes for the dances. Red Thistle Music plays for most of the Red Thistle performances and includes Susan Worland, also a member of Reel of Seven, on fiddle; Lyle Ramshaw on piano; and Michael Bentley on bodhran. The music is lively, energetic, and unfailingly danceable! The musicians and dancers have been friends and colleagues for many, many years and their ability to inspire and encourage each other to lift up the performances is wonderful to watch and to hear. Michael Bentley (Susan Worland’s husband) was a co-producer of the collection and is to be congratulated on the quality of the finished product.

As noted earlier, each of these items can be purchased separately and are available through: https://www.redthistledancers.org/shop and https://redthistlemusic.bandcamp.com/ Red Thistle Dancers are now under the direction of Fred DeMarse, a long-time member of the group. We can look forward to the continued quality of dance and music from the team.

While we cannot yet enjoy dancing together, I assure you that many pleasant hours can be whiled away watching these accomplished dancers, listening to these excellent musicians, and planning how to teach Jennifer’s dances once we can return to the dance floor!

A’the best again fae Banffshire: Celebrating 90 Years of the Banffshire Branch

Music by Ewan Galloway and Susan McFadyen

It has been my pleasure during the current strict restrictions to be able to enjoy and promote the latest dance book and accompanying CD from Banffshire RSCDS as they ‘celebrate’ their 90th anniversary, a project which obviously pre-dated the pandemic. The Branch has followed the same format as for their 75th anniversary, with the CD entitled A’ the best again fae Banffshire, this time asking Ewan Galloway (accordion) and Shona MacFadyen (fiddle) to provide 13 tracks to accompany the 12 dances (the last strathspey has alternative set sizes).

The dances, each with their own inscription, were devised by members of the Branch past and present to be performed to a mix of traditional tunes and more recently composed pieces by a number of well-known musicians, including James Alexander of Fochabers Fiddlers fame, Scottish dance band leader Frank Thomson and Bill Manclark who was head of music at Turriff Academy until his retirement.

The dances in the book and on the CD are in the same order (jig, reel, strathspey, jig, reel, strathspey, etc.) and all the strathspeys are traditional, as distinct from slow airs. They begin with a round-theroom mixing/warm-up 32-bar jig of six repetitions and apart from one square set, the other dances are in standard longwise sets of three or four couples, with one five couple set. With not being able to teach or dance at the moment, my comments can only be ‘as it reads’, but I felt that most, if not all, of these dances, could be used in a general class situation, and that the music fitted well with the formations and flow of the dances.

The first dance which I would choose would be The Speyside Way, a 3x32 bar strathspey. The dance combines elementary movements for two couples with reels of three and so involves all three couples at different times in the dance. It finishes with a full poussette, a very elegant but dramatic formation. This would be an excellent dance (as is The Minister on the Loch) to introduce or practise that formation. The last dance in the book, The Ladies of Banffshire, contains the Roulette, a little-used formation by John Drewry; the 8x48 reel A Bouquet of Flowers uses Dance to Corners and Set; and there are four bars of Schiehallion reels in The Haudagain Roundabout. Otherwise, the formations and movements are straightforward. For those who like Macdonald of the Isles style reels, the five-couple strathspey, The Banffshire Centenarian – Mrs Jean Mair’s Strathspey, begins with those, and the final eight bars are a neat visual representation of 100.

Once classes are able to restart then I feel this would be an ideal book to use, alongside old favourites, to get us all dancing again and catching up on all we have been missing.

I am not musical and so my comments on the CD are general. However, I like Ewan Galloway’s style and would bracket his CDs with those of Colin Dewar. Both demonstrate a rock-steady tempo and smooth tune changes, perfect for less experienced dancers, but also pleasing melodies which add rather than detract from the dancers’ enjoyment. The addition of Shona MacFadyen’s fiddle gives an extra dimension to the full band sound. These are two young, but very experienced, musicians being given an excellent showcase by Banffshire RSCDS and I recommend that you add this CD to your collection.

Copies of both the book and CD may be purchased via the RSCDS Banffshire website: https://www.rscdsbanffshire.co.uk/90th-year.htm and direct from the Sunday Class shop: http://thesundayclass.org.uk/sales.html

And from RSCDS Leeds branch shop: http://www.rscdsleeds.org.uk/

The Musicians’ Wedding – A book of 12 dances by Gaye Collin from NZ

Music by Marian Anderson’s Scottish Dance Band

During trips to Cornwall, France, Italy, the Lake District and Spain in 2019 teaching Scottish country dancing, I used several dances by Gaye Collin from the book, The Musicians’ Wedding: A Babbling Brooke https://youtu.be/TFLM8HLC61A Bars 1-16 are good for teaching different length of step and phrasing. Bars 17-24 are good for working with corners and the formation is used in the extremely popular dance, The Reel of the Royal Scots.

Dancing the Baby https://youtu.be/cHxhT6kzbjg

This is a lovely dance either as a stand-alone reel or as a medley. It is unusual in that the reel precedes the strathspey and makes a good change from reel following strathspey. The pulling back left shoulder by 2nd and 4th men on bar 12 ‘feels’ right to do and looks attractive from a spectator’s point of view. The Schiehallion reels, men going to the left to start, adds variety. I taught this dance to a class who had recently learnt The Bon Viveur from Book 52, and so they were used to dancing 12 bars of reels and then turning, or in the case with Dancing the Baby half a turn and set. I also like the variation to the eight hands round and back in the strathspey.

Susie from Penilee https://youtu.be/6BamPZX4p0M

This dance gives us another dance using the rondel and grand chain. It is difficult to find ‘different’ dances to teach which include these formations. I like the combination of set and rotate for three couples and six hands round in the last eight bars.

Joyce MacLeod https://youtu.be/QVUs0tqGLQA This dance was liked, but people found it odd that the 1st man only dances eight bars! The dance starts with the middle three couples. Easy Peasy Rights + Lefts https://youtu.be/qlvblG6oOEA

I liked this dance for teaching advance and retire and a fourbar turn. ‘Covering’ can also be practised. This dance is also very suitable for beginners as it is ‘once and to the foot’ and they don’t have to worry about progression.

Chain Lynx https://youtu.be/5w7Gz7WMVO8

How good to have another dance including the Corner Chain, a much-neglected formation in my opinion. As Gaye says, the end of the corner chain in Chain Lynx has you ‘going somewhere with momentum’. I also like the exit from the reel of three. The same method is used in Drewry’s dance Salute to Miss Milligan, which I have always liked.

The CD for this book is by Marian Anderson and her band. As you would expect this is an excellent CD. The music is played at a good tempo with plenty of ‘lift’. The tunes for Dancing the

Baby are all traditional but the rest of the tunes are modern compositions, some by Marian and many by Muriel Johnstone. The beautiful tune Sheila Gardiner’s Strathspey by Muriel is played as an alternative for the dance St. Aidan’s Church Hall. Sheila regularly attends my weekly class.

The Musicians’ Wedding is an excellent book of dances which often uses a ‘twist’ to traditional formations. The original tunes for a number of the dances are included, which is a bonus. For those teachers who do not have the benefit of a class musician, the recording of the CD was an excellent idea. The book and CD are very useful additions to my library.

They are available from: RSCDS Leeds Branch shop: http://www.rscdsleeds.org.uk/ The Sunday Class shop: https://thesundayclass.org.uk/sales.html Samples of the tracks can be heard here: http://www.thesundayclass.org.uk/hear%20mw.html TACsound: https://sound.tac-rscds.org/ Mervyn Short, Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey Border Branch