Virginia Reel

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:56 pm

The great Guy Clarke has a song called "Virginias Reel", worth a listen anytime.

Slan,
D.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:32 pm

Bloomfield wrote:As a purely historical note, speaking of love in a "strictly platonic sense" perhaps isn't the best phrase to pick when referring to the relation of grown men and young boys.

Platonic can refer to:

Platonic love, a relationship that is not sexual in nature

Seemed like a good distinction to make in light of recent headlines.

(I'd put a smiley by that, but I'm not smiling about said recent headlines. But that belongs in another forum)

Kids are fun. Just about every time we'd do-si-do today, someone fell down. Oversized goofy sense of humor + poor motor skills = Fun.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why I'm generally so happy...

Tom

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:39 am

WyoBadger wrote:Just about every time we'd do-si-do today, someone fell down.

That's got me smiling. A delightful image to start the day with.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:59 am

Jerry Freeman wrote:
WyoBadger wrote:Just about every time we'd do-si-do today, someone fell down.
That's got me smiling. A delightful image to start the day with.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Made me smile too. It would be serious if it happened at the Marlow Folk Dance Society. I must be their youngest member, at 51.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:52 pm

Yeah, you don't have to worry too much about kids breaking a hip. They just sort of bounce.

T

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 5:47 pm

Instructions for Dancing the Virginia Reel

Longways dance in sets of 5 or 6 couples.
All the men on the "right" when looking down the hall,
all the ladies on the left. ( Stand across from your partner)

Join hands in long lines, Go forward and back 8 beats of music

Right hand turn your partner 8 beats

Left Hand turn your partner 8 beats

Do-si-do (back to back) with partner 8 beats

Top couple take two hands,
Sashay 16 beats down the center of the set and back

Top couple "reel the set" (top couple only)
-- hook right elbows with partner, turn 1-1/2 times.
Top gent then goes to the first lady in the ladies line,
top lady goes to the first man in the man's line
and they turn left elbows once around.

Top man and woman then meet again in the middle,
turn right elbow once around with each other,
then left elbow with the next person in line, etc.
Continue "right to your partner, left to the next"
until the top couple has "reeled" all the way down the line.
This takes about... 48 beats (or so...)

Top couple then sashays back up the middle to the top,
and separate from each other. They "peel off " down the respective outside of the lines,
(men down the men's side, lady down the ladies side)
go to the bottom and make a two-handed arch.
All the other couples follow them down to the bottom and up through the arch,
leaving the top couple at the bottom,
and the second couple at the top ready to start the dance over!!

That takes about 32 beats (or so)

***************************************
A line of 5 (or 6) couples can make it one time through the whole dance in two repetitions of a 64-beat tune.
(Notice all of the above figures "add up" to 128 beats.

hyldemoer · Post by **hyldemoer** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:25 pm

WyoBadger wrote:Yeah, you don't have to worry too much about kids breaking a hip. They just sort of bounce.

Some of them don't just bounce.

My left shoulder was first dislocated in a folk dancing class as a child.
It was after several years (from the age of 6) of dance lessons (tap, ballet, modern jazz, Irish step dancing).
I definitely was not ready for a class full of kids just trying to let off energy. Silly me thought it had something to do with music as it was in my real dance classes.

To this day I cringe when I see people confusing folk dancing with an opportunity to play "crack the whip".

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:34 pm

Yep, that's how it's done, Lambchop - except they forgot at the very beginning, you bow/curtsey to your partner.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:37 pm

WyoBadger wrote:Well, we did a dance that vaguely resembled an extremely pared-down version of my best understanding of the virginia reel. (the dance, not the tune) (and don't worry, we did move to the beat of the music--I may not be much of a dance instructor, but I am a music teacher afterall) (and further, don't worry, we had a GREAT time doing...whatever it was we did)

I love little kids.

(in a strictly platonic sense)

Tom

Having played my fingers to shreds over the last 24 hours and at least one of those being in playing, and therefore watching, a Virginia Reel from the 1860s, I think it's simple enough ... but I wouldn't want to have to convince 30 kiddos of that ...

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:38 pm

Lamby, we did the first and third (sort of), forth, fifth, and last part. The kids who weren't doing steps were clapping to the music and shouting encouragement to the ones who were. We tried to "reel the set" with the first group, but there just wasn't enough time to teach it properly, so we let it go.

Our school was having "Old West Day." The librarian had a couple ninety-something men, who actually lived the pioneering of this valley, in as guest speakers; the PE teacher brought in his horses and showed the kids how to load a pack saddle; the art teacher did paper dolls or some such, the forth grade teacher made flapjacks, and little old me taught a dance (sort of) that's said to have been popular at the old-time mining camps and rendezvous. If only I could have gotten a real fiddler to come in!

Hyldemoer, lighten up!

Sorry you've had so many bad experiences. Just to make you feel better: The kids weren't out of control, ignoring the music, or tearing off each other's limbs. Then again, they weren't training for a dance competition, either. Just having fun. Little kids really do fall down a lot--it's a normal part of growing up. So is letting off energy, laughing, and acting silly. We had a great time. That's what dancing and music are all about, isn't it?

T

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:25 pm

We were taught this dance in school. On Fridays we had dance instead of P.E. in elementary school and this dance was one of the few that we all could actually do pretty well. I think it was probably mandatory, being in Virginia and all.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:30 pm

WyoBadger wrote: Just having fun. Little kids really do fall down a lot--it's a normal part of growing up. So is letting off energy, laughing, and acting silly. We had a great time. That's what dancing and music are all about, isn't it?

T

Um. No. It's WORK. Hard serious WORK. Like playing music or sports or doing your tax returns. WORK DAMMIT!

Sorry. I got carried away.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:36 pm

Flyingcursor wrote:Um. No. It's WORK. Hard serious WORK. Like playing music or sports or doing your tax returns. WORK DAMMIT!

Zoe: "I need this man to tear all my clothes off."
Wash: "Work, work, work..."

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:14 pm

hyldemoer wrote:
WyoBadger wrote:Yeah, you don't have to worry too much about kids breaking a hip. They just sort of bounce.
Some of them don't just bounce.

My left shoulder was first dislocated in a folk dancing class as a child.
It was after several years (from the age of 6) of dance lessons (tap, ballet, modern jazz, Irish step dancing).
I definitely was not ready for a class full of kids just trying to let off energy. Silly me thought it had something to do with music as it was in my real dance classes.

To this day I cringe when I see people confusing folk dancing with an opportunity to play "crack the whip".

Yeah, me too. And it makes me wince when some idiot erupts with a howl or screech whenever they feel like it.

From experience, the function of "Highland shriek" is to warn the rest of the set to get out of the way when you are just about to gallop down. Otherwise, put a sock in it.

At the Powwow, we did an Owl Dance, which is a bit like a Native American/Barn Dance fusion. You have "short corners" half turns, full turns and "Jelly Rolls" - double turns. At the end of one dance the partner I ended up with (it was a progressive) announced that I was the only partner who hadn't pulled her off her feet in the Jelly Rolls. What can you say? I didn't have time to apologise for all the other men on the dancefloor. I just said "Thank you". But dance should be for everyone's enjoyment, and some folk forget that.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:10 pm

jsluder wrote:
Flyingcursor wrote:Um. No. It's WORK. Hard serious WORK. Like playing music or sports or doing your tax returns. WORK DAMMIT!
Zoe: "I need this man to tear all my clothes off."
Wash: "Work, work, work..."

I watched that episode last night.