Folk Group Term 1

The Lilly – Schottishe being danced

Kerry Polkas – Patacake Polka:

1. Hop on the back foot and extend your front foot heel Hop on the back foot and point your front foot to the ground by your back foot. Repeat.
2. Gallop 4 steps forward round the circle in an anticlockwise direction.
3. Hop on the back foot and extend your front foot heel Hop on the front foot and point your back foot to the ground by your front foot. Repeat.
4. Gallop 4 steps backwards round the circle in a clockwise direction.
5. Face Partner : Clap partner’s right hand 3 times, Clap partner’s left hand 3 times, Clap partner’s both hands 3 times, Slap your thighs 3 times.
6. Link right arms with your partner, do a complete turn in a clockwise direction and move on to the next partner to your left
7. Start the dance again.

Kolomeyka – there are loads of clips on Youtube.  The dance starts with everyone in a circle, then in to the middle and out twice, followed by everyone doing their own thing in turn and showing of to the extreme!

La Marianne – Many thanks to Rob for suggesting this 3-time bouree by Frederic Paris (Melodeon player and Clarinettist from La Chavanee, Central France, also known for his playing with hurdy-gurdy player Gilles Chabernat).

Cajun in A – Really nice tune that I learned from Fiddle player, Carolyn Francis. Some Cajun one-step dancing here.

Keel Row – You could dance just about anything to this hornpipe, but with a hop-step, hop-step.  Often sung.  Lyrics to follow.

Gay Gordons Set – This is a very common dance at a variety of Scottish ceilidh events.  Along with the strip the willow it is a must and is rarely called by the caller as it’s so common that ‘everyone’ knows it.

An Dro A Minor Dorian – This is a tune and dance from Brittany, France.  It’s a very simple and hypnotic dance.  Often the tune is played as a call and response, between a bombarde (stupidly loud shawm i.e. a bagpipe, without the bag) and the rest of the band.

Drops of Brandy is a good example of a slip-jig (three beats per bar, but all did-dl-y i.e. 9/8).  There’s a bit of argument as to whether it’s Scottish or Irish, but either way it works extremely well for the Scottish dance – Strip the Willow, which is danced all over the world as a finishing dance for many ceilidhs.  There are lots of versions of the Strip the Willow but the basic ‘strip’ figure is always the same – right to your partner and left to the sides.