23 September 2025

Dave Hall gave us a lively start to the next season with an excellent selection of dances and different formations to tackle.

 

We began our warmup with the Boston Two-Step before paying serious attention to some Strathspey exercises, ahead of our first dance, Une Mazurka sous les etoiles. This included the tourbillon, familiar to most, and the less familiar Figure of Love (to be pronounced in a very particular way!).  Dave advised that the dance instructions had recently amended the Strathspey Poussette,  to a Poussette in waltz hold. We were not too keen on that idea and persisted with our much-loved standard poussette.

Moving in to reel time Red boat Sailing the Blue required faith that the pattern would work itself out as each dancer faced their partner only at the beginning and end of the dance. Our next dance, the jig  Stanford Swing from the Devil’s Quandary book, introduced some of us to La Barrette, although Dave assured us that it had been danced for decades. It took a bit of concentration but was definitely pleasing to dance once we grasped the requirements. The final dance of the evening The Faraway Isle, was devised by John Drewry as ‘as dance for the isle of Majorca’.

 

Many thanks to Dave for starting the season off in such style and to Adam for his usual fabulous accompaniment. Thanks also to Nadia for visiting us on her trip from New York – it was great to have your company, Nadia.

 

Next month we look forward to Sam Schad’s class on 21 October.