Core Dances 2023

Since 2012 we have had a set of 10 to 12 dances which we call our "core" dances. The dances change each year. Club callers will include them in their programmes so that members can learn them and be able to dance them well.

The dances are chosen to allow the callers to teach particular figures, styles and formations. Also, they are chosen to emphasise dancing to the music and letting it guide our movements. Some of the dances are a bit of a challenge, so we won't get them right until we've done some practising. Others have been chosen because they are often danced at public dances, and some more practice will help us to enjoy them more.

We are still experimenting with the best way to approach core dances so please keep passing on feedback to any member of the committee.

Where possible, links to the notation for the dance have been included. No guarantees as to the content of other sites can be given! Note that we may be teaching a slight variant of what is published on the external web site. See also our links page for web sites which provide hints on dance (and calling) technique.

We might even become good enough to publish our own videos as a reference for others!

But, most important of all : Happy Dancing!

From	To	Dance Name	Formation	Source	Music
01-Jan-23	07-Feb-23	Charlene's Celebration Dance Instructions Animation Video Demonstration	4 Couple longways	Gary Roodman, Calculated Figures, 2005	Elizabethan Tango Man, Charlene Thompson Band of Friends or Stradivarious Celebrates
14-Feb-23	04-Apr-23	Dunham Oaks Dance Instructions YouTube video!	Longways duple minor, proper	Brian Wedgbury, English Dance & Song, 1973	Own Tune Stradivarious: This Sceptred Isle
11-Apr-23	23-May-23	Nettle Rash	5 Couple L/W	Jack Brown	5x32b Jig CDM CD2 Track 14
30-May-23	18-Jul-23	An Early Frost	L/W Proper	Philippe Callens	Own Tune Red Star Line

Core dance pages from previous years

Hints and Tips on Notation

Unless otherwise marked, each phrase (e.g. A1, B2) is 8 bars long.
In a reel or jig there are 2 steps to a bar; in a waltz or triple time tune there are 3 steps to a bar.
A semi-colon marks the end of a 2-bar phrase; a full stop marks the end of 4 bars. If a described movement takes the full phrase of music there is (probably) no full stop at the end of it. If a movement takes an unexpected or unusual length of music it will tell you in brackets.
Hints for individual dances are in italic with that dance.
M stands for men or man (e.g. M1 is 1st man); W stands for women or woman (e.g. W1 is 1st woman).
R stands for right; L for left.
sh stands for shoulder.
Turn single is R-shoulder back unless it says otherwise.
At the end of a R-hand turn you are facing that person; at the end of an allemande R you are facing the person who was behind you.

R & L through is R with opposite; L courtesy turn with partner beside you.
A courtesy turn means you both give L hands and face in the same direction as you wheel around anti-clockwise (M does not have his arm around W's waist except in a ladies chain).
A double is 3 steps and close your feet together.
A single is 1 step and close your feet together.
A double step or skip-change step is a travelling danced step. Hop on L to step forward on R, catch-up with L, step forward on R, hop on R and bring L through to repeat starting L. The hop is before the beat and the rhythm should be hop-long-short-long; hop-long-short-long.
A single skip is as you learnt in the playground! Step and hop in one move (as opposed to a hornpipe where the step and hop come on consecutive beats).
Gates means both of you face the same direction and hold inside hands; rotate a full turn (usually) with your joined hands as the pivot point. If mixed couple, M reverses and W forward unless otherwise marked. If same sex couple instructions will say (e.g. 1s gate up means 1s move up and then out in mirror gates).
Hole-in-the-Wall crossing (in triple time) is facing partner, starting with right foot, move towards him / her until face-to-face and close; on 3rd step (R foot) rotate half way (c/w) with each other staying close; from 4th step (L foot) fall back into partner's place. There should be a feeling of rising up to the middle of the move, pausing or hovering and then sinking as you fall away.

Core Dances 2023

Charlene's Celebration

Dunham Oaks

Core dance pages from previous years

Hints and Tips on Notation