Charles And Tomoko
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Charles And Tomoko (S3x32) 32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples Rod Downey The Golden Bear CollectionA 32 bar Strathspey for three couples in a three couple set.
1-2 First and second couples take hands on the side and set.
3-4 First couple casts off to second place, while second couple gives left hands and crosses up to first place on opposite sides.
5-8 First couple dances a half figure of eight around the second couple above them.
9-16 Second and first couples dance a modified tourbillon as follows.
9-10 Second and first couples turn partner with both hands opening after one bar, by first man and second woman releasing left hand (and partners right) but retaining nearer hands, out to finish with second couple on the women's side (that is, so the second lady is still in original place) and first couple on the men's side (so that the first man is still in original place), perhaps slightly in. Retain nearer hands.
11-12 First and second couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides, facing across the set.
13-14 First and second couples turn partner with both hands as above, and this time first woman and second man release left, to finish on opposite sides (in progressed places) in the middle facing, up and down the set- first couple in first place facing down and second couple in second place facing up, both couples with nearer hands joined.
15-16 First and second couples set once with nearer hands joined with partner.
17-24 First, second and third couples dance reels on the sides, first couple giving right shoulder to second to begin. The reels are 8 bars for the third couple and 6 for the first and second, with first and second men and first and second ladies changing places giving RH at the end of the reel.
25-32 First and third couples dance a Progressive Square Poussette (Iain Boyd Variation). To wit (written as an 8 bar phrase):
1-2 1C, 3C turn partners with two hands ¾ to finish in a line of 4 up and down the centre of the set, from the top, 1W, 1M, 3W, 3M.
1M and 3W change to left foot.
3 1C set to the men's side and pivot pulling back right shoulder and ready to progress down the men's side. 3C set to the ladies' side and pivot (on the "hop") pulling back right shoulder, ready to progress up the ladies' side. At the end of this both couples will be in line with the sidelines.
4 1C set moving down one place on the men's side and pivot pulling back right shoulder and ready to progress across the set in second place. 3C set moving up the ladies' side and pivot pulling back right shoulder, ready to progress across the set in first place. At the end of this both couples will have the men with their backs to the top.
5 3C, 1C set progressing to the centre of the set now in a line of 4, in order from the top 3M, 3W, 1M, 1W.
6-8 Both couples pass their partner right shoulder to dance to their own sides. 3M and 1W should pass each other right shoulder, and 3W and 1M should dance to their left on bar 6, 3W towards men's side and 3M towards the ladies' side, so that covering is possible.
Repeat, with a new top couple.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)
Dance Information
This strathspey, Charles And Tomoko, was devised on 16/11/2020, and modified to be a 3 x 32S on 24/11/2020. Charles and Tomoko Burden are both members of the Johnsonville club.The formation I have called Progressive Square Poussette, is Iain Boyd's variation of John Wilkinson's poussette from The Humours Of California in "Belfast Branch Platinum", bars 6-8 being Iain's variation.
Bars 1-16 are taken from my dance Stargazers in the collection "They Stole my Wife from me Last Night".
The recommended set is the one for "The Orchards of County Armagh" as recorded by Marian Anderson and her Band on Belfast Branch Platinum. ("Sailing South" by J. Nicholson, The Sally Gardens (trad), and "To Pauline" by M. Anderson).
(Dance information from The Golden Bear Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)
Published in The Golden Bear Collection, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey.
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