trained dancers in pub sessions

Subject: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Feb 16 - 09:07 PM

In a pub session earlier this evening, with a few extremely skilled flamenco dancers, who had obviously done a lot of modern dance training as well.

I've encountered pro-level dancers in sessions in small pubs before and they always impress me. They manage to do really dramatic things in tiny cramped spaces; it's as if they have a mental phonebox around them and never poke a millimetre outside it. You know, watching them, that however explosive the act gets they are always in control and nobody is going to get their head kicked in.

Rapper teams manage the same control of space, but their act isn't as varied and unpredictable.

Contrast: anybody who's just bought a bargain-shop kilt for a rugby match and who's just been told by their fifth pint of Tennents that they can dance a reel. Arrange the bar stools in an improvised fortification.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: michaelr
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 01:01 AM

What sort of session was that, Jack?

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 03:18 AM

We asked one of the fiddle players at a recent session in Lewes, Sussex, to demonstrate a rant to us while we played. She got several of the blokes at the bar, who were watching and listening, to join in. It was very good.

I do enjoy sessions, but there's always that extra kick when people are dancing to your music. We had a very good informal longways set going at the top end of the bar at Ditchling just after Christmas. No beer was harmed in the process.

But none of us do flamenco.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: BanjoRay
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 04:39 AM

I go to a lot of Old Time sessions, and we often get some flat-footing happening. Really brightens the session when that happens.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 04:45 AM

Liz Calderbank did brilliant Lancashire clog dances at our 1st and subsequent anniversaries of our tune sessions in a very small space. Very dramatic and exciting. It resulted in the request and setting up of clog dancing lessons - the third incarnation go on 6 years later.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 04:47 AM

A few years ago , Bente (bfdk in here) turned up at The Newt in Sidmouth with some Danish dance tune dots . Ripov sight read , and we had three Dances 'taught' by Bente . Made a pleasant change at a Tunes and songs session

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 06:46 AM

I've heard it said that Dorset 4 hand reel was a pub dance. Impossible to dance it in a pub unless all for know it though.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 07:22 AM

What sort of session was that, Jack?

Sunday night at the Captain's Bar in Edinburgh. Mainly Scottish trad, more instrumentals than songs, but anything goes. There is a very good flamenco guitarist who drops in every so often.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 02:17 PM

"I've heard it said that Dorset 4 hand reel was a pub dance. Impossible to dance it in a pub unless all for know it though. "
I thought that the point was that the one who got it wrong bought the next round, and so on ....

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 08 Feb 16 - 06:26 PM

Does that apply to Mummers' Plays too? Recently went to the Mummers' Unconvention in Stroud where our all-female group, The Meadows Mummers frae Edinburgh were to appear. VERY crowded pub full o' well-oiled punters - "where on earth do we do it?" - but it happened: somehow a small space materialised - got slightly bigger during the inevitable fight (well who wants to be struck down by a light sabre?) and room for 2 "dead bodies" to lie on the floor and be revitalised by the traditional quack Dr. Repartee was fantastic!
And there was much dancing by whole Morris teams later, and great singing, grand night!

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 09 Feb 16 - 11:05 AM

Will Fly:We had a very good informal longways set going at the top end of the bar at Ditchling just after Christmas. No beer was harmed in the process.

I have a video of that, taken on my phone, but unfortunately I rotated the phone from portrait to landscape AFTER I started the videoing. It adjusts automatically to orientation as long as I do it before starting to record.

I know very little about video editing....do you know of any product that will allow me to rotate an mp4 file through 90 degrees to play back? If so, and subject to agreement from participants, I'll upload it to youtube.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 11 Feb 16 - 04:10 AM

Sorted out the orientation problem....it turns out to be very easy in Windows Movie Maker, though the first couple of seconds are now rotated incorrectly as I didn't bother trimming them off.

anyway, here it is:Ditchling Session Dancing

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 Feb 16 - 05:55 AM

DORSET FOUR HAND REEL, was it not invented by EFDSS?

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Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 11 Feb 16 - 11:30 AM

No, it is a traditional dance.

The use of rant stepping is a modern innovation as is the taking of hands in the reel.

Subject: RE: trained dancers in pub sessions
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Feb 16 - 01:24 PM

We once danced the Abram Circle Dance in the lobby outside a ladies toilet to the accompaniment of a very out of tune piano that shared the same space!

Vera Aspey does, or did, some very clever clog stepping on a board about 2' square.