PLAIN  [POLKA]  SET
        © 2008   Larry E. Taylor

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    This County Clare, Ireland set is the ancestor of the PLAIN [REEL] SET.
    Swing in waltz hold.
    The polka music should be relatively slow (Clare-style).
    Chain:  With a waist-level hold for the first two contacts, ladies first give right hands
              in the center and dance to and give left hands to the opposite gent (who has
              danced into his partner's position);  partners dance around one another
              anticlockwise (no arch) and the ladies dance to home without chaining in the
              center; at home, the gent takes right-hand-in-right with his partner and forms
              an arch and the lady dances under the arch anticlockwise to-place.
    Gents dance forward on the left foot and ladies begin forward on the right foot.
    Bar counts (quantities of measures) for patterns are shown in bold.
    The total bar count for each Figure includes an eight-bar introduction of music.
    First side couple is on the left of the first top couple.
    Documentation is based upon a workshop taught by Pat Murphy in Milwaukee,
              Wisconsin USA in August 1997.
    Edition of December 25, 2008 Contact larryetaylor@hotmail.com 
 
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 1 -- POLKAS (112 BARS)
Dance a gentle (non-lively) polka step, down-2-3.
All couples: take crossed-hands (rights on top) and lead around anticlockwise6;
turn the lady under clockwise to-place with only the right hand2;
swing in waltz hold8.
Top couples: REPEAT "MARKER" pass through to opposite with ladies in the middle; pass left-shoulder-to-
          left-shoulder to-place4;
repeat pass through to home as above4;
swing in waltz hold8;
ladies chain; gents turn their partner under anticlockwise to-place,
          right-hand-in-right8;
take crossed-hands and crossover anticlockwise to opposite and turn the
          lady under clockwise to-place, right-hand-in-right4;
pass through to home as above4.
All couples: swing in waltz hold8.
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"   40.
All couples: full house in waltz hold8.
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 2 -- POLKAS (128 BARS)
Dance a gentle (non-lively) polka step, down-2-3.
All couples: take crossed-hands (rights on top) and lead around anticlockwise6;
turn the lady under clockwise to-place with only the right hand2;
swing in waltz hold8.
Top couples: REPEAT "MARKER" take right-hand-in-right and advance and retire once4;
still right-hand-in-right, cross anticlockwise to opposite, turning the lady
          twice clockwise under-the-finger -- the lady leads4;
repeat the advance and retire and crossover, as above, to home8;
swing in waltz hold8;
repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"   --  except all couples swing24.
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"    and all couples swing finally48.
All couples: full house in waltz hold8.
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 3 -- POLKAS (176 BARS)
Dance a gentle (non-lively) polka step, down-2-3.
All couples: take crossed-hands (rights on top) and lead around anticlockwise6;
turn the lady under clockwise to-place with only the right hand2;
swing in waltz hold8.
Top couples: REPEAT "MARKER" first top lady and the second top gent change places, passing right-shoulder-
          to-right2; turn clockwise to place2;
first top lady and the second top gent change places again, as above4;
first top lady and the second top gent take left-hand-in-left in the center for
          one turn then also take right-hand-and-right with their original partners4;
as a line-of-four, lead around to respective opposite positions, drop left hands
          and turn the lady under clockwise to-place and partners bow to one another4;
first top lady and the second top gent advance and retire twice, bowing
          on the sixth bar8;
in waltz-hold, dance sevens (gallop, beginning weight on the back foot) in and
          out of the set once4; with gents back-to-back, dance sevens to home
          and turn clockwise to-place4;
repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"    with the second top lady and the first top gent leading32.
All couples: swing in waltz hold8.
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"  72.
All couples: full house in waltz hold8.
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 4 -- POLKAS (240 BARS)   
Dance a gentle (non-lively) polka step, down-2-3.
All couples: take crossed-hands (rights on top) and lead around anticlockwise6;
turn the lady under clockwise to-place with only the right hand2;
swing in waltz hold8.
Top couples: REPEAT "MARKER" ladies chain  --  gents turn their partner under anticlockwise to-place, right-
          hand-in-right8;
swing in waltz hold8;
first top couple house inside and leave the lady beside the second top gent who
          takes both ladies' outside hands and the first top gent takes no hands8;
as the first top gent retires and stays at home, the trio advance and retire twice;
          the second top gent pulls-the-hands up and turns the ladies to the first top
          gent and he grasps the ladies' outside hands; the second top gent grasps the
          ladies' inside hands underneath as the quartet takes a wheelbarrow hold8;
advance and retire twice and pull-the-hands up to a circle of four8;
little Christmas8;
repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"    with the second top couple leading48.
All couples: swing in waltz hold8.
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"   104.
All couples: full house in waltz hold8.
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 5 -- JIGS (128 BARS)   
Dance a gentle (non-lively) jig step, down-2-3.
All couples: take crossed-hands (rights on top) and lead around anticlockwise6;
turn the lady under clockwise to-place with only the right hand2;
swing in waltz hold8.
full house in waltz hold8.
NEXT: interlacing crossovers and ladies chains/partner changes then
          full house around with new partners
REPEAT "MARKER" top couples gallop in waltz hold (sevens, begin with weight on
          trailing foot, gents back-to-back) to opposite2;
side couples gallop in waltz hold to opposite2;
tops then sides repeat gallop to home (ladies back-to-back)4;
with waist-level contacts for all, ladies chain to opposite then dance to a side
          man, with top ladies beginning and side ladies beginning two bars later;
          the opposite gent dances around the lady (no arch) as she dances to the
          position on the opposite gent’s left; the receiving gents do not
          turn the lady under to-place8;
new  partners full house in waltz hold8;
with the original top ladies and their current partner leading each time,
          repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"    until original partners full house72.
  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 6 -- FLINGS (168 BARS)   
Dance an ordinary fling step, lift-2-3-4.

All couples:

lead around anticlockwise, with crossed-hands (rights on top)6;

          turn the lady under clockwise with four hands2;

swing in waltz hold (four revolutions)8.

Top couples:

REPEAT "MARKER"dance in-place (or slightly in and out) in waltz hold2;

double around at home, still in waltz hold (one revolution)2;

dance in-place (or slightly in and out) in waltz hold2;

double half-way around to opposite2;

dance in-place at opposite2;

double around at opposite2;

dance in-place at opposite2;

double half-way around to home2;

left-arm hook around with the opposite partner in center2;

dance to home2;

dance in-place2;

double around at home2;

house each other, doubling the final two bars8.

Side couples:

repeat from    REPEAT "MARKER"   32.

All couples:

repeat from    REPEAT "MARKER"   64;

dance at home8;

full house8.

  SET FORMATION   FIGURE 7 -- HORNPIPES (160 BARS)   
Dance an ordinary hornpipe step, lift-2-3-4.
All couples: REPEAT "MARKER" quarterhouse16;
full house in waltz hold8;
dance in and out, still in waltz hold2;
as gents dance clockwise at home, ladies dance inside the set to the next
          gent on the right2;
dance at home as new partners (waltz hold, one revolution)4;
repeat from   REPEAT "MARKER"   three time to re-establish original partners128.
quarterhouse16;
full house in waltz hold8.

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