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ANTRIM SQUARE SET |
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© 2008
Larry E. Taylor |
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This set dance was composed in 2003 by Des Jackson, a dancer with the Sydney Irish |
| Ceili Dancers in Australia. Mr. Jackson was born in County Antrim, Ireland and | |
| chose to create a set dance to celebrate the place of his birth. | |
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Bar counts (quantity of measures) for dance patterns are shown in bold. |
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The total bar count for each Figure includes an eight-bar introduction of music. |
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Gents dance first on the left foot and ladies dance first on the right foot. The first step |
| is usually forward but see the big square pattern wherein dancers dance | |
| backward initially. | |
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Swing in waltz hold. |
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Documentation is based upon a posting on the Newcastle Irish Set Dancers website. |
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Abbreviations are used in a version recorded below. |
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Edition of October 18, 2008 — Contact larryetaylor@hotmail.com |
| FIGURE 1 -- REELS (144 BARS) LEAD
UP THE LADY |
| Dance an ordinary reel step—lift 2, 3, 4. | |
 LEAD AROUND—SWING—PINWHEEL |
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| All couples: | lead around anticlockwise (gents place the right arm across the lady’s shoulder |
| and couples take right hands there and they hold left hands in-front) for six | |
| bars; pivot and change hand positions (no arch, gents remain in the center) | |
| for two bars then lead around clockwise16; | |
| swing in waltz hold8; | |
| ladies pinwheel (Star of Ulster) with the right hands clockwise and reverse4; | |
| pinwheel with the left hands to home4; | |
| gents Star of Ulster rights/lefts as above8; | |
| LEAD COUPLES HOUSE EACH OTHER—HALF-DIAMOND—HOUSE TO HOME |
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| Top couples: |  house around each other (all houses
of the set are to be in waltz hold)8; |
| take open waltz hold, dance forward to the position on the right and turn to have | |
| backs to the next position2; dance backward to the next position on the | |
| right (original opposite)2; take waltz hold and house halfway around4. | |
| BIG SQUARE |
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| All couples: | Tops take inside hands while Sides face Partner. Each dancer dances a |
| small square bounded by the dancer's home position, the centre of the | |
set, the nearer corner position and the outside corner of the set. |
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| Tops advance and turn out while Sides back away* and turn toward Tops' | |
| positions; end with a 90-degree turn (see diagram)2; | |
| Tops (in the middle with backs to nearer Sides position) back away and turn | |
| while Sides (at edge of the set facing Tops normal position) advance2; | |
| Tops (facing Opposite in Sides position) back away* and turn while Sides (with | |
| Opposite in Tops position) take inside hands and advance and turn2; | |
| Tops (at edge of the set facing home position) advance and dance in-place | |
| while Sides (in the middle with backs to home position) back away | |
| and dance in-place2; | |
| Repeat the movements above — except reverse directions so Sides first | |
| advance to the centre while Tops back away* to their corner and so on, | |
| finishing with Sides advancing to-place from the corner of the set and | |
| Tops backing away out of the center to home positions8; | |
| SWING—HOUSE |
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| swing in waltz hold8; | |
| full house in waltz hold8. | |
| Side Couples: | repeat from except
Sides advance and turn first in the big square48. |
| * At some sites, dancers touch uncrossed hands at chest-height as they back away; the touch is often a gentle push-back.
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FIGURE 2 -- JIGS (136
BARS) BACK TO BACK |
| Dance the rising jig step—slight skip/hop, 2, 3, 4. | |
| LEAD AROUND—SWING |
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| All couples: | lead around and lead back as in Figure One16; |
| swing original partner8. | |
| LADIES THEN GENTS CROSSOVER—BIG CHRISTMAS—SWING |
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| Top couples | ladies
crossover (change places), passing right-shoulder-to-right without |
| touching (solo crossover)2; | |
| gents crossover (change places) passing left-shoulder-to-left without | |
| touching2; | |
| partners turn in to one another at opposite and ladies then gents | |
| crossover toward home4; | |
| partners turn into one another near home then meet opposite couple in the | |
| center for a big Christmas6; reverse to home (swing to-place)2; | |
| swing original partner in waltz hold8. | |
| BIG SQUARE—SWING |
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| All couples: | big square as in Figure One16; |
| swing original partner in waltz hold8. | |
| REPEAT—HOUSE TO FINISH |
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| Side couples: | repeat from except Sides advance and
turn first in the big square48. |
| All couples: | full house8; |
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FIGURE 3 -- SLIDES (152
BARS) |
| Dance an ordinary polka step—down- 2-3. | |
| LEAD AROUND—SWING |
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| All couples: | lead around and lead back as in Figure One16; |
| swing original partner8. | |
| SLIDE AND CHANGE TWICE—SWING CORNER THEN PARTNER |
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| in waltz
hold, slide in and out once (1-2, 1-2)4; house halfway around4; |
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| repeat the slide in/out and house halfway around8; | |
| swing corner partner, in waltz hold8; | |
| dance to original partner2; swing in waltz hold6. | |
| BIG SQUARE—SWING |
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| big square as in Figure One16; | |
| swing original partner in waltz hold8. | |
| REPEAT—HOUSE TO FINISH |
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| Side couples: | repeat from except Sides advance and
turn first in the big square56. |
| All couples: | full house in waltz hold8; |
ANTRIM SQUARE SET ORD: TT, SS F1 Reels 144 bars Clare-style lift-2-3-4 ALL: LASWH6 REV2 LASWH TO HO8 SWGW8 Ls: PW (STAR ULSTER, SHLD-HT, PALMS TCHg) R/L8 Gs: PW R / L as above8 TT: BKWD TO-PL)4 HSE HOW4 ALL: Big Sq: TT & L PR ACW, CW (G’s R to L’s L) TT FWD THEN TRN L AS SS BTL THEN TRN2 SS FWD THEN TRN L AS TT BTL THEN TRN2 RPT ALTERNATELY TO END ACW SQ AT HO4 RPT 3 LNs ABOVE CW (Gs BKWD)8 SWGW8 FH8 SS: RPT FR F2 Jigs 136 bars Up jig ALL: LASWH6 REV2 LASWH TO HO8 SWGW8 L-XMAS6 REV TO-PL (swing to place)2 SWGW8 ALL: Big Square AS IN FIG ONE16 SWGW8 SS: RPT FR ALL: FH8 F3 Slides 152 bars Down jig/polka (down-2-3) ALL: LASWH6 REV2 LASWH TO HO8 SWGW8 ALL: CORNERS SWGW8 TO PARTs2 SWGW6 ALL: Big Square AS IN FIG ONE16 SWGW8 SS: RPT FR ALL: FH8
..