ANTRIM  SQUARE  SET
         © 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.
    Bar counts (quantity of measures) for dance patterns are shown in bold.
    The total bar count for each Figure includes an eight-bar introduction of music.
    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.
    Swing in waltz hold.
    Documentation is based upon a posting on the Newcastle Irish Set Dancers website.
    Abbreviations are used in a version recorded below.
    Edition of October 18, 2008 Contact larryetaylor@hotmail.com 
    FIGURE 1 -- REELS (144 BARS)    LEAD UP THE LADY
Dance an ordinary reel steplift 2, 3, 4.
LEAD AROUNDSWINGPINWHEEL
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 OTHERHALF-DIAMONDHOUSE TO HOME
Top couples: REPEAT  "MARKER" 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
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.
          Big Square
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;
SWINGHOUSE
swing in waltz hold8;
full house in waltz hold8.
Side Couples: repeat from   REPEAT  "MARKER"  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.

 

    FIGURE 2 -- JIGS (136 BARS)    BACK TO BACK
Dance the rising jig stepslight skip/hop, 2, 3, 4.
LEAD AROUNDSWING
All couples: lead around and lead back as in Figure One16;
swing original partner8.
LADIES THEN GENTS CROSSOVERBIG CHRISTMASSWING
Top couples REPEAT  "MARKER" 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 SQUARESWING
All couples: big square as in Figure One16;
swing original partner in waltz hold8.
REPEATHOUSE TO FINISH
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT  "MARKER"   except Sides advance and turn first in the big square48.
All couples: full house8;
    FIGURE 3 -- SLIDES (152 BARS)
Dance an ordinary polka stepdown- 2-3.
LEAD AROUNDSWING
All couples: lead around and lead back as in Figure One16;
swing original partner8.
SLIDE AND CHANGE TWICESWING CORNER THEN PARTNER
REPEAT  "MARKER" in waltz hold, slide in and out once (1-2, 1-2)4; house halfway around4;
repeat the slide in/out and house halfway around8;
swing corner partner, in waltz hold8;
dance to original partner2; swing in waltz hold6.
BIG SQUARESWING
big square as in Figure One16;
swing original partner in waltz hold8.
REPEATHOUSE TO FINISH
Side couples: repeat from   REPEAT  "MARKER"   except Sides advance and turn first in the big square56.
All couples: full house in waltz hold8;

des jackson001.jpg (35115 bytes).

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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:  REPEAT  "MARKER" HSE EA OTHW8    ½ DIA ACWOW (FC SIDE,
     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  REPEAT  "MARKER" EXC Big Sq SIDES ADV FIRST
F2  Jigs 136 bars             Up jig
ALL:  LASWH6  REV2     LASWH TO HOSWGW8
REPEAT  "MARKER"TT: L XOVRR2R2   Gs XOVRL2L2        HO SAME4
L-XMAS6    REV TO-PL (swing to place)2      SWGW8
ALL: Big Square AS IN FIG ONE16   SWGW8
SS: RPT FR  REPEAT  "MARKER"  EXC Big Sq SIDES ADV FIRST
ALL:  FH8
F3  Slides 152 bars Down jig/polka (down-2-3)
ALL:  LASWH6  REV2     LASWH TO HO8     SWGW8
REPEAT  "MARKER"TT:  SL/CHG TO OPP / HO16
ALL:  CORNERS SWGW8   TO PARTs2    SWGW6
ALL:  Big Square AS IN FIG ONE16    SWGW8
SS:  RPT FR  REPEAT  "MARKER"  EXC Big Sq SIDES ADV FIRST
ALL:  FH8