Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 15:40:54 -0600
To: strathspey:strathspey.org
From: Tim Harrison <tim:timdoodle.com>
Subject: Re: Miss Devon's Reel

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Miss Devon's Reel
Bars 1-8 in great detail

Reel of four on the women's side of the dance.  The reel is danced as if  the
reel  of four starts as (top 1W 1M 2M 2W bottom) but begins on the 2nd bar of
the reel, with 1W and 2W passing left shoulders in the middle of the reel.

The ends of the reel of four are above the 1W position and at the 2W position.
The positions used in the description below are:

	a1Wp = above 1W position
	1Wp = 1W position
	a2Wp = above 2W position
	2Wp = 2W position.

Bars 1:
1W&2W pass left shoulders to 1Wp (2W) & a2Wp (1W).
1M cross halfway toward a1Wp.
2M cross halfway toward a2Wp.

Bar 2:
1M finish cross to a1Wp.
2W dance in and up toward a1Wp.
1W dance out and down toward 2Wp.
2M finish cross to a2Wp.

Order is now 1M 2W 2M 1W, in or near positions a1Wp 1Wp a2Wp 2Wp, respectively.

Bar 3:
1M&2M pass left shoulders to 1Wp (2M) & a2Wp (1M).
2W dance out and down toward 1Wp.
1W dance in and up toward a2Wp.

Bar 4:
2W dance out and down to 1Wp.
2M dance out and up toward a1Wp.
1M dance out and down toward 2Wp.
1W dance in and up to 1Wp.

Order is now 2M 2W 1W 1M, in or near positions a1Wp 1Wp a2Wp 2Wp, respectively.

Bar 5:
2W&1W pass left shoulders to change places.
2M dance out and down toward 1Wp.
1M dance in and up toward a2Wp.

Bar 6:
2M dance out and down to 1Wp.
1W dance out and up toward a1Wp.
2W dance out and down toward (below?) 2Wp.
1M dance in and up to a2Wp.

Order is now 1W 2M 1M 2W, in or near positions a1Wp 1Wp a2Wp 2Wp, respectively.

Bars 7-8:
2M&1M cross to original positions, 1M passing in front of 2M.
1W dance out and down to 1Wp.
2W dance in and up to 2Wp.

Finish in original positions on own side of the dance.

An alternative bars 1&2 that doesn't quite match the diagram, but makes the left shoulder pass in bar 3 easier for 1M & 2M:

Bar 1:
1W&2W pass left shoulders to 1Wp (2W) & a2Wp (1W).
1M cross to a1Wp.
2M cross halfway toward a2Wp.

Bar 2:
1M dance out and down to 1Wp.
2W dance in and up toward a1Wp.
1W dance out and down toward 2Wp.
2M finish crossing to a2Wp.

Order is now 2W 1M 2M 1W, in or near positions a1Wp 1Wp a2Wp 2Wp, respectively.

Without having bodies to try this out for me right now, I think the reality is halfway between my first description for bars 1&2 and my alternative description for bars 1&2. In the first description, the dancers "catch up" to the reel at the end of bar 3. In the alternative, the dancers "catch up" to the reel at the end of bar 2.