SCOTTISH HIGHLAND DANCING
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Instructor: Karen Murphy
Foot Positions:
1st position : heels together, feet turned out 90 degrees (each foot 45 degrees from the line of direction
2nd position: working foot extended directly to the side at an angle of 90 degrees from the line of direction
2nd aerial: working leg extended to the side as in 2nd but raised
3rd position: working foot touches the hollow of the supporting foot, each foot facing outwards at 90 degrees from the other or 45 degrees from the line of direction
3rd aerial: outside edge of working foot placed in contact with the front of the supporting leg
3rd rear: hollow of the working foot touches the heel of the supporting foot, each foot facing outwards at 90 degrees from the other
3rd rear aerial: working foot is placed behind the supporting leg at the same height as 3rd aerial
4th position: working leg extended to the front with both heels in line with the line of direction - working foot turned out at an angle of 45 degrees from the line of direction
4th aerial: working leg extended to the front as in 4th but raised
4th intermediate: working leg extended diagonally forward at 45 degrees from line of direction
4th intermediate aerial: working leg extended as in 4th intermediate but raised 5th position: working foot in contat with the big toe joint of the supporting foot, each foot facing outwards at a 90 degree angle from the other
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Arm Positions:
Fingers: thumb in contact with the first joint of the middle finger
1st: both hands fisted resting on hips
2nd: one arm in 1st and the other raised
3rd: both arms raised
4th: closer and higher form of 3rd with hands almost touching
5th: arms gently curved down in front of body wiith hands close to each other and little fingers almost touching the kilt
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Head Positions:
1st: head faces front
2nd: head diagonally to right or left
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Brush:
outwards: working foot lightly touches the ground in progress from 3rd aerial very low to open aerial through 1st position to 4th aerial
inwards: working foot lightly touches the ground in progress from open aerial to closed or 3rd aerial
Shake (always executed with a hop):
for Highland Fling: movement preceded by placing the working foot in 3rd or 5th from where it is extended to 4th intermediate aerial - the actual shake movement has two shake actions, the first finished with the working foot in 4th intermediate aerial and the 2nd with that foot arriving at 4th intermediate aerial simultaneously on landing from the accompanying hop
for Seann Triubhas: working foot is progressively extended by two or move movements called shake actions from 3rd or 5th to 2nd aerial - shake actions coming from the knee controlled by the thigh and started while flexing the knee of the supporting leg in preparation for the hop simultaneously on landing from which the working foot arrives at its highest point
Shuffle
Starting with one foot midway between 4th aerial position and 4th intermediate aerial position low, spring or hop and during the elevation, extend the original supporting foot to midway between4th aerial position low and fourth intermediate aerial position low then almost simultaneously on landing brush the new working foot inwards to the half point in 3rd or 5th position and immediately brush it outwards to midway between fourth aerial position low and fourth intermediate aerial position low
Note: shuffle starts by going from out to in first and brush starts by going from in to out first
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THE HIGHLAND FLING: 4 step
Music: Monymusk or any suitable Strathspey tune
tempo: quarter note equals 136 (or 34 bars per minute)
Introduction:
Bars 1 and 2: stand as for bow
Bars 3 and 4: box (count 1, 2,3,4, as go down and 5, 6, 7, 8 as come up raising on balls of feet on 8) arms in 1st position (on hips)
First Step: Shedding
Bar 1: shedding with right foot (count 1, 2, 3, 4) ie spring on left foot and right foot behind, in front, behind
Bar 2: spring right foot, left foot behind, in front, behind (count 5, 6, 7,8)
Bar 3: spring left foot and right foot behind, in front, behind (count 1,2,3,4)
Bar 4: spring right foot, left foot behind, in front, behind (count 5, 6, 7,8)
Arms: 2nd position in bars 1, 2 and 3; 1st or 2nd position bar 4 (ie whatever foot you hop on the opposite arm is in the air)
Bars 5 to 8 beginning with hop right foot repeat bars 1 to 4 with the opposite foot, turning to the left on bar 8.
Second Step: Toe and Heel
Bar 1: spring left foot, do the shedding movement with right foot (count 1, 2,3,4)
Bar 2: spring then hop on right foot, toe and heel movement with left foot in 5th position (count 5,6), spring then hop on left foot, toe and heel movement with right foot in 5th positon (count 7,8)
Bar 3: repeat bar 2 (count 1,2,3,4)
Bar 4: turn to the right as in bar 4 of the first step (count 56, 6,7,8)
Arms: 2nd position in bar 1, 1t position in bars 2 and 3; 1st or 2nd position in bar 4
Bars 5 to 8: beginning with hop repeat bars 1 to 4 with opposite foot, turning to the left on bar 8
Third Step: Rocking
Bar 1; hop left foot, pointing right foot in 2nd position (count 1), hop left foot, taking right foot to 3rd rear aerial position (count 2), hop left foot pointing right foot in fifth position then hop left foot, extending right foot with shake to 4th intermediate aerial position (counting 3 and and a 4)
Bar 2: four rocks - the foot that was shaken takes weight first and remains in front (count 5, 6,7,8)
Arms: 2nd position in bar 1, 3rd position in bar 2
Bars 3 and 4: spring and repeat bars 1 and 2 with opposite foot
Bars 5 to 8: spring and repeat bars 1 to 4
Fourth Step: Last Shedding
Bars 1, 2 and 3: hop left foot, shedding with right foot three times (1,2,3,4, 5,6,7,8,1,2,3,4)
Bar 4: turn to the right as in bar 4 of the first step (count 5,6,78)
Arms: 2nd position in bars 1,2 and 3, 1st or 2nd position in bar 4
Bars 5, 6, 7: shedding with left foot three times (count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,1,2,3,4)
Bar 8: turn to left as in bar 8 of the first step (5,6,7,8)
Finish: step to the right with right foot and close left foot to first position and bow.
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SEANN TRIUBHAS
Music: Whistle over the Lave o’t’
Tempo 1 (slow) quarter note equals 104 (or 26 bars to the minute)
Tempo 2 (quick) quarter note equals 136 (or 34 bars to the minute)
Tempo 1 Introduction
Bars 1 and 2: stand as for bow
bar 3: bow (count 1,2,3,4)
bar 4: step left foot towards 2nd position making one eighth turn to the right taking weight of body on left foot (count 5), step right foot to 4th rear positon to finish with left foot pointed in 4th positon (count 6) take arms to 5th position then raise them up in front of body to 4th posiion and carry them out to 3rd position (count 7,8)
First Step: Brushing
first time circle is going counterclockwise:
Bar 1: spring left foot, then three hops left foot, executing an outward brush right foot with each movement counted 1,2,3,4.
Arms: to 5th position on count 1 then with a circular action take them upwards to 4th position and downwards through 3rd position on counts 2,3,4
Bar 2: spring right foot, executing an outward brush left foot (count 5) spring left foot executing an outward brush right foot (count 6) spring right foot, executing an outward brush left foot (count 7) spring left foot executing an outward brush right foot (count 8)
Arms: in 1st position or as for bar 1
Bar3: spring right foot, then three hops right foot, executing an outward brush left foot with each movement (count1,2,3,4)
Arms as for bar 1
Bar 4: execute four shuffles, springing LF, RF, LF, RF (count 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and)
Arms: 1st position
Bars 5 to 8: starting with hop repeat bars 1 to 4 with opposite foot but in bars 5 to 7 make a circle to the right (clockwise)
Second Step: Side Travel
Bar 1: Hop left foot, extending right foot with shake to second aerial position high (count ‘and and a 1'); step onto ball of right foot in fifth rear position (count ‘2'); step left foot to second position and close ball of right foot to fifth rear position or fifth position (count ‘and 3'); step left to second position and close ball of right foot to fifth rear position (count ‘and 4').
During counts “and 3 and 4' the dancer travels directly towards the left side.
Arms: To fifth position on count ‘1' then with a circular action during counts ‘2 and 3 and 4' take them upwards in front of the body to fourth position thence through third position and downwards at the sides.
Bar 2: Repeat bar 1 with the opposite foot, traveling directly towards the right side (count ‘and and a 5, 6 and 7 and 8').
Bar 3: Repeat bar 1 (count “and and a 1, 2, and 3, and 4').
Bar 4: Execute four shuffles, spring left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot (count ‘5 and 6 and 7 and 8').
Bar 5 to 8: Repeat bars 1 to 4 with the opposite foot.
Third Step: Diagonal Travel
Bar 1: Facing diagonally to the right, execute the hop-brush-beat-beat movement with right foot (count ‘1 and and a 2'); traveling slightly forward in a diagonal line to the right, spring right foot, executing an outward brush left foot, then spring left foot, executing an outward brush right foot (count ‘3,4'). Arms: Second position for the hop-brush-beat-beat movement then first or third position for the brushes.
Bar 2: Execute the hop-brush-beat-beat movement with right foot, finished with or without extension of the working foot on count ‘6' (count’5 and and a 6'); execute a pivot turn to the left, finishing facing diagonally to the left (count ‘7,8').
Arms: Second position for the hop-brush-beat-beat, first or fourth position during the pivot turn. If fourth position is used for the turn, the arm which is being raised from first position is taken up at the side through third position. Bars 3 and 4: Repeat bars 1 and 2 with the opposite foot, traveling forward in a diagonal line to the left, and turning to the right with the pivot turn which is finished facing diagonally to the right.
Bars 5 to 8: Repeat bars 1 to 4, but finish facing the front.
Fourth Step: Toe and Heel and Rock
Bar 1: Spring left foot, then hop left foot (or two hops left foot if required), executing the toe-and -heel movement in second position with right foot (count ‘1,2'); two hops left foot, executing the toe-and-heel movement in fifth position with right foot (count ‘3,4'.
Arms: Second position
Bar 2: Execute four rocks, spring right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot (count “5,6,7,8').
Arms: Third position
Bars 3 and 4: repeat bars 1 and 2 with the opposite foot.
Bars 5 to 8: repeat bars 1 to 4.
Finish: Step to right with right foot, then close left foot to right foot in first position (flat) and bow.
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