Aktuality Setových tanců 15. 6. 2025

The Harvest Dance Set

V poslední době mě zaujal set tj. tanec z oblasti irského set dancingu, který jsem náhodně objevil na stránkách ITMA a jehož autorem je známá tanečnice a propagátorka tradičního hudebního a hlavně tanečního Irska spojeného s životem běžných Irů Edwina Guckian. U vytváření setů je to podobné jako u tanečních choreografií: ne každý tanečník je zároveň choreografem a ne každý tanečník setů vymyslí dobrý set. Tento od Edwiny mi přijde podařený a dobře vymyšlený. Má nejen dobře komponované pohyby v rámci jednotlivých figur, ale i zajímavě zvolila rytmy jednotlivých figur: jig, hornpipe, polka.
I když set Edwina komponovala v roce 2022, k jeho zobrazení na videu došlo až v letošním roce. Přidal jsem videa k jednotlivým figurám, aby byly co nejsrozumitelnější. Pokud budete sledovat kroky u jednotlivých figur, nabízím k podrobnému sledování právě Edwinu (žluté tričko, džíny s laclem), protože její provedení je nejen autorské, ale tanečně ze zúčastněných nejdokonalejší (a učíme se od nejlepších, že?)

Filmováno na Effrinagh Crossroads, Co. Leitrim  10. dubna 2025.

Tančící
Deirdre Kerins, Ballymote, Co. Sligo
Tara Noone, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim
Ellen Langton, Ballymote, Co. Sligo
Tom Cullen, Kiltoghert, Co. Leitrim
Aideen Burke, Kilmore, Co. Roscommon
Róisín Noone, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim
Claire Flanagan, Drumsna, Co. Leitrim
Edwina Guckian, Drumsna, Co. Leitrim
Musician – Aaron Glancy, accordion, from Geevagh, Co. Sligo

1st figure – Jigs – The Harvesting figure

Notes: Hop step

1. Circle left: All holding hands in a circle, dance a full circle clockwise back to  home
2. Circle right: Dance a full circle anticlockwise and on return home to your place face your partner
3. Right hand in right chain all around the set back to your home position and swing
your partner in waltz hold.
4. Tops gallop to opposite positions, keeping to the right, counting 1234567, and
turning into the opposite place 123 and 123. Repeat the movement to get home.
On the final turn into position both couples split and join sides to form 2 lines of 4.
5. Holding hands both lines of 4 advance and retire. On the second advance all
dancers stay in and turn to face 1st tops position.
6. Fountain: 1st top couple lead the lines in the fountain; each line follows its leader
as they turn out of the set dancing to the back of the line (4 bars) . When they
reach the back of the line they meet their partner (for tops it will be their own
partner, for sides it will be opposites. Picking up the partner gallop home (2 bars)
and dancing on the spot (tops) or dancing into place (sides) for the final 2 bars
dancing 123 and 123. (Side ladies are in opposite positions at this point.)
7. All swing waltz hold.
8. Tops repeat movements 4 – 7 with 2nd top couple leading the fountain. (Side
ladies will get home after this set of movements.)
9. Side couples repeat movements 4 – 7 with 1st side couple on the left leading the
fountain. (Top ladies are in opposite positions at this point.)
10. Side couples repeat movements 4 – 7 with 2nd side couple on the right leading
the fountain. (Top ladies will get home after this set of movements.)
11.All house to finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hveNEfA7J3E

2nd figure – Hornpipes – The Stack of Barley figure

Notes: Danced as the Stack of Barley

1. Circle left: All holding hands in a circle, dance a full circle clockwise back to home
2. Circle right: Dance a full circle anticlockwise and on return home to your place face your partner
3. Right hand in right chain all around the set back to your home position.
4. Swing in céilí hold
5. From that céilí hold position, all slide the right hand out to take crossed hands
while continuing to face partner. Stack of Barley movement: All couples 7s
towards centre of set, 7s back out, and again 7s in, 7s out.
6. All house around continuing with crossed hands.
7. Right hand in right, all gents drop the ladies to the centre for a star, the gents
then continue turning anti clockwise back to home position as the ladies do a
full turn in the star (4 bars) on return to place the gents dance out to meet the
ladies giving left hand in left dance a full turn around each other and ladies move
on with a right hand chain to the next gent on the left.
8. Start the Stack of Barley movement 7s with new partner. Repeat movements 5 –7 until all ladies are home.
9. House to finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3jZ9TaZgl0

3rd figure – Polkas – The Last Sheaf figure

Notes: Polka step

1. Circle left: All holding hands in a circle, dance a full circle clockwise back to home
2. Circle right: Dance a full circle anticlockwise and on return home to your place face your partner
3. Right hand in right chain all around the set back to your home position and swing
your partner in waltz hold. (16 bars)
4. Show the lady – 1st Top couple house inside
5. 1st top couple slide in, slide out and dance at home
6. The Harvest Knot – 1st top gent picks up the lady on his left, holding hands loosely
gents left hand and lady’s right. The gent makes an arch with 1st top lady and the
1st side lady passes under the arch with the gent following through after her and
back to place. Top gent then makes an arch with 1st side lady allowing 1st top lady
to pass underneath with the gent again following after her. (8 bars)
7. Running the Hare – When the harvest know has been made all hold hands in a
circle except the lady of the leading couple that has just led the Show the Lady
movement (part 4.) The leading couple (1st top couple in this instance), make an
arch and 2nd side gent passes through the arch bringing the whole set with him.
When all are back in place the 1st top gent follows under to turn back into place.
8. All keep holding hands and advance retire twice in the circle.
9. Repeat movements 4 – 8 with 2nd tops leading
10.Repeat movements 4 – 8 with 1st sides leading
11.Repeat movements 4 – 8 with 2nd sides leading
12. The Last Sheaf / Running the hare – At the end of that final advance retire in a
circle the last lady to be shown (2nd side ladies) gets thrown into the centre of the
set as she is the Cailleach of The Last Sheaf. She breaks the link with 2nd top gent
but all others keep holding hands. 2nd top gent leads the movement dancing in a
clockwise circle around the Cailleach until its gets tight and all dancers are
wrapped around her. The Cailleach then begins to unravel turning clockwise as
the set continues to dance clockwise. When the Cailleach has unravelled she
joins the circle once again all holding hands back in place. (This can take as long
as the Cailleach chooses. There is no set amount of bars assigned to this
movement.)
13.All advance and retire twice in a circle with a jump. clap and cheer to finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0w4mFXghq4

Václav Bernard