Playford's Progeny

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====== LAISTERIDGE LANE ======

Duple Minor Longways\\
Historical English Style\\
Double Progression\\
Tune: LAISTERIDGE LANE
<code>
Begin with dancer in lines of four facing up the hall as follows:
        ↑ M1 M2 W2 W1 ↑
Al     Lines of four up a double and fall back.
A2     That again :
B1 1-4 All face partner. Change with partner by the right
       shoulder and turn single left.
   5-8 All go back to back with partner.
   
       First Couple               Second Couple
   1-4 Two-hand turn halfway      Cast up one place.
   5-8 and lead down one place.

   5-8 Face up and cast down      Two-hand fun
       another place to new       halfway and lead
       line of four.              up another place  
                                  to new line of four.  
 </code>    

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZButODrLdow\\
MUSIC: «Kettledrum” from Playford’s First Edition.\\

Teaching Point 1.\\ Emphasize for dancers that in B2 everyone
passes £10 couples and then links up with the third. Also emphasize 
the phrasing. There is a full eight beats for the casts.    

Teaching Point 2:\\ This dance is easiest to do when there is an
even number of couples in the set, in which case there is never
any waiting out. When the “twos” reach the top, they just do
their two-hand turn halfway and (instead of leading up) immediately
cast down to join the ends of new line. When “ones” reach
the bottom, they do a full two-hand turn (or just wait a moment)
and lead up into the middle of a new line. With an odd number
of couples in the set, there will always be one couple waiting at
the bottom.                               

====== RETURN TO LAISTERIDGE LANE ======

Duple Minor Longways\\
Historical English Style\\
Double Progression
<code>
Here is an alternative B2 for Laisteridge Lane:

B2 1-4 First corner people (in second corner positions)
       change places; then second corner people
       change place. (This is the first progression.)

5-8 Everyone two-hand turn once around with partner; 
    first couple cast down one place, while
    second couple leads up one place (into second
    progressed positions) to form new lines of fo
    and begin again.</code>
    
In the original Laisteridge Lane, B2 is a rapid double progression 
that people seem to like very much when they can master
it. The problem is that many dancers never quite get it. I had
resigned myself to the fact that the dance would forever be a
cultivated taste-not for everyone, until I heard the music for
the dance on the Old Friends CD. It’s wonderful! It absolutely 
demands that you get up and dance. I thought it was a
pity to waste all that good musical energy on something that
was not too accessible—hence this alternative B2. It is still a
double progression, but it’s a little easier to do.