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ins_lady_walpoles_reel

Lady Walpole's Reel

Source: Traditional. Probably originated in the 1840,
Music: Any reel that you prefer, “St. Annes Reel or “Reel of Stumpey”
Formation: Any even number of couples in contra dance formation,
Duple improper
Tune: Lady Walpole's Reel

A1 Balance and swing neighbor
A2 Actives down the center, turn individually (8)
   Come back and cast off (8)
B1 Ladies chain across (8)
   Ladies chain back (8)
B2 Promenade across (8)
   Right and left back (8) 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2HkCKVoxg8
One of the earliest dances with actives crossed over
Often danced to the tune “Massai's Favorite,” also known as “Lady Walpole's Reel” The tune Saint Anne's Reel is also often played for this dance. JN 070302 - The Broken String Childgrove/Julia Delaney works for this.

Curiously, in the course of the dance one swings every other person in the set except one's partner (who only gets a courtesy turn in the 'ladies chain' figure). Lore has it that this is because Lady Walpole hated to dance with her husband! It has been suggested (by, for one, Louie W. Attebery in his article “The Fiddle Tune: An American Artifact” {1979}) that the name change from “Lady Walpole's Reel” to “Boston Fancy” came about due to anti-British sentiments during the War of 1812.

ins_lady_walpoles_reel.txt · Last modified: 2024/11/14 05:54 by 127.0.0.1