January

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, we worked mostly on Midwinter Ball dances. We spent time reviewing diagonal rights and lefts and danced a strathspey with the figure to practice the geography. We also talked about how figures flow from one to another in a dance, especially in the dance The Winding Path. We danced a combined dance with the new dancers and finished with a fun classic reel.

Dances done:

1. New Year Jig 32J3

2. A Bytown Lass 32S3

3. The Lammermuir Hills 32S2

4. The Wind that Shakes the Barley 32R3

5. Ian Powrie’s Farewell to Auchterarder 128J4 (Square)

6. The Winding Path 32R3

7. The Flowers of Edinburgh 32R3

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in the new dancer session Noel Chávez continued to work on Midwinter Ball dances. After Aileen led the warmup, they worked on and danced corner-partner and the variation where first couple passes right shoulders in the middle rather than turning left hands. After the class, the new dancers joined the regular class for a combined dance.

Dances done:

1. Red Rum 32J3

2. The Wind that Shakes the Barley 32R3

3. The Yorkshire Rose 32J3

4. The New River Reel 32R3

Tuesday, January 20, 2026, we continued to work on Midwinter Ball dances and included some dances with similar figures for practice. We worked on ladies’ chain, double triangles, setting advancing in strathspey time, set and link for 3 couples, set to and turn corners into closing reels, set and rotate for 3 couples, the 3-couple bourrel, and diagonal rights and lefts. We danced a couple of Midwinter Ball dances with the new dancers.

Dances done:

1. Beach Dancer 32J3

2. Merry Mayhem 32R3

3. Gang the Same Gate 32S3

4. Red Rum 32J3

5. The Galloping Carousel 32J4 (Set)

6. Drifters 32S3 (Set)

7. Stapled Together 32R3 (new Sue dance)

8. Mrs MacLeod 32R3

Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in the new dancer session Noel Chávez continued to work on Midwinter Ball dances. They worked on skip-change in relation to actual figures, e.g. figures of 8 and leading down and up and the different feel of pas-de-basque in jig and reel time. They learned ladies’ chain then set to and turn corners and linked it to 6-bar reels on the sides (closing reels). Then they worked on the strathspey poussette and knot.

Dances done:

1. Ingrid 32R3

2. Red Rum 32J3

3. The Lammermuir Hills 32S2

4. The Galloping Carousel 32J4 (Set)

Tuesday, January 13, 2026, we continued to work on Midwinter Ball dances and a few other fun dances. We reviewed timing in the grand chain, dancing it in both strathspey and quicktime. We also spent time talking about how figures flow from one to another in a dance. And we danced a combined dance with the new dancers.

Dances done:

1. The Yorkshire Rose 32J3

2. Grandmother’s Delight 32S3

3. The New River Reel 32R3

4. Flight of the Lancaster 40J3

5. J. B. Milne 32R3

6. The Auld Tortoiseshell 32J3 (new Sue dance)

7. Snowdrops 32S3 (Set)

8. Mathilde Is a Delight 32S3 (Set)

9. Home for the Holidays 32R3

Tuesday, January 13, 2026, in the new dancer session Noel Chávez continued to work on Midwinter Ball dances. She introduced promenade and diagonal reels, worked on 2-bars turns – once round, 1.5 times round, 1.25 times round, and pdb once round, introduced set, half hands across, and reviewed the concept of corners.

Dances done:

1. Jamie’s Jig 32J3

2. Flight of the Lancaster 40J3

3. Ingrid 32R3

Tuesday, January 6, 2026, we started working on Midwinter Ball dances. We worked on the chain progression for 3 couples, with particular attention to the timing and structure of the figure and danced it from all positions. We also did one dance with some of the newer dancers.

Dances done:

1. The Dancing Bells 32J3

2. Ingrid 32R3

3. Jamie’s Jig 32J3

4. Linnea’s Strathspey 32S3

5. The Winding Path 32R3

Tuesday, January 6, 2026, we started the new year with Noel Chávez teaching the first of four sessions to prepare our newest dancers for the Midwinter Ball by teaching them the dances deemed suitable for newer dancers. During the session she reviewed strathspey traveling and setting, reviewed and practiced the grand chain, worked on turns in 2 bars (both once round and 1 1/2 round), reviewed and practiced pas de basque and taught traveling pas de basque then taught the quicktime poussette.

Dances done:

1. Lady Catherine Bruce’s Reel 32J2

2. Grandmother’s Delight 32S3

3. Jamie’s Jig 32J3