Just a quick message to say thank you for all the hard work put in to making Piccadilly look great. I'm really happy with how the dance looks and that's really down to everyone trying so hard! Thanks also to Kate who put up with my metronome madness and all the onlookers and helpers who figured out what was looking rubbish so we could fix it [😊]
Lets be honest this year seems a really weird DERT with so few teams going, I'm honestly oblivious as to how it'll all end up. My aim is to have a great day of dancing, do our best and enjoy ourselves!
See you on Wednesday where, if all else fails, remember to SMILE.
Becky xx
Hello,
Here are the pubs for Wednesday:
Meet at one of the weatherspoons (Pederels Oak or Knigts Templar) - I will let you know which!
Grand Union M
The fullwood Y
Old red lion M
Square pig M
Old Nic Y
Enterprise Y
Old queens head Y
Perseverance Y
Lamb Y
The Blue Lion Y
Please remember to be there ready to dance at 7.30. Depending on which weatherspoons we meet at we may be able to dance but if not please be dressed and ready to move on by 7.30.
Ffion x
Sent from my Samsung device
Hello all,
Just so you are aware tonight is the last practice that the DERT set will have together so the practice will be heavily weighted towards them. In addition to this Hannorah and Laura S. can't make it and Jo W. is no longer around to fill in so Westerhope numbers will be down! We really need people to watch Piccadilly and check for any last minute errors or bad habits. I'm going to try the old technique of writing down a few points to look out for per person and getting people to watch out for them.
I also want to do Jubilee with Jo calling, we can't do double due to lack of people, but the practice should be good, please let me know if you particularly want to run through jubilee and I'll make sure you're in the set.
So apologies in advance that tonight might be a little dull for Westerhope, the next two weeks are all yours! Please still come along, we really need people to watch and you should have opportunity to continue with stepping practice (you know you want to!).
See you later,
Becky xx
Hello,
I know Chippenham is in the far post-DERT future but was just wondering if anyone has any information about what we might be doing for it. Specifically what times we might need to be there.
Thanks,
Ffion
Please take a look at my blog on Welsh folk songs - caneuongwerin.wordpress.com<http://caneuongwerin.wordpress.com>
OK - so as we are approaching the critical time I've been going through the marking criteria to see what we could lose marks on, and therefore the bits we need to watch out for. The good thing is that mainly I think we're in really good shape and just had lots of lovely ticks next to points I think we fulfill. I'm aware this looks like a lot but it's all really small points. If you could have a glance over I think it's all stuff we know, and there all tiny details to add in over the next couple of weeks.
Stepping:
* Clean, crisp stepping, in time with the music- I don't think we can magically improve doubles but they're sounding SO much better than before, just a case of remaining calm and not rushing so that they sound steady.
* Starting and stopping stepping at the same time, unless intended - not always consistent at when we stop before going into a movement - Hannah before sweeps sometimes, a variety of us before popcorn, there may be more. If it's something we've picked up on just really try and remember!
* Good, consistent stepping in spins- the spin sounds good but I want to go over how much flick we're putting in and remembering the slide rather than stamp in the middle
* Ensure dancers do not step or move out of time with the music - again, we just need to not rush. Square display probably a focus point! Try not to pre-empt getting into display positions with any of the locks.
Sword Handling:
* Swords kept high, above all heads (where necessary)
* Hands together wherever possible/ necessary
* All swords moving together where appropriate - All three of these are probably a weak point in needles/ getting the swords up and down in a line. Just remembering to do it all.
* Good sword shapes, including display figures and locks - As long as Laura and Hannah remember to put a bit of brute force in the 5 person locks these now seem a lot better. 6 sword lock is better since we went over it but only if we can get there without rushing. We'll go over this.
Dance technique:
* Set is always controlled, tight and balanced - careful at the end of the spin forming the line and tits (especially in small spaces)
Buzz factor:
* Buzz continues after dance, with audience talking about perfomance, interacting with performers etc. In particular I was interested with the last bit - audience interacting with performers?? I mean this happens all the time in pubs on normal crawls but not sure about DERT. Maybe worth getting back in pubs after we've run off in case this happens? Rather than the out of breath joy we normally share!
Presentation:
* Very smart, clean and tidy kit, including hair shoes etc. - Hair is probably the biggy as I think out kit is awesome. My plan is to straighten, I think everyone else has a better chance. Maybe just remember to point out on each other if it's falling out? I haven't managed to get feathers yet...not quite sure where to get them from but I will look!
* All performers appear confident and positive throughout the dance
* Consistent approach e.g. all smiling/enjoying dance or all serious - The main thing from this is to smile sometimes and look up. I don't want a manic forced smile but if we can think about it the points where we're displaying then we should smile!
* Dancers should not scowl, frown or look nervous etc - again I think this will naturally occur a little but counter with smiles when appropriate.
* No fidgeting at start or end of dance when people should be standing still - careful at the start when we're in an open ring as well as line before we walk on
Music:
* Don't play at the wond speed e.g. too fast or too slow for dancers - just being careful to be fast enough at the very start - otherwise we push, which i think is obvious, and then the whole thing whizzes along uncontrolled because we've gone crazy speed.
Characters:
* Actions skilfully tailored to the performance, audience and venue
* Not obstructing or interfering with dancers and/or musicians
* Good involvement in dance - I think all three of these are fine although we proved that we struggled in small spaces with the 6 sword lock entrance. We'll go over this but is definitely something to have in your head that you need to speed round, especially at the point of getting in the set. Careful not to worry so much about what you're saying that you're then in the way of the movement of the set, again in small spaces.
Have a lovely weekend all.
Becky xx
Morning all!
Thank you so much for those who came out on the crawl, I think we did some great dances and did some good dealing with bad floors and restricted spaces. Kate I hope you can feel we're listening more, I think just more practice at it and it'll only get better [😊]
Special thank you to the people who knew they wouldn't be dancing but came out in support anyway, it was lovely to have more people around and I look forward to hearing how much we collected.
Things that I think we need to work on is the very end, getting Sue in the set and round within the right beats, as that basically didn't work all night, and following that to breaking at the right point to be with the music in popcorn, I'm hoping we can figure out exactly what was going wrong as it felt odd!
Sue is it possible to practice a little with George on? If we end up in a rush to get round I then feel I'm going to rip him off as the swords come over to do the 6 sword lock. Don't bother this coming week as we don't have the full DERT set, but week after would be great.
My plan for this coming Monday, as we don't have Hannah or Laura S, is to have Ffion learn 5 in Westerhope (allowing us to do Westerhope at Cecil Sharp) and possibly for me to learn 3 if that's helpful? While that's going on I'd like Katherine to practice plaiting Laura Ws hair, AND stepping [😊]
If we have Jo and she's feeling better I'd like to run through the dance with her at 4, and similarly with Hannorah at 5.
Thanks again, you're all wonderful!!
Becky xx
Hello all,
Please see a few videos form Thursday which Simon took on his phone:
Having had a look at these I've found some tiny points which individuals could improve upon - some of them aren't always happening so if you know it was a fluke please don't take offence!
Windmills- Sword between Katherine and Ffion often ends up at a funny angle, potentially when in smaller spaces, I think if Ffion can bring it a tad lower it would be much more in line, as it's the front one it stands out as an error.
When I jump back as 3 here I get scared of doing a 2 footed jump when we don't have much room so end up doing a weird high knee movement which doesn't look great. On the video it looks like 2 footed would be possible and I just need to go for it, is this true Katherine and Ffion? I don't want to stamp on you obviously!
Choker - not sure if I've just forgotten, is this coming down on 4 or 8? I thought it came down on 4 for 4 steps, then we stepped for 2 sets of 4 before rotating. What seems to be happening is we end up actually coming down on 8 for 4 steps, then 1 set of 4 before rotating. I think this second version looks fine apart from I do a downward action on 4 which ruins it, do people need until the 8 to get there neatly?
Square display - be really careful not to rush this
Spin - we can be quite stampy still so we just really need to try and remember not to, also an emphasis of the flick at the back would be good (Jo W. mentioned it only half looks like a thing at the moment) we'll look at this when we're all together.
Needles - In small spaces we get a bit jammed as we don't end up using the full length of the space and the whole things becomes fat rather than long and thin. I think we just need to be a bit more confident at going up to the edges of the space, we're not going that fast so even if we hit a bar or something it shouldn't hurt - I hope that makes sense? Hannah your sword seems a tad low with the final line going down, I don't know if that's because you're a bit interlocked with Katherine - we'll have a look at this together, it might just be you need to make a point of pushing it up.
Triangle lock - EVERY time this was a bit rubbish as the top sword, which should be flat comes out as an angle, this is something at Hannah and Katherine's corner but, obviously, someone else could be pulling it out. We'll have a look, seems odd as hasn't really happened in practice.
Doubles - Hannah and Katherine both get a bit arm happy, although not every time, so this is definitely improving! I think that's just a moment for you two to try and relax/shoulders in or whatever was recommended [😊]
Arches - don't rush the start with stepping. Hannah remember to stop stepping and come down with us for the sweeps, I know it's muscle memory which you're trying to undo which is hard, and I also know it doesn't happen every time, just something to think about.
Double tumble - My sword is sometimes coming down faster than Laura's, I think I just need to chill out - it doesn't always happen so just something to remember. Hannah your sword was (maybe only once) a little high round my waist, but is definitely going round the body, so again a tiny thing.
6 sword lock - we know this is a problem and are going to work on it, including George! Think the main thing will be tight, speed and power going round.
Popcorn - remember to look up
The beats problem between 6 sword lock and popcorn I think comes from us now always managing to break on 4 out of the 6 sword lock. I think the neatest way would be to display step out as normal but do 2 sets of 4 rather than 1 in open facing ring, taking us to the 8, before forming glass. Katherine suggested that Sue could say something at this point to distract from the fact we're there a while.
I know that seems like a lot of comments but they are all really tiny things. Overall it is looking so good! The dancing is really accurate, the stepping sounds ace and the whole thing is SO much more controlled [😊] Lastly we all just need to remember to smile, we look a bit like robots that hate our lives atm, if we look like we're having fun then it'll come across in the old buzz factor.
If anyone spots anything else let me know! I am so proud of you guys and how much the hard work is paying off!
Becky xx
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Hello all,
Unless I hear otherwise I am expecting the DERT set, Sue, Kate, Rachel, Hannorah, and Rachel-Anne.
Hannorah I know you've said to go on without you if for any reason you're not at the first pub!
If for any reason the last 3 can't make it please text on 07988696321 so we're not waiting for you when you're not headed our way.
Thanks!
Becky
