Steve Wyrick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > how does a devisor decide if a dance > should be a jig or a reel? Are there figures that work better for one or > the other or is it just a matter of personal preference? I suppose this is > really a question for the strathspey list!
I suppose so (and feel free to re-ask it there), but in a nutshell there are no hard-and-fast rules of the form »poussette always goes with reel time«. There are various observations that one could make which may either be »tradition« or pure coincidence, but there are lots of dances that disprove any rule that one could postulate from those observations. Let's discuss this on Strathspey, where some of the big names in dance devising (such as Iain Boyd) might be tempted to throw in their 2˘. Just one thing: If you could ask Hugh Foss (who of course is no longer with us), he would tell you that to devise a dance, you pick a tune first and then come up with suitable movements that fit the twists, turns and rhythms of the tune. Try to get hold of Foss's booklet, _Roll back the carpet_; there are some very interesting little essays in there that try to explore the connections between some dances and their music. Anselm -- Anselm Lingnau .......................................... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your buggestions are welcome. -- Richard Stallman, *GNU Emacs Manual* Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
