A Trip To Uxbridge

Source: Colin Hume; published in English Dance & Song, 1979 Volume 41 Number 2
Formation: Three Couples; Longways; Proper

A1	Top Four: Star Left Half Way (4) Bottom Four: Neighbour Dosido (8)
A2	Bottom Four: Star Right Half Way (4) All: Partner Dosido (8)
B1	Top Couple Lead a Single Cast, Make an Arch at the Bottom; the other two couples Lead Up through the Arch
B2	Middle Couple: Half Figure Eight Up (8) All: Partner Two Hand Turn Half Way (4)

Music:
Colin's tune or any suitable 32-bar reels. Colin originally intended this to be danced at around 136 bpm.

Notes:
For a standard 32 bar tune you would expect each A and B music to have figures that use 16 steps/beats. But three of them only have 12 in this dance. I contacted Colin to see if I had misunderstood something.

Colin said, "This is the first dance I ever wrote, and it's pretty bad: there's too much music for some of the moves. Charles Bolton said he called it with a star half-way followed by falling back. I just don't call it! And then I compare it with Pat Shaw's first dance, Monica's Delight - written when he was 13, which is a terrific dance. I hope I've improved since 1979!".

Yes, Colin has indeed improved! You can see the hundreds of dances that he has written or interpreted on Colin's Web site,

Actually, I don't think it is that bad! I like the flow for the #1s from the Star into the Dosido below, and the flow for the New Middles from going through the arch into the Half Figure Eight. To fill out the music I add a Balance the Star each time before turning it. And at the end, instead of the Half Turn, to get the dancers back to their own side, I use Left Hand: Balance F/B & Swat the Flea so that the dancers' left hands are ready for the Star. I have called it that way at 118 bpm and the dancers enjoyed it.

Original page from English Dance & Song, 1979 Volume 41 Number 2

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