It is alot of fun, we learned this at a mission trip and when we came back to the place we were staying at it was raining so we all just did it in the rain it was so much fun
Great to see real people learning and sometimes getting it wrong. So many videos on RU-vid are 'perfect' and could give people the impression that they would never be good enough to join in.
Great to see... thankyou!...That's almost exactly as I teach it here in Australia--- but boy/girl lines swapped over as suggested by other comments. But it doesn't matter! This dance can be so much fun , specially with dim lights and live music.(look on you tube!)
Excellent instruction: I'm a modern square caller, but occasionally get "called" upon (pun intended) to pull some more of traditional and mountain/hoedown style dances. I appreciate that you properly taught the See-Saw, and that you watched the phrasing of the music with the dancing!
Used this video to teach my 18 kids (P-6) this dance. Fabulous. I love how everything is separated. Well done and thanks from an Australian Primary School.
Lovely memories of dancing this at the Quaker meetinghouse in my teens. The music, the calls, the trips and laughs... hard to watch this without wiping away a tear or two!
I remember doing this at school for the Christmas ceilidh(I’m from Scotland) and I always remember doing this almost entirely different and this half reminds me of a strip the willow because the way we did it was two steps in clap, two steps out clap, then back in and stamp, out and stamp, then right arm swing, then left arm swing, then both hands, then do-sae-do, then the top couple would go down for four and up for four , then they took the line down the side to the bottom where they made an arch and the couples came through to start again ( usually done in 4 couples(8 people)). Still good to watch though
Animals 4 Life I dunno about any of these dances but we used to have barn dances at my church in Northern Ireland. And we did that lmao. A lot of fun I gotta say
The difference between this and the version of Strip the Willow I'm familiar with is that you have to wait for the first couple to get to the bottom and come up for the rest, whereas in the StW (Orcadian version, maybe?), after the first couple has gone a few people down the line, the next couple can start so you're not standing around waiting for so long. With this, you really need to keep the set short, or it takes too long
This video is misnamed. You've mixed the Viriginia reel with the Orcadian strip the willow. It's awesome! But not much help when you're trying to find stuff on the Virginia reel haha :L
We mix & match you can spin 2 hands down the set instead of sliding down. & vary sequence of advance & retire (with cajun stomp step/joined hands etc), do-se-do, & right hand, left hand turn with spin-out (rock & roll style)
We literally did this in music and in PE and I did it with a boy it was literally the worst...until I was with one of my friends I died anytime anyone got dragged or slipped 😂😂
One gripe only - the men are not on the traditional side - at least based on the head couple position. The men should be on the left side (women to partner's right side -as in most modern dances) - when the couples face the top of the set. I have done a more complicated version, where the two diagonal corners - one, then the other - repeat some of the first figures - dos-a-dos, see-saw, elbow swings, etc before the couple slides and the reeling. But most of our dancers don't like that version, because they aren't dancing so much of the time.
The Americanized version of Sir Roger Coverly Reel - originally from somewhere in the British Isles. The Virginia Reel doesn't have a absolute "must use" musical accompaniment. But the most commonly heard are "Turkey in the Straw" and "Irish Washerwoman" (as in this case). But please, oh please, if you do this dance, put the men on the correct side (see my previous comment).
Justo estoy leyendo esa parte del libro, y vine a buscar la música para hacerme una idea del Reel "Dixie" que ellos bailan. Que maravilla, con razón Scarlett moría por bailar
I found this video after watching the CBS clip with President Tyler's great-grandson showing Julia Tyler's ballroom-- it was so different than my expectations of a ballroom that I had to see the dance which inspired it!
I just came across your videos and I love to watch you dance! The figures are explained very well and you seem to have lots of fun! Thank you very much for sharing
I always wanted to learn this ,, I always see it on my favorite Tv shows Gunsmoke & Bonanza .. so every time i see it i say i gotta learn this .. Thanks for this video lesson Gonna favorite this
The Empty Nesters in Nampa, Idaho are using this video to have an activity night in November. So excited to show this to all the fun Nesters. I thought for sure we could find a caller who lived around here, but no such luck. Having this video will probably work even better. Jeanette does such a good job! Thanks for sharing your talents. Square dancing brings back fun memories of when I was at BYU (back when Dallin Oaks was president) I saw your website too! Great ideas!
William Aiello The Virginia Reel is the official state square dance; the square dance is the official dance of VA. I think it's supposed to be Celtic or Old English in origin. UVA (University of VA) dances this at some of their school dances/balls.
Stephanie Razza yes it is a celtic dance but originates in scotland and is not english this is a more dummed down version of the dance so it is not the proper dance.
The best part of this whole thing is the wholesome dorkiness, which gives a kind of 50s/60s vibe to it. I wish barn and square-dancing were more common where I live.
I remember I used to go to a private school and they had a dance class and this is one of the dances we learned! It was so fun and I have so many good memories from this so seeing it again makes me so happy
This wasn’t a peasant dance, it’s a folk dance. Every country has folk dances, and this wasn’t a dance of the “elite”. It was dances by people of all social classes.
As an elementary teacher I can tell you that they can physically do it, but not all groups I have would have the attention span to learn and complete it. Sometimes I feel like they expect me to be a video game, constant heart-pounding action. I feel like, "Relax bro, it's Elementary music class. I'm sorry I can't feed your addiction to stimulation." The groups that can handle these things have SO much fun, and we can dissect different dances to make up our own. We even did the song "Fireflies" by Owl City, wearing lights in the dark. Community dances are special and thank you so much for sharing them!
The reason for my previous comment about the men and women on the wrong side is this. In most Continental and American dances the man is to the left of the woman, or coversely, the woman is on the right of the man. If you face the top of the set (which one does in some contra dances), the men's line will then be on the left side of the set, the women on the right side - just opposite from what is shown in this video. "Peel the banana" is very descriptive in modern society, but in the old days when this dance was first developed, the term used was "strip the willow". Also descriptive, but not something most modern folks would relate to.
I was taught to curse curse see if we were doing it in a dress so I did this for fourth grade that’s the best one at it it was so easy I learned it one day and I was like boom done but like I would always wear a dress to this I’ll be like one to BAL or curtsy but dancing was so easy
It would take me over a month of solid coaching to perform this dance. If the Americans dance in such a complex way I am not surprised they are terrifying everyone from the British in the 18 Century to the Russians and Chinese today. Whew! :)
Virginia Reel (cgi version); Joy & Fear Marianne & Bog King Manolo & Maria Gary & Kira Lem & Neera Jack & Acacia Poppy & Branch Gene & Jailbreak Hiccup & Astrid Rapunzel & Flynn Jack & Tooth Anna & Kristoff Hiro & GoGo Moana & Maui Flint & Sam Gru & Lucy Megamind & Roxanne Mavis & Johnny MK & Nod Eep & Guy Justin & Talia Linguini & Colette Lucille & Raoul Thor & Edda Linda & Tulio Shrek & Fiona Woody & Bo Ella & Rick Igor & Eva Delgo & Kyla Pat & Sara Tinker & Terence Ralph & Vanellope Astro & Cora Ted & Audrey Mike & Celia Mune & Glim Oh & Tip Felicie & Victor Sherman & Penny Nobita & Shizuka Bob & Helen Cornelius & Franny Mila & Ruslan Frank & Brenda Smurfette & Hefty Anneliese & Julian Gnomeo & Juliet Et cetera
