| This is reputed to have been composed by one Mr. Ryan (from Cumberland) who emigrated
to New Zealand in the early 1900s. It is reported that it was collected by a Mr. Mumford
from Timaru in the South Island. It was subsequently contributed to the EFDSS 'Community
Dance Manual - 7' by caller Tony Foxworthy. The dance was featured in a short article in
the EFDSS magazine English Folk Dance & Song. However it has not been recorded as
actually having been danced in New Zealand.
In the UK in the 1980s it was revived in traditional style - that is with the dancers
wearing clogs (wooden-soled shoes) - by the Reading Traditional Step & Dance Group aka
the Reading Cloggies. This is their version.
Derry Down Derry
Set: longways - see diagram
Set starts thus:
| Four Couples: |
|
W1 W2
M3 M4 |
top |
bottom |
M1 M2
W3 W4 |
Shoes: clogs (or hard-soled shoes)
Music: 'Salmon Tails Up The Water', A (intro.) then AABB, ABB, AABB,
ABB, AABB
Steps: hop L, step R, step L, step R, pause, hop R, step L, step R,
step R, pause, ... (i.e. polka step: 'hop 1 2 3 pause', etc., throughout, even when
inactive)
Note: Westmorland shuffle-off at end of dance during last 2 bars (i.e.
tap L, step L, tap R, step R, tap L, step L, shuffle R, hop L, step R (back), step L, step
R (close))
Dance: all hold hands about arm height, turn slightly towards
direction of travel
A - Circle left
A - Circle right
B - Full reel of four on sides all passing right shoulders to start (i.e. M4 & M3
face, W2 & W1 face, W4 & W3 face, M2 & M1 face)
B - Single cast from top, meet partner at bottom, return to places up middle of set with
'coach & horses' promenade hold (i.e. hands behind backs).
A - Double cast as couples with 'coach & horses' promenade hold (i.e. hands behind
backs) from top (1st cu. veering L, 2nd cu. veering R, 3rd cu. veering L, 4th cu. veering
R), meet other cu. at bottom, come up the middle in lines of four, then all face partner:
Set is now at right angles to original:
| W2 M4 |
top |
M2 W4 |
bottom |
| W1 M3 |
| M1 W3 |
B - Rights & lefts (in fours) without hands (starting with partner)
B - All swing partner (twice round), all swing nearest opp. (twice round)
All hold hands and 'thread the needle' thus:
A - 1st arch by 1st cu., W3 leads underneath, (W1 turns under raised arms at end)
A - 2nd arch by 3rd cu., M1 leads underneath, (M3 - ditto -)
B - 3rd arch by 4th cu., W2 leads underneath, (W4 - ditto -)
B - 4th arch by 2nd cu., M4 leads underneath, (M2 - ditto -).
A - All swing opp. (twice round), swing partner (twice round)
B - Rights & lefts (in fours) without hands (starting with partner)
B - Double cast as couples with 'coach & horses' promenade hold (i.e. holding hands
behind backs) from bottom to original places cus. 4 veering L, 3 veering R; followed by
cus. 2 veering L, 1 veering R. Meet at the top and cus. slot into position to reform the
original set.
Set is now thus:
W1 W2
M3 M4 |
top |
bottom |
M1 M2
W3 W4 |
A - Single cast from bottom to original places (4th cu. leading)
A - Full reel of four as above (face partners to start)
B - Circle left
B - Circle right (a bit faster - music speeds up), then all face in (*) with hands on hips
and do a Westmoreland shuffle-off for last 2 bars.
Note: (*) for a public performance it is better to all face out for the shuffle-off.
|
