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THE ARDGROOM/BEARA
POLKA SET
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First
Figure - Show and Square (Polkas)
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176 bars
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1
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Circle: all join hands in a circle and advance and retire twice.
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8
bars
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2
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1st top couple show and square: they house within
the set (8 bars) then square the set - they slide 1, 2, 1, heel, to face
the couple on their R, make ¼ turn clockwise as the heel is
lifted and slide to a position opposite their own place (4 bars) then
house back home (4 bars).
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16
bars
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3
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Quarter house: taking waltz hold, all couples dance 1 step in place,
1 reversing the lady towards the next place on the R then turn 2 steps
into that place. They repeat this 4 step movement into each place
and back home.
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16
bars
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4
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House around.
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8
bars
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5
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1st side couple
(L of 1st tops) show and square.
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16
bars
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6
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Quarterhouse.
House around.
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24
bars
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7
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2nd top couple show and square.
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16
bars
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8
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Quarterhouse.
House around.
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24
bars
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9
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2nd side couple
show and square.
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16
bars
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10
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Quarterhouse.
House around.
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24 bars
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Second
Figure - Ladies Chain and Twice In (Polkas)
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176 bars
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1
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Circle.
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8
bars
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2
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Top couples:
1st couple show.
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8
bars
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Ladies chain: ladies take R hands in the centre and L elbow hold
to turn the opposite gent one turn, R hands on the way back and go
straight into waltz hold with their partners.
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8
bars
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3
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Twice in: all couples dance in23, out23, in23, out23 while moving towards the
next place on the R (4 bars) then house around to the place opposite
their own (4 bars). The whole 8 bar movement is then repeated back to
place.
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16
bars
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4
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House around.
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8
bars
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5
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Side couples:
1st couple show.
Ladies chain.
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16
bars
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6
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Twice in.
House around.
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24
bars
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7
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Top couples:
2nd couple show.
Ladies chain.
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16
bars
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8
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Twice in.
House around.
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24
bars
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9
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Side couples:
2nd couple show.
Ladies chain.
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16 bars
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10
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Twice in.
House around.
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24 bars
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Third Figure -The Walking Polka (Polkas)
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176 bars
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1
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Circle.
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8 bars
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2
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1st top
couple show and square.
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16 bars
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3
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Walk the Polka:
with waltz hold, gents dancing forwards and ladies backwards, all
couples dance, at half normal polka speed, - 1 2 3 (2 bars), 2 2 3 (2
bars), 3 2 3pivot (2 bars & c/wise ¾ turn) and 4 2 3 (2 bars)
into the place opposite their own.
The whole movement is then repeated back home (BUT SEE END NOTE).
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8 bars
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4
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House around.
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8 bars
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5
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1st side
couple show and square.
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16 bars
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6
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Walk the polka.
House around.
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24 bars
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7
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2nd top
couple show and square.
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16 bars
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8
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Walk the polka.
House around.
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24 bars
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9
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2nd side
couple show and square.
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16 bars
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10
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Walk the polka.
House around.
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24 bars
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Fourth Figure - The Four Slides (Polkas)
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144 bars
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1
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Circle.
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8 bars
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2
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Top couples:
House around each other.
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8 bars
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Slide and change:
couples slide towards each other (2 bars) and back (2 bars) and house
across into the opposite place (4 bars).They then repeat the whole 8 bar
movement back home.
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16 bars
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Slide and change
a second time.
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16 bars
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3
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Quarterhouse.
House around.
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24 bars
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4
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Side couples:
House around each other.
Slide and change twice.
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40 bars
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5
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Quarterhouse.
House around
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24 bars
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Fifth Figure - Swing All Round (Polkas)
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208 bars
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NOTE: Even though the gents are changing places
they keep the named places they started from - 1st top, 1st
side, 2nd top and 2nd side - throughout this
figure.
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1
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Circle.
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8 bars
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2
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1st top
couple show and square.
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16 bars
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3
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Swing the girl
behind: gents turn and swing the
lady on the L, finishing in that lady's place.
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8 bars
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4
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Quarterhouse,
new couples.
House around.
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24 bars
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5
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1st side
gent and partner show and
square.
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16 bars
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6
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Swing the girl
behind.
Quarterhouse.
House around.
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32 bars
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7
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2nd top
gent and partner show and
square.
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16 bars
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8
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Swing the girl
behind.
Quarterhouse.
House around.
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32 bars
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9
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2nd side
gent and partner show and
square.
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16 bars
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10
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Swing the girl
behind.
Quarterhouse.
House around.
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32 bars
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SOURCE AND STEP
Timmy McCarthy, at Cecil Sharp House, London, February 1995 and Priddy,
Somerset, May 1995. According to Timmy, the set should be danced very
flat, with absolutely no battering and with a smooth, gliding step
"like a ship on the ocean".
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ENDNOTE
I had previously danced the set with Timmy at the first Cork/Kerry Dance
Weekend in Dingle in November 1993, at which time, and in the company of
those who had preserved the set, he gave us the Walking Polka (Third
Figure) in the following manner, which is, I feel, more in keeping with
the name of the figure than the movement described above.
Walk the Polka: with waltz hold, gents dancing forwards and
ladies backwards, all couples walk - 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and (4 bars)
step&pivot 6 and (2 bars & c/wise ¾ turn) 7 and 8 (2 bars)
into the place opposite their own. 8 bars
The whole movement is then repeated back home. 8 bars
To get the shape of the movement think of a shield, with each couple
starting at the bottom point and walking along the RH edge to reach the
top RH corner on the 5th bar, pivot ¾ of a turn
clockwise to face along the top edge - bar 6 - and dance 2 bars to the
centre of that edge; then repeat as if at the point of the shield again
to get back home.
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