Rod Downey devised the 32 bar strathspey Aileen Logie on 6 October 2022 as a teaching dance as part of a sequence for the first 16 bars of Ian Simmonds’ TheFive Row Reel.
It was also a teaching night for chain progression, and this dance allows for easy entry into the formation.
Aileen Logie is one of our local musicians in Wellington. She plays monthly with the Johnsonville Club.
Devised by Rod Downey on 20 March 2022. Tairāwhiti Wedding commemorates Rod and Kristin’s younger son Alex marrying Lana Phillips in a wonderful wedding in February 2022 in Gisborne.
As Lana has Maori heritage, there were a lot of Māori elements in the beautiful wedding, including a lovely Korowai (cloak) from Lana’s grandparents, as well as a Waiata and a spirited Haka.
For the wedding dance Lana and Alex were first couple dancing Mairi’s Wedding in a “family and friends” set, the men all in kilts and ladies with sashes to celebrate Alex’s Scottish (Macdonald) heritage.
Tairāwhiti is the Maori name for Gisborne (or, at least, the Gisborne Region). This dance contains a new version of the Rose Progression around a couple in the spirit of New Park from book 19, which has an all round poussette for 1C and 3C.
A special feature of the Johnsonville Tartan Night on 27 June 2022 was the public premiere of Tairāwhiti Wedding. Johnsonville dancers are shown enjoying this special dance below.
Devised by Rod Downey on 29 March 2014 as a teaching dance for grand chain.
The name is a tribute to a group of highly energetic 2013 new dancers who organised a ‘bunting bee’ to produce tartan bunting for Johnsonville Club’s hosting of the Wellington Region New Dancers’ Celebration in October 2013.
Click the arrows at the bottom of the photo gallery below to see the ‘bunting bee’ in action and the bunting in use at various Johnsonville Club events since 2013.
Kristin & Rod Downey at the top of the hall at the Johnsonville 50 Golden Years Celebration in 2016—dancing The Johnsonville Diamond, a strathspey devised by Rod with the progression La Spirale