Category Archives: Dances

One For All

Dancing One For All at Johnsonville Club 1 April 2019

Devised by Rod Downey on 21 September 2018 as a simple teaching dance for corners pass and turn.

Suitable for use after teaching the figure in Strathspey time using Miss Leslie Cunningham.

Note that there are no figures aside from completely straightforward ones.

The name suggests this is one all can do and also for Muriel Johnstone’s tune of the same name, played ABAB.

An excellent recording to use is ‘Clydeside Lassies’ as recorded by
Luke Brady in Part 5 of Dances from the Miscellany, where Muriel’s
tune appears as the second tune.

Download the instructions for One for All

Coleraine Rant, The

Devised by Rod Downey in March 2019 for an Irish-themed St Patrick’s night, The Coleraine Rant is a beginner’s dance for poussette and emphasising Pas de Basque.

Te Mata Coleraine is one of the great wines of New Zealand, and perhaps the world. Its name is derived from the fact that original winemaker John Buck’s grandfather was born in County Coleraine in Northern Ireland. This name is maintained through the family home and the wine.

Suggested music is the CD of Irish Reels by the Sound Company. With musicians make sure  Tam Lin and The Reconciliation are both included.

Download the instructions for The Coleraine Rant

Johnsonville Club dancing the World Premiere of The Coleraine Rant on 18 March 2019!

Summer on the Neckar

Kristin in April 2017 on the cycle track along the Neckar with Heidelberg Castle beyond

Devised on 9 August 2017 by Rod Downey, Summer on the Neckar is dedicated to the Scottish Country Dancing group in Heidelberg, who Rod and Kristin danced with many times in 2017 and 2018.

Heidelberg lies on the beautiful Neckar River and is a remarkably nice place to be over the summer.

Rod in May 2017 enjoying currywurst at Gekcos Red Garden Restaurant

Rod and Kristin have lots of very fond memories with ice cream, cycling and biergartens high on this list as well as dancing, of course.

Download the instructions to Summer on the Neckar

Summer on the Neckar is in Rod’s Johnsonville Collection

The Second Canberra Book of Scottish Country Dances

Canberra Club ran a competition in 2018 inviting people to submit dances they had devised. Rod made the short list of eight with his dance Summer on the Neckar.

Canberra Club has published a book of dances including Summer on the Neckar.

See more about The Second Canberra Book of Scottish Country Dances and download a digital copy

Maypole Dance, The

This 96 bar ceilidh-style dance in a square set was devised by Rod Downey for the Johnsonville Club pre-midwinter Spring into Autumn evening on 5 May 2018.

Download The Maypole Dance

Click here for more photos of the World Premiere of The Maypole Dance

See a group of dancers from Wellington dancing the The Maypole Dance below. The music is a set of tunes for Nottingham Lace from the Nethwood Collection by Ian Muir and his band. The tunes are Hebridean Milking Song and The Cockle Gatherers.

My Golden Bear

Devised by Rod Downey on 5 August 2016 for his wife Kristin, his bear, for her 60th birthday, especially in appreciation of her work in Johnsonville’s Golden Year

Download the full dance instructions for My Golden Bear

Published in 2017 by the RSCDS NZ Branch Inc in North Cape to the Bluff, a collection of Scottish Country Dances to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the New Zealand Branch Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

The first time My Golden Bear was danced to the recommended music (which is what Rod had in his head when he devised the dance) was on 1 October 2018 at the Johnsonville October Tartan Night. Music by Wild Heather – Lynne Scott, Anne-Marie Forsyth, Mary McDonald and Sharlene Penman. Thanks to John Patterson for filming the dance.

Désirée Patterson

Devised by Rod Downey in honour of Désirée Patterson’s 70th birthday on Monday 14 August 2017. Download Rod’s dance Désirée Patterson

Désirée has been Secretary for the Johnsonville Club, and is a long serving member. She and her husband John (pictured) are super cyclists and have a longstanding blog. Being of Dutch descent, the cycling is part of her DNA.

The Hello and Goodbye figure is from Rod’s Cane Toad Collection, especially the dance called The Three Oaks.

Recommended music is ‘Centenary Square’ by Chris Drewhurst, and a good recording is the Society’s recording of The Library at Birmingham from Book 49.

Pictured: Emma, Sylvia and Désirée on 14 August 2017. Photos: Pat Reesby.

Watch the ‘world premiere’ of Désirée Patterson danced at Johnsonville Club on 14 August 2017 (taught by Rod as the last dance of the night in 10 minutes so there was some understandable confusion). Video courtesy of Pat Reesby and John Patterson.

See photos of Désirée’s 70th birthday here

Violynne

Devised by Rod Downey in January 2004 as a teaching dance for the beginners class at New Zealand Summer School. Rod had taught the class Sandy o’er the Lea and wanted a dance with a poussette and mirror reels.

Rod also wanted to write a dance for Lynne Scott who is a multi-talented musician and the fiddle is one of her favourite instruments.

Download Violynne

From the collection They Stole My Wife From Me Last Night

Lynne on the left at the 2014 Johnsonville Annual Dance along with John Smith, Peter Elmes, Aileen Logie and MC Rod Downey
Lynne playing music she arranged for the dance Violynne which Rod devised for Lynne, at the Johnsonville Tartan Night on 29 May 2023
Dancing Violynne at Lynne and Aileen’s 70th Birthday Bash on 16 September 2023

Photos: Loralee Hyde