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A dance celebrating the marriage of Charles Roth to Barb McRae, April 25, 1998
Longways for six
Tune: A Model Married Couple, by
Bob Pasquarello
(Real part)
A 1-4 1st couple set up & down, then cast into middle place (2nd
couple moves up).
5-8 Reels of 3 across the set, 1st woman passing L shoulder
with 2nd man and 1st man passing L shoulder with
3rd woman to start, into...
9-14 1st couple face 3rd couple, 2nd couple face each other, 6
changes of a circular hey for 6, passing R shoulders to
start. (All end proper, order 213.)
15-16 1st couple turn 2 hands once around.
(Imaginary part)
B 1-4 1st woman cast down around 3rd woman and cross up center
to her partner's place, while 1st man cross up between the
2nd couple and go down outside to his partner's place.
5-8 1st woman with 2nd couple above R hand star once around
while 1st man with 3rd couple below L hand star once
around.
9-12 1st woman continue down outside 3rd man and cross up the
center to middle place while 1st man cross up and go around
2nd man and down to middle place.
13-16 2nd couple at top turn 2 hands once around while 1st and
3rd couple circle L halfway (13-14) and then turn partners
2 hands halfway to progressed place (15-16).
The dance mimics this in the symmetry or asymmetry of the figures. The first part has reels to represent the real part; the second part has images of interlocking hearts, each shared by two people, to represent the imaginary part. The stars represent not only the roles of the marrying couple: they are also the symbol frequently used in mathematics to designate the complex conjugate.
In the physical theory of resonances in linear systems, a resonance may be described by a pair of complex conjugate numbers. Two people who love each other well enough to marry might be thought of as being in resonance, lending another dimension to this analogy.
The dance as well as the tune (given in abc notation) reflect to a certain degree the individual natures of the two principals in this conjugation. The first part, representing Charles, a self-employed software producer with a theatrical side, is a bit hurried, and you may find that the dance schedules you to do a bit more than you actually have time for -- in any case, you need to look sharp and be on your toes to execute the figures without a scramble, particularly in the original version. The second part of both dance and tune contrast with a quiet lyricism and contemplative quality that represents Barb, and generates images of two interlocking, shared hearts. Thus both the dance and the music celebrate a conjugation that is indeed complex!
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