W - Dances

W A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

2	Walls of Limerick	Progressive Sicilian circle, couple facing couple around the room, men on the left.
A1	Advance and Retire Advance and Retire	Advance and retire, 4 steps in and out. Change places passing by right shoulders, 8 steps. Advance and retire, 4 steps in and out. Change places passing by left shoulders, 8 steps.
A2	Ladies Change Men Change	Ladies change place, passing face-to-face using the Irish steps Long Sevens and Short Threes. Men change place, passing back-to-back with Long Sevens and Short Threes. Couples stay on the other side of the set.
B1	Move Outwards Return to Place	Opposites take right hands and move outwards using Long Sevens and Short Threes. Return to place with Long Sevens and Short Threes.
B2	Spin partners	Spin with partners using the Irish Pivot Turn. Finish with backs to original other couple and facing a new couple. * Notice the progression takes place in two stages, first by crossing the set in A2, then finally turning outwards after the spin in B2 *
-	32 bar Reels AABB	Popular Irish dance. Limerick is a town on the river Shannon

2	Waltz Country Dance	Progressive Sicilian circle, couple facing couple around the room, men on the left.
A1	Opposites Balance Partners Balance	Opposites take both hands and balance forward in waltz time, starting on the right foot and balance back. Men turn the opposite lady under their right arms. The ladies progressing anti-clockwise around the set. Original partners balance forward back. Men turn the lady under. Everyone finishing in their original places.
A2	Opposites Balance Partners Balance	Repeat the balancing and progression once more.
B1	Ring Balances Ladies Turn under Ring Balances Ladies Turn under	The set join hands and balance forward and back starting with the right foot. Men turn the ladies under so the ladies progress anti-clockwise around the set. Repeat for a second time.
B2	Ring Balances Ladies Turn under Ring Balances Ladies Turn under	Repeat for third time. Repeat for fourth time, ending in waltz hold with your original partner.
C	Waltz On	Couples waltz slightly to the right and around the other couple to finish facing another couple.
-	40 bar Waltz or 32 bar and 8 bar waltz on 50 bars/minute	With odd numbers of sets, everyone will eventually meet everyone else. Very graceful and social dance, described in The Ballroom in 1827.

2	Waves of Tory	Longways sets of 7 or 5 couples (odd number needed for waves)
A1 A2	Advance and Retire Pass by Right Advance and Retire Pass by Left	Advance and retire, 4 steps in and out. Change places passing by right shoulders, 8 steps. Advance and retire, 4 steps in and out. Change places passing by left shoulders, 8 steps.
B1 B2	Swing partner	Couples swing (count of 16).
A1 A2 B1 B2	Cast off Arch Waves * All couples finish the waves where they started them, with the new couple at the top and the old couple at the bottom.*	Top couple cast off to lead their lines to the bottom of the set. Top couple form a 2 handed arch at the bottom of the set. Other couples join inside hands as they pass under the arch. The first couple under the arch become the new top couple. When the new top couple gets to the top of the set the lady turns under and the waves start by the top couple passing under an arch formed by the next couple, they then alternately go over and under each of the approaching couples. The new top lady turns under again at the bottom of the set and the waves continue until everyone has done a complete up and back.
-	64 bars AABB twice works well, special sequences used by some not needed.	Tory is an island off Donegal. You get extra enjoyment and it is easier if each couple moves together as they go under the arches and move apart as they go over.

3	Willow Tree	Longways set of 8 couples. Can be done with 6 couples. Couples may need to spin to take up time.
A1	Top Couple Slip Step Bottom Lady	Top couple join hands and slip step to the bottom of the set. Lady joins the end of the ladies line. Man returns to the top of set with the original bottom lady with slip steps. They both join the lines at the top of the set
A2	Bottom Man Top Couple Again	Bottom Man slip steps to the top of set with the original top lady. Ladies swap again and the original top couple slip step to the bottom of the set, they join the lines at the bottom. This leaves the original top couple at the bottom and the original bottom couple at the top.
B1 B2	Strip-the-Willow Form Arch	Both couples strip-the-willow from the ends towards the middle. Right arms to partner left to line of the opposite sex. After 3 couples they join the line in the middle. The order will now be 2-3-4-8-1-5-6-7. The original top and bottom couples join nearest hands to form a 4 way arch or crown. From above this is an X.
C1 C2	Cast Off	The new top and bottom couples cast off down the outside of the set to the middle, they go under the outside of the arch into the middle of the set, join their partner and exit through the middle to return to place.
D1	All Spin	All couples spin with their partners in the new position.
-	56 bar Reels AABBCCD or AABBAAB etc	One popular tune used for this is Sally Gardens. This is a plantation of willows that are cut down every year to encourage suckers called withies. The village I lived in as a child did this to make a basket called a butt used for catching salmon.