TELEVARA SET
Newcastle Irish Set Dancers learned the Televara Set from Volume 7 of the video series "The Magic of Irish Set Dancing" featuring Timmy McCarthy. Other published instructions for this dance include Pat Murphy's "Toss the Feathers" and Tom Quinn's "Irish Dancing". Joe O'Hara has an online version of the Televara Set.
FORMATION
Square
Set of four couples, Gents on the left of their partners. 1st Top Couple
have their backs to the band. 1st Side Couple are on their left of 1st
Top Couple (when facing into the set), 2nd Top Couple opposite and 2nd
Side Couple on the right of 1st Tops.
This set uses a very flat version of the down jig step for travelling in the first 5 figures. The jig advance and retire step is forward-2-3-kick back-2-123. The term Kerry Hold (which is identical to the open waltz hold) has been adopted as used by Timmy McCarthy.
FIGURE 1:JIGS (216 BARS)
| All Couples | Kerry hold (open waltz hold) facing anti-clockwise - Lead around to place | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Waltz hold - House around the set | 8 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House inside + Square (Waltz hold - 1-2-3-kick 1-2-123 + House to place) | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Ladies double chain: Ladies right hands in the centre + Left arm turn with Opposite Gent + Right hands in the centre + Left arm turn with Partner [8 bars] + Repeat across and back (no turn with Partner at end) | 16 bars |
| Top Couples | Waltz hold - Swing | 8 bars |
| Repeat x 3 |
* All House the set + 1st Side Couples House + Square + Side Couples
Ladies double chain + Swing |
48 bars
|
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 2: JIGS (248 BARS)
| All Couples | Kerry hold - Lead around + House the set | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House + Square | 16 bars |
| All Couples: Tops left |
All Kerry hold, Top Couples face the Side Couple on their left - Advance and retire + House across to change places + Repeat: Advance and retire + House to original place | 16 bars |
| All Couples: Tops right |
Top Couples face Side Couple on their right - Advance, retire, house across + Advance, retire, house to original place | 16 bars |
| Repeat x 3 |
* All House + 1st Side Couples House + Square + Sides face left
- All Advance, retire, house across + All Advance, retire, house
back + Sides face right - Advance, retire and house across + All
Advance, retire, house to place |
56 bars x 3 |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 3: JIGS (184 BARS)
| All Couples | Lead around + House the set | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House + Square | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Gent + 2nd Top Lady | Dance in and swing while... All other join hands in a circle, face anticlockwise (right) - Dance around once to place. Active pair retire to place with the circle opening on the last bar |
8 bars |
| All Couples | Swing Partner | 8 bars |
| Repeat x 3 |
* All House + 1st Sides House + Square + 1st Side Gent and 2nd
Side Lady - Swing while... others Dance around the circle to the
right + All Swing Partner |
40 bars x 3 |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 4: JIGS (152 BARS)
| All Couples | Lead around + House the set | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House + Square | 16 bars |
| Corners | Ladies turn right / Gents left - Swing Corner and finish in Lady's place | 8 bars |
| Repeat x 3 |
* All House + 1st Side Gent (with 2nd Top Lady) House + Square
+ All Swing Corners (Gents to Lady's place) |
32 bars x 3 |
| All Couples | House the set | 8 bars |
FIGURE 5: JIGS (376 BARS)
| All Couples | Lead around + House the set | 16 bars |
| 1st Top Couple | House + Square - finish facing out (Lady on the right) | 16 bars |
| 1st Side Couple | House + Square - finish behind 1st Tops | 16 bars |
| 2nd Tops + 2nd Sides |
2nd Tops House + Square - finish in line + 2nd Sides House + Square - finish in line | 32 bars |
| All Couples | Little circles [1]: Cast off (Ladies right / Gents left) + Circle around twice [12 bars] - finish in waltz hold with Partner and pass under arch made by 1st Top Couple [16 bars] + 1st Sides leading - House to the left to finish opposite original place / 1st Top Couple House out to place then halfway around [8 bars] | 24 bars |
| Repeat x 3 |
* 1st Sides House + Square - finish facing out + 2nd Tops / 2nd
Sides / 1st Tops - House + Square and line up behind + Little circles
+ House around - finish at home |
88 bars x 3 |
FIGURE 6: SLIDES (120 BARS)
| Top Couples | House around each other + Square twice + House around + Square twice + House around | 56 bars |
| Side Couples | House inside + Square twice + House + Square twice + House | 56 bars |
FIGURE 7: REELS (272 BARS)
|
All Couples |
Lower promenade hold - Lead around + Turn Lady under crossed hands | 8 bars |
| All Couples | Left hand in left - Turn Lady under 4 times (turning in clockwise direction) |
8 bars |
| All Couples | Waltz hold - Swing |
8 bars |
| Top Couples | Square the set using 'sevens' step (hop-1234567, ...) with a quarter turn clockwise at each corner + House around each other |
16 bars |
| Top Couples | Gents cross to Opposite Lady [2 bars] + Swing [6 bars] |
8 bars |
| Top Gents | Left arm hook in centre dancing around (123 123, ...) doubling the last two bars releasing arms to pick up their Partner |
8 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Lady under + Swing |
24 bars |
| Repeat Side Couples |
Square the set + House around + Gents cross and swing Opposite Lady + Gents left arm hook in the centre |
32 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Lady under + Swing |
24 bars |
| Repeat Top Couples |
Square the set + House around + Gents cross and swing Opposite Lady + Gents left arm hook in the centre |
32 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Lady under + Swing |
24 bars |
| Repeat Side Couples |
Square the set + House around + Gents cross and swing Opposite Lady + Gents left arm hook in the centre |
32 bars |
| All Couples | Lead around + Turn Lady under + Swing |
24 bars |
| All Couples | Square the set using 'sevens' dancing through each position turning 90 degrees at each corner (Gents backs in then Ladies Backs in alternately) |
8 bars |
| All Couples | House the set |
8 bars |
NOTES
[1] Figure 5 has a movement we have called Little Circles. The front Lady places her hands on her waist and the other Ladies' place their hands on hips of Lady in front. The Gents' right hand is placed on the shoulder of the Gent in front. Each line cast off on your own side forming a tight circle, meet your partner at the bottom of the set, lead up, cast off and circle again. The leading Couple form an arch and each Couple takes waltz hold and houses under the arch and around to the left to place.
REFERENCES
Murphy, Pat (1995). Toss the Feathers. Cork: Mercier Press. 208-210.
Quinn, Tom (1977). Irish Dancing. Glasgow: Harper Collins. 432-480.