[Bg-dance] Half Hannikin

[Tim McDaniel]

On Fri, 18 May 2012, Charlene Charette <charlene281 at gmail.com> wrote:
> John Millar ... had some rather questionable ideas. I have no
> problem with his Half Hannikin as a new choreography (rather than a
> reconstruction).  It's a good, basic ECD.

It's not even a new choreography; it's a nice dance taking inspiration
from the Playford Half Hannikin.  Playford's has doubling, a siding,
an arming (well, "turne"), and changing partners, so "let's design
something using those elements that looks like a more standard
Playford dance, and doesn't have men catching cooties by dancing with
men [shudder]".  (E.g., you have to call Picking of Sticks saying "no
homo" on every other chevron.)

Is there a better intro to ECD dance?  Except maybe for the changing
partners around a ring -- are there Playford examples of that?

Further, if dances were named for the tune, then it makes sense to
call it Half Hannikin, but I'd rather it wasn't.

BTW, I hacked together versions of the music for Half Hannikin so
Playford's version could be danced fully by 2, 3, 4, or 5 couples.
If anyone ever wants to do it, I have the CD.

Danyll Lincoln
-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com