How were PSATs? And a Weather Report. And an Answer
Fair. They went as I expected.
The interesting things here? We've been having very UN-Seattle-ish weather lately. So, yesterday we had a wind storm (not half as bad as last year's, but there were still some lines down and power out and trees across roads and closed bridges and such). However, I still had school. Last night, a power line fell at the front entrance and lit the grass on fire, but they'd fixed it by this morning. What's that like?
Then, today, we had thunder, lightning, hail and hard rain. All of these are not common in Seattle. We have rain, but it's all misty-ish. Lightning, thunder and hail are all anomalies in Seattle. My bacpack was all wet, and therefore so was everything therein from walking from class to class. Furthermore, you couldn't get from one class to the next without getting wet up to your knees. But it was thoroughly enjoyable.
So a friend of mine asked what "steps" means in Irish dancing (It's a long story). So there are steps for different dances. What sets them all apart (no pun intended for those who get the pun I just found)? Here we go:
Reels: Though Irish dance music was "written" before a system of writing music actually arrived in Ireland, reels are transcribed in 2/4 or 4/4 time with accent of the beat on the first of every set of four. They are arranged into a AABB format, and is section is exactly eight bars long. Reels are characterized by lots of cuts
(the ballet equivalent is a coupe, if that helps, but in the front instead of to the side--that's Scottish Highlander), and jumps (they don't really have a ballet equivalent...they are different than jetes and leaps. The closest thing in ballet I guess would be...I have no idea). They can be done in hard shoes or soft shoes (ghillies for girls, jig shoes for boys)
Single Jigs: Go in a circle. Transcribed in 6/8 or occaisonally 12/8. They characterized with high jumps and in my personal favorite version thereof, heel step-toe steps. Are done in soft shoes.
Light Jigs: Straight jump up and down full. In 6/8 time and sometimes called double-jigs, quick and energetic, but in a more hummingbird-ish way than reels. Beat emphasis is different than in a single jig, but I can't tell you exactly how, even though I can hear the difference. Are done in soft shoes.
Slip Jigs: In 9/8 time with accented five beats, highly graceful and feminine. Boys do not typically do this jig. The rules were just changed in order to allow boys to compete in this category if they so choose, but it's still considered little bit...gay for a boy to dance it, if you get the gist unless he is teaching it to a female dancer. ALWAYS done in soft shoes: that's so set that it's pretty much defeating the purpose to do them in hard shoes.
Treble Jigs: In 6/8 time, slower than other jigs and done in hardshoes. Full of double-rallies and brush steps. Are done in hard shoes.
Hornpipes: In 4/4 time, with lots of brush steps. They were originally a male dance, however, several hundred years ago, it evolved into a unisex dance. Are done in hardshoes. Serious, famous, professional and rich dancers (the two rarely coincide), might have more than one pair of hard shoes. If so, they use the wood-soled ones for this. (If you care, my hard shoes have wood heels but resin toe-taps)
Set dances: Dances that are set. There is a song that goes with them, not a type of song. Never heard of one that you do in soft shoes, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.
The interesting things here? We've been having very UN-Seattle-ish weather lately. So, yesterday we had a wind storm (not half as bad as last year's, but there were still some lines down and power out and trees across roads and closed bridges and such). However, I still had school. Last night, a power line fell at the front entrance and lit the grass on fire, but they'd fixed it by this morning. What's that like?
Then, today, we had thunder, lightning, hail and hard rain. All of these are not common in Seattle. We have rain, but it's all misty-ish. Lightning, thunder and hail are all anomalies in Seattle. My bacpack was all wet, and therefore so was everything therein from walking from class to class. Furthermore, you couldn't get from one class to the next without getting wet up to your knees. But it was thoroughly enjoyable.
So a friend of mine asked what "steps" means in Irish dancing (It's a long story). So there are steps for different dances. What sets them all apart (no pun intended for those who get the pun I just found)? Here we go:
Reels: Though Irish dance music was "written" before a system of writing music actually arrived in Ireland, reels are transcribed in 2/4 or 4/4 time with accent of the beat on the first of every set of four. They are arranged into a AABB format, and is section is exactly eight bars long. Reels are characterized by lots of cuts
(the ballet equivalent is a coupe, if that helps, but in the front instead of to the side--that's Scottish Highlander), and jumps (they don't really have a ballet equivalent...they are different than jetes and leaps. The closest thing in ballet I guess would be...I have no idea). They can be done in hard shoes or soft shoes (ghillies for girls, jig shoes for boys)
Single Jigs: Go in a circle. Transcribed in 6/8 or occaisonally 12/8. They characterized with high jumps and in my personal favorite version thereof, heel step-toe steps. Are done in soft shoes.
Light Jigs: Straight jump up and down full. In 6/8 time and sometimes called double-jigs, quick and energetic, but in a more hummingbird-ish way than reels. Beat emphasis is different than in a single jig, but I can't tell you exactly how, even though I can hear the difference. Are done in soft shoes.
Slip Jigs: In 9/8 time with accented five beats, highly graceful and feminine. Boys do not typically do this jig. The rules were just changed in order to allow boys to compete in this category if they so choose, but it's still considered little bit...gay for a boy to dance it, if you get the gist unless he is teaching it to a female dancer. ALWAYS done in soft shoes: that's so set that it's pretty much defeating the purpose to do them in hard shoes.
Treble Jigs: In 6/8 time, slower than other jigs and done in hardshoes. Full of double-rallies and brush steps. Are done in hard shoes.
Hornpipes: In 4/4 time, with lots of brush steps. They were originally a male dance, however, several hundred years ago, it evolved into a unisex dance. Are done in hardshoes. Serious, famous, professional and rich dancers (the two rarely coincide), might have more than one pair of hard shoes. If so, they use the wood-soled ones for this. (If you care, my hard shoes have wood heels but resin toe-taps)
Set dances: Dances that are set. There is a song that goes with them, not a type of song. Never heard of one that you do in soft shoes, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.
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