Letter: Sidings

[ This article appeared in volume 3 of the Letter of Dance. ]

Baroness Jessa d'Avondale's article on Hearts Ease (Letter of Dance number 15) suggested that there was more than one way of doing sidings. In Lochac you can almost tell the area a gentle is from by the way they do this step.

I have seen the step called sidings done 4 different ways. They are briefly described below. Each version takes 8 beats of music.

Version 1:

• Double left to your partner's place, passing by the right shoulder;
• Double right to your own place, by the left shoulder.

Version 2:

• Single left to be (right) shoulder to shoulder with your partner;
• Single right back to your place;
• Single right to be (left) shoulder to shoulder;
• Single left back to your place.

Version 3: similar to the above version but each single only takes 1 beat instead of 2, and on the repeat you go to the other side, ie left, right, right, left.

Version 4:

• Go a double to your left (as in the Black Allymande);
• Go a double right back to your place.

- Hoskuld Atlason