Newport set notes

The Newport Set
from County Mayo
[3 figures: jig, hornpipe, polka]
1st Side is on the left

Newport Set Study Notes - Set Dancing News
Newport Set Study Notes - Newcastle Irish Set Dancers
Newport Set Study Notes - (PDF file) Sets in the Burg
Figure 1: (jig) Long Lead Around, Change Partners, Rub Shoulders Diagonal, Ladies Half-Chain/Basket
Figure 2: (hornpipe) Single File, Diamond, Dance In, Slow Ladies Chain, Gates Across the Set, Fancy Chain
Figure 3: (polka)


Newport Set Videos:
First Figure Newport Set Video by eamanevers1 (Sean Eaman, Ireland)
Second Figure Newport Set Video - by clarebannerman (of Set Dancing News)
Third Figure Newport Set Video - Set Dancing, Quilty Tavern, Willie Clancy Festival 2008 by cocaomh of County Armagh
Third Figure of the Newport Set Video - Matt Cunningham


Newport Set Calling Notes / Short Notes / Cliff Notes:

Figure 1 (jig): (Figure 1 Notes by PJ)
[Long Lead Around, Change Partners, Rub Shoulders Diagonal, Ladies Half-Chain/Basket]

Long Lead Around

All Advance*, dance in place, Retire, Advance into L/A (X-hand hold)

Adv. to 1^st, dance in place, advance to opposite, dance in place, Gents face out, Swing

Adv. to 3^rd, dance in place, advance home, dance in place, face in.

Change partners

First Tops dance across R in R. First Top Gent pickup Sec. Top Lady and Trio retires

Top Gent turn Ladies out to top-shoulder hold (8 Bars)

Trio  advance, drop hands, dance in place.Top Gent retires, Ladies face, and pass L to L to opposite. Gent. (8) Swing (6 & dan. in pl.)

Second Tops dance across to lead change. Sides repeat with First Sides dance across.

Rub shoulders, diagonal

Tops Adv*. to diag. line, dan. in pl, retire, dance in place. (R in R, Gents in middle,)

Tops rep. (Ladies in middle, Right shoulder to Right) TG/Op.L swing in center, fall back

Tops rep. w/ other Tops swing, Sides repeat with A/R into a diagonal line, Gents in middle.

Ladies Half Chain / Christmas

Top Ladies Chain with one full turn in center, then around the opp. Gent into a Christmas for 4 and dance back to place. Side ladies repeat chain

All Adv. Dance in Place, Retire, Dance in Place to finish.

(Important to wait for the music in this set.)

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Newport Set Calling Notes Figure2

Figure 2: hornpipe (hornpipe) 184
Step for hornpipe figure is two bars: hop-1-hop-2-hop-1-2-3
or hop-a1-hop-a2-hop-a1-a2-a3.

All: Intro: All advance, dance on the spot, retire, dance on the spot.

All: Single File Circle: Ladies lead gents in circle anticlockwise, dancing 4 bars to each place then turning under for 4 bars
(ladies raised right, gents right, turn lady out; ladies raised left, gents left, turn lady in), til home (gents cross in front of lady inside the set to get back to place).

Tops: Dance the Diamond: Tops advance to face couple on left, dance on the spot, reverse to opposite position, dance on the spot.
Visit left; reverse home
Sides: Dance the Diamond: Sides advance to face couple on left, dance on the spot, reverse to opposite position, dance on the spot.
Visit left; reverse home

Ladies dance in, gents dance in: Ladies dance into set and turn to face partner, dance on the spot, turn anticlockwise together.
Repeat with gents dancing into set, turn to face partner, dance on the spot, and turn clockwise turn.
[Key to which direction to turn: keep going in the same direction you were heading when you turned to face partner.]

Slow ladies chain (strong arm hold, full turn in center): Top ladies chain, making full turn in center. Chain home, making full turn in center.
Side ladies chain, making full turn in center. Chain home, making full turn in center.

Gates Across the Set: Tops dance into a line across the set with 1st tops inside holding inside hands; the inside couple drops hands and gents take their opposite lady's L hand in L and new couple 1/2-turns into line and drop hands, dance home (1st couple on the outside; 2nd couple on the inside). Repeat with 2nd tops in center.
Sides dance into a line with 1st sides in center, turn around opposite, dance home. Repeat with 2nd sides in center.
All turn to face their corners on the last 2 bars.

Fancy chain all around: Dance two bars to nearest corner, starting right to right, forming diagonal lines across set, take R arms and dance 1 full turn with corner person for two bars (Turn Lady Under - TLU into place). Drop hands and dance on to meet the next dancer L to L (2 bars), take L arms and dance 1 full turn (2 bars). Continue to next corner, turn again, and repeat til home where the lady ¾ turns clockwise under the gent's L arm to face in as he dances inside her into place to take crossed hand hold (24 bars).

Ending: All advance, dance on the spot, retire, dance on the spot.

Newport Set Calling Notes Figure 3: (polka)
Footwork:
Sevens Step or Gallop: Waltz hold with Partner - dance side steps with weight on the leading foot, 1234567 across the set then back
Circle-Advance-Retire twice; house; Tops: gallop & house; Sides: gallop & house;
Circle-Advance-Retire, ladies move on; All house; Tops: gallop & house; Sides: gallop & house.
Advance-Retire once; Chain all around; Swing.