The Borrowed Set

Written by Paul Carr with help from members of Set In Their Ways dancers. The set features a number of moves seen in Australian Bush dances merged with a few choreographies of our own. We have been very conscious of the need to maintain a true Irish Set dance style to the set




Figure 1 - Jigs (144 bars)

(a) Intro (8 bars)
(b) All lead around with crossed hands, turn lady under R hand,
    and swing in waltz hold (8 bars)
(c) Top gents advance and retire with partner and corner lady
    (holding inside hands), advance and pass through with 1st tops
    making arches and everyone passing opposite person by R. 
    Stay facing out and dance the High Gates: R hand lady under
    arch formed with lady on L and all face in, L hand lady under arch
    with lady on R and all face out, R hand lady under again and all
    face in (8 bars)
(d) Side gents take nearest two ladies with inside hands and 
    repeat (c) (16 bars)
(e) Top gents take nearest two ladies with inside hands and 
    repeat (c) second top gent from first top gent's position forms the
    arches (16 bars)
(f) Side gents take nearest two ladies with inside hands and 
    repeat (c) other side gent from first side gent's position forms
    the arches (16 bars)
(g) All swing partner at home in waltz hold (8 bars)
(h) All Dip and Dive the Diamond: tops face R, sides face L, 
    tops make an arch and both couples dance forward into each 
    other's position (2 bars), bring hands down and turn to face the 
    next couple coming towards them (2 bars), repeat with sides 
    making the arch this time and both couples pass through and 
    face the next couple (4 bars), repeat twice more (8 bars) turning 
    lady the under the R hand and facing back towards the couple 
    you have just passed after last arch.  Repeat all of this with sides 
    arching first in the opposite direction to get back home (16 bars)
    turn lady under R hand in place (32 bars)
(i) All swing (8 bars)
(j) All house to finish (8 bars)

 
Figure 2 - Reels (96 bars)

(a) Intro (8 bars)
(b) All lead around with crossed hands, turn lady under R hand, 
    and swing in waltz hold (16 bars)
(c) All wheel as couples in upper promenade hold dancing CLW with
    ladies on the inside (4 bars), ladies turn CLW to face the other 
    direction as men dance forward two places giving the new lady 
    (originally their opposite) R hands and dance behind them to face 
    ACLW in upper promenade hold (gents on the inside) (4 bars) 
    and promenade the new lady back (4 bars), ladies turn out and 
    dance home as men dance forward to home and face to face turn
    around partner (2 bars) into a swing (8 bars)
(d) Tops RH star with opposite couple 3/4 in centre (4 bars), 
    followed by full LH star with end couple (4 bars), 
    RH star 3/4 in centre (4 bars), turn lady under into opposite 
    place and swing (4 bars)	
(e) Sides repeat (d) (16 bars)
(f) All lead around halfway to place with crossed hands (4 bars),
    turn under and swing (4 bars)
(g) All house to finish (8 bars)


  
Figure 3 - Reels (120 bars)

(a) Intro (8 bars)
(b) All circle advance & retire twice (8 bars)
(c) All gallops: tops sevens across gents back to back
                 sides sevens across gents back to back
                 tops sevens back ladies back to back
                 sides sevens back ladies back to back (8 bars)
(d) Tops star R & L (8 bars)
(e) Sides star R & L (8 bars)
(f) All swing-8 to L (christmas) (8 bars)
        swing-8 to R (8 bars)
        swing-4 to L (1st tops with 1st sides, 
                     and 2nd tops with 2nd sides) in two circles (4 bars)
        swing partner home (4 bars)
(g) All gallops: sides sevens across gents back to back
                 tops sevens across gents back to back
                 sides sevens back ladies back to back
                 tops sevens back ladies back to back (8 bars)
(h) Sides star R & L (8 bars)
(i) Tops  star R & L (8 bars)
(j) All swing-8 to L (christmas) (8 bars)
        swing-8 to R (8 bars)
        swing-4 to L (1st tops with 2nd sides,
                     and 2nd tops with 1st sides) in two circles (4 bars)
        swing partner home (4 bars)
(k) All house to finish	 (8 bars)
  

A word document of the notes can be downloaded from