Could you have danced the Virginia Reel?

After my disastrous attempt at dancing at the Ft. Stanton Ball, described in last week's post, you will not be surprised to learn that I sat out the next dance, the Virginia Reel.  And that was probably for the best, because it is a dance that takes not only rhythm but brain work and concentration as well.  I later learned that the Virginia Reel is a traditional folk dance that was most popular in the United States in the years 1830-1890. 

Kenneth Dusenberry lined up four sets of dancers, with four males on one side of each set and four females on the other side.  Having a partner was imperative for this dance. (How different I thought from dances I have attended recently where women dance with women, parents dance with their children, and some brave souls even get out on the dance floor alone.)

I took the following notes on the steps the dancers were doing.  See if you can picture the Virginia Reel. Each step is done to the count of eight.

Step 1:  Couples move toward each other and bow (repeat).
Step 2:  Couples join right hands and circle each other.
Step 3:  Couples join left hands and circle each other.
Step 4:  Couples join both hands and circle each other.
Step 5:  Couples do- si- do around each other, passing right shoulders.
Step 6:  The first couple does a turn and a half, and dances down the line of dancers, always giving their partner the right hand, and the new person the left hand.  (Are you confused yet?  I was, just watching.)
Step 7:  The couple then does a back to front do-si-do, and the male and female dance outside their respective lines to meet up at the end to form a bridge with their hands.
Step 8:  The other couples follow the leader to the back of the line and go under the bridge, meeting up with their partner.

It looks like this couple has it down - right hand to left hand.

You can see the variety of people who were dancing.the Virginia Reel.

Here is the bridge that the partners form.

You may want to view this short YouTube video of other dancers doing the Virginia Reel to imagine what it it might be like.

There were quite a few dancers at Ft. Stanton who were struggling with the left hand/right hand distinction, but most eventually got the hang of it.  One of the most amusing things to watch was when elementary school age children were the bridge makers, and the taller adults had to squeeze through a very low bridge.

The laughter of the dancers was infectious, and it was obvious that everyone was enjoying themselves and the challenge of the Virginia Reel.  (Once again, I compared the happy looks on the dancers'  faces with other dancers I have seen recently who looked really bored or tried to look super-sexy).

The Grand March, the First Waltz, the Hat Dance and then the Virginia Reel had all been marvelous ice-breakers.  The Ft. Stanton Ball continued with a good time had by all.  I felt like I had participated in a piece of Civil War history.