Dances with Arandel Formation

by Tom Halpenny

You may click on hypertext links throughout this article in order to learn more information about a topic. ~ The Editor

The Rights and Lefts formation is danced in hundreds of Scottish country dances. When the two-couple formation appears in three-couple dances, one couple is idle and an asymmetry sometimes moves the leading couple dancers along different paths into the next formation.

The Arandel formation, pronounced "are-an-dell", is a form of Rights and Lefts for three couples in eight bars. (Can you guess the origin of the name?) The formation is symmetric in a three-couple dance, and the additional activity by a third couple increases the overall dancer activity. The three-couple formation with the leading couple in second place is symmetric Rights and Lefts with potentially improved flow. The first corner dancers are setting, which provides additional variety in either quick-time or strathspey tempo, while the other four dancers dance a pair of Interlocking Rights and Lefts through second place.

Arandel was first introduced and defined in The Scottish Country Dancer newsletter January/February 2015 edition.

An easy dance titled A Plethora of Piñatas features Arandel without the polite turn, and has the leading dancers moving symmetrically and flowing into the next formation with the corner dancers. Click here for the online source.
Click here to view a demo.

Since the original article, this curious dance deviser has analyzed Scottish dances with Rights and Lefts and imagined ideas for dances with Arandel. The first thought that comes to mind is that Arandel can be substituted for Rights and Lefts in many existing dances, since both formations are danced in eight bars. Out of 650 dances in the Scottish Country Dance Database that contain Rights and Lefts, I examined dances that document the choreography with cribs or diagrams.

The Campbell Tyler list of 500 Most Frequent Dances contains ten dances with Rights and Lefts that could be danced with Arandel.

For example, in The Wild Geese the final Rights and Lefts formation leaves 3rd couple idle, whereas Arandel engages 3rd couple.

Dancing Arandel with 1st couple beginning second place opposite sides finishes with 1st couple between their first and second corners. Omitting the polite turn enables dancers to flow into the next formation with corners.

For example, in Invercauld's Reel 1st woman finishes Rights and Lefts with polite turn while 1st man omits the polite turn, to face first corners. Compare with dancing Arandel where both dancers omit the polite turn and dance symmetrically to face first corners.

    
Cases to avoid substituting one formation for another formation are:
1. A fundamentally distinct formation. For example, substituting 3-couple Promenade for 2-couple Rights and Lefts 
    would significantly change the character of a dance. Arandel is fundamentally equivalent to Rights and Lefts, 
    so it might be acceptable and even desirable to substitute the 3-couple formation.
2. A 3-couple dance that features 2-couple formations. A typical dance has 1st couple dancing with 2nd couple and then 
    dancing with 3rd couple.  Substituting Arandel for 2-couple Rights and Lefts would disrupt the formation balance.
3. A dance with Rights and Lefts that flows into the next formation.  For example, Castles In the Air has 1st couple 
    finish Rights and Lefts to face 3rd couple and dance Half Grand Chain.
    

The Arandel formation can be extended to five couples with the Interlocking Arandel, which is a form of Rights and Lefts for five couples in eight bars.

For example, in A Flock of Geese the final dual Rights and Lefts formation leaves 4th couple in third place idle, whereas Interlocking Arandel engages 4th couple.

Now for the answer to the query about the origin of the name: Liza Halpenny invented the name Arandel = "R and L"!

I generated a list of Scottish Dances with Arandel Formation that includes over 40 additional dances in the SCD Database with Rights and Lefts that can be danced instead with Arandel. The dance titled Captain Ross has first couple moving asymmetrically from Rights and Lefts to Balance In Line with first corners. I substituted Arandel and made some additional changes that interested me, and the resulting new dance is The Infamous El Guapo. Click here for the online source.

Whenever you Scottish dance devisers are introduced to a three-couple dance with Rights and Lefts, think about how you can devise an improved dance with Arandel. Please let me know if you have a dance you would like to share, so I can add your dance name to the list. Click here. Thank you! Tom Halpenny .

Thanks to Keith Rose for providing the dance diagrams and advice. I very much enjoyed accessing the SCD Database, and I would like to thank the hard-working team who have provided the quality data that made this research practical.