Webfeet: Drops of Brandy

The annotated Drops of Brandy

Described in the Community Dances Manual, book III as being the English version of "Strip the Willow". In this instance, the "Strip the Willow" is refering to the Scottish dance rather than "Strip the Willow" as a figure.

Here the bold shows the words 'as published', the notes and annotations hopefully make things easier.

Form: Longways Whole Set Dance. Four or five couples in a set

• Longways means that you are in couples, facing your partner. You've got 8 or 10 people in a 'set', that is the group dancing together.

A step-hop (Highland Schottische step) is used throughout

• This is a you what? type description. It may have been that people knew Scottish Country Dancing in the days when the Community Dances Manuals were put together but nowadays a description from first principles may be better....
• If the band are playing a slip jig, your feet will know as they'll be wanting to do 9 steps in a sort of ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight nine. The music will give an emphasis on every third step - and thus you'll find you're not starting each movement on the same foot. It's an odd feeling.

The Single Reel figure Using short arm grip throughout, first couple swing once and a half with the right arm.

• This is really to get you prepared for the "strip the willow" figure, the 'one and a half' makes sure that the lady is heading towards the mens line - you do need to keep and eye on where you want to end up, particuarly in sets where there are men dancing the woman's role and vice versa

First girl then goes down set to each man and swings once with left arm and back to partner with right. First man remains in centre of the set while partner swings other men.

• The mantra here for the woman is right arm to your partner, left along the line
• If you look at the track you're leaving, you'll find it's a sort of weaving in and out. A bit like a slalom.
• The man does not do a lot at this time, he gradually moves down the set turning his partner with his right arm each time she has turned with her left

On reaching bottom he comes up set swinging partner with right and each other girl with the left until top of set is regained

• Still the same mantra - right arm to your partner, left arm up the line.
• If you look at the track you're leaving, you'll find it's more than a sort of weaving in and out, you're doing more of a figure eight figure. Yes, the man has to travel a little further than the woman because you are moving up the set.

The Double Reel figure First couple now swing down lines simultaneously. Meanwhile the next couple begins.

• That mantra again: right arm to your partner, both left arm down the line - see the 'Strip the Willow' description in the Elements
• The 'next' couple, the one waiting for their go can get going with the single reel when the first couple are out the way. A good guess is when they are half way down the set, you don't want to start too early and risk catching them up (it gets messy). You might also want to wait until the start of the phrase of music.

Origins...

The strip the willow figure goes back a long way, there's a reasonably clear description in Trenchmore, published in the 2nd Edition of Playford (1652). The third part of which is:

• ... then turn your Woman with your Right-hand, and the second Woman with your left, your Woman falling as you turn till you come to your place, then your Woman do the same, you following her, the rest doing these Changes.

Which is, perhaps, a description of the man stripping he willow down the set followed by the woman stripping the willow up. Trenchmore can be also be traced back quite a bit further

Tunes...

• CDM says the dance was originally named after the Drops of Brandy slip jig, says that fell into disuse and gives Kafoozalum instead. Nowadays you are quite likely to dance to Drops of Brandy (likely in conjunction with the Peacock Followed the Hen...)
• The English Country Dance Database says a hornpipe...

See also...

• Drops of Brandy references on English Country Dance Database
• Recordings