The Plain Set

The Plain Set.  Copyright © 1984, 1999 Brooks Academy.
Learned from Connie Ryan.

The Plain Set - Figure 1

Figure 1 Reels - 112 bars
Opening Position:  All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Home All four couples dance at home 8 bars
C Figure a) Pass Through.  Top couples advance towards each other and pass through, ladies at the center passing left shoulder to left shoulder (2 bars).  After passing each couple joins right hands, each lady dances under the gent's right arm and the lady and the gent dance around each other into place facing into the center (2 bars).

b) Pass Through.  Top couples reapeat (a) to bring them back to their original places again (4 bars).

c) Home.  Top couples dance around at home (8 bars).

d) Ladies Chain.  Top ladies dance to centre, chain with right hands and pass each other, give left hands to opposite gents, turn clockwise under their left arms and dance around behind them, the gents turning the ladies (8 bars).

e) Lead Around.  1st Tops and 2nd tops lead around inside.  They dance anti-clockwise half way around to reach each other's places and then face into the centre (4 bars).

f) Pass Through.  Top couples repeat (a) to bring them back to their original places (4 bars).

 32 bars
D Home All four couples dance at home. 8 bars
E Figure Side couples repeat C. 32 bars
F Home All four couples dance at home. 8 bars
G House All four couples house to finish. 8 bars

The Plain Set - Figure 2

Figure 2 Reels - 128 bars
Opening Position: All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Home All four couples dance at home 8 bars
C Heading a) Slide.  Top couples advance to centre and retire, once, with right hands joined (4 bars).

b) Change.  Top couples dance around to each other's place.  Each lady turns twice clockwise under the gents right arms as they dance around.  The lady should dance ahead of the gent (4 bars).

c) Slide.  Top couples advance to centre and retire, once, with right hands joined (4 bars).

d) Change.  Top couples repeat (b) to return to their own places again (4 bars).

e) Home.  Top couples dance around at home (8 bars).

f) Slide.  Top couples repeat (a) (4 bars).

g) Change.  Top couples repeat (b) (4 bars).

h) Slide.  Top couples repeat (c) (4 bars).

i) Change.  Top couples repeat (d) (4 bars).

 40 bars
D Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
E Figure Side couples repeat C. 40 bars
F Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
G House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars

The Plain Set - Figure 3

Figure 3 Reels - 256 bars
Opening Position: All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
C Figure a) Ladies Chain.  Top ladies dance to the centre, chain with right hands and pass each other, give left hands to opposite gents and dance around behind them turning clockwise under the gents left arm, the gents turning with the ladies.  After dancing around the opposite gents they dance straight across back to their own partners (8 bars).

b) Home.  Top couples dance around at home (8 bars).

c) House.  1st tops dance around at the house inside so as to reach the position of the opposite couple at the end of the eight bars, 1st tops lady dancing in on the left side of the opposite gent and facing in, and 1st tops gent facing the opposite gent.  They then link up in the following way.
1st tops gent takes his hown partner's right hand in his right hand and the opposite lady's left hand in his left hand.  The opposite gent holds the ladies' other hands above the hands held by 1st tops gent (8 bars).

d) Advance & Retire.  1st tops gent retires and the three dancers facing him advance to the centre (2 bars), return to the second tops position (2 bars) and come back to the centre again (2 bars).  Then the 1st tops gent pulls the two ladies towards him.  They each turn outwards from the gent between them, under the arms held by him, and then under the arms held by the 1st tops gent to come in on each side of him, with the opposite gent now alone facing the three (2 bars).  This whole movement is now repeated in the opposite direction, the group of three advancing (2 bars), retiring (2 bars) and advancing again (2 bars), the opposite gent dancing accordingly, and then the ladies are drawn out into a position between the two gents (2 bars).

e) Little Christmas.  1st tops and 2nd tops form into a tight circle, arms around each other's backs and dance around clockwise (8 bars)

f) Ladies Chain.  When the circle breaks gents retire to their places and ladies immediately repeat (a) (8 bars).

g) Repeat.  Repeat (b) to (f), 2nd tops dancing the figure (48 bars).

 104 bars
D Home Top couples dance around at home. 8 bars
E Figure Side couples repeat C. 104 bars
F Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
G House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars

The Plain Set - Figure 4

Figure 4 Reels - 176 bars
Opening Position: All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
C Figure a) Gents Cross & Home.  Top gents dance straight across to opposite ladies (2 bars), and dance at home with them (6 bars).

b) Ladies Cross & Turn.  Top ladies dance straight across to their own partners (2 bars), join right hands with them and turn anti-clockwise under-arm into place (2 bars).

c) Advance & Retire.  Top couples, right hands joined, advace to the centre and retire, twice.

d) Slide & Change.  Top couples change to standard hold, advance to centre and retire once (4 bars), and then dance half-way around the house to their original positions (4 bars)

e) Gents Cross & Home.  Repeat (a).

f) Ladies Cross & Turn.  Repeat (b).

g) Advance & Retire.  Repeat (c).

h) Slide & Change.  Repeat (d).
 

 64 bars
D Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
E Figure Side couples repeat C. 64 bars
F Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
G House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars

The Plain Set - Figure 5

Figure 5 Jig - 160 bars
Opening Position: All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Swing All four couples swing in place. 8 bars
C House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
D Figure a) Gallop.  Top couples cross straight over to each other's place without turning, gents on the inside (2 bars).  Side couples do likewise (2 bars).  Top couples cross back to their original places, ladies on the inside (2 bars).  Side couples do likewise (2 bars).

b) Ladies Chain.  Top ladies chain with right hands in the centre and dance over to opposite gents.  They are followed immediately by side ladies (2 bars).  Each lady gives left hand to opposite gent, turns clockwise under his left arm and dances around behind him, the gent turning with the lady.  Each lady dances to the left across in front of her opposite gent, giving right hands to the gent in the position one place to the right of their starting positions.  They join right hands with this gent and dance anti-clockwise under the gents right arm into place.

 16 bars
E Swing All four couples swing in place. 8 bars
F House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
G Figure Repeat D.  The original top ladies are always first to cross in (a) and in (b). 16 bars
H Swing All four couples swing in place. 8 bars
I House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
J Heading Repeat D.  The original top ladies are always first to cross in (a) and in (b). 16 bars
K Swing All four couples swing in place. 8 bars
L House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
M Heading Repeat D.  The original top ladies are always first to cross in (a) and in (b). 16 bars
N Swing All four couples swing in place. 8 bars
O House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars

The Plain Set - Figure 6

Figure 6 Reels - 192 bars
Opening Position: All four couples join hands in front and face anti-clockwise around the circle, gents on the inside.
A Lead Around All four couples dance anti-clockwise around until back in original places.  During the last bar each gent, without raising hands, turns his partner clockwise under both arms and adopts the standard hold. 8 bars
B Home All four couples dance around at home. 8 bars
C House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
D Figure a) Home.  All four couples dance around at home.

b) Ladies in.  The four ladies advance to centre and retire twice.

c) Gents Wheel & Change Partners.  The four gents join right hand in the centre and dance around clockwise (4 bars), then turn, join left hands in the centre and dance around anti-clockwise (4 bars).  At the same time each lady dances around to the next position to her right.

d) Home.  The ladies join up with new partners and all four couples dance around at home.

 32 bars
E House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
F Figure Repeat D.  At (c) the gents join left hands first. 32 bars
G House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
H Figure Repeat D. 32 bars
I House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars
J Figure Repeat D.  At (c) the gents join left hands first. 32 bars
K House All four couples dance house around. 8 bars