The Spinning Reel
The dance piece -'Spinning Reel' - takes its inspiration from the rhythm of the spinning wheel. It is developed from traditional and contemporary dance elements to spin a dance showing the meeting and the relationship between the old and the new. The 'Spinning Reel' shows a spinner working at her wheel thinking that she would rather be dancing, as she sings an old Hebridean spinning song - 'Cuigeal na Maighdin'. The dancers pick up the working rhythm of the spinning wheel, one by one to the mouth music of 'Nighean Ruadh Bhan.' The dance evolves into an old Circular Reel in strathspey and reel time.

We also use the winding Foursome Reel pattern, as well as that of an old Hebridean dance 'Ruidhle nan Coileach Dhubha' known in English as 'The Reel of the Blackcocks'. After that follows a creative section showing interweaving patterns which leads into figures showing the elements of Quadrille dancing. Quadrilles took over from the old reels and became the favourites of the social dancing scene when dancing became the popular past-time in Village Halls rather than in the croft houses of old.

The 'Spinning Reel' was created from an original idea by Mats Melin by the members of Dannsa.

The Waulking song set
Waulking songs -or orain luaidh - were traditionally sung in a rhythmic manner whilst beating tweed on a surface in order to shrink it. Dannsa used these unique rhythms to create their first dance piece using only Gaelic Song for accompaniment. A grant from the Scottish Arts Council enabled Dannsa to collaborate with singer Mary Ann Kennedy in this project which took place in January 2002.

In some areas waulkings were very common with the feet. This made for great interest when comparing the rhythms of the songs to the step-dance rhythms. There are a number of different rhythms and tempi and each song requires a particular rhythm and tempo depending on the stage of the waulking process.

The songs which we use are: Taladh Dhomnaill Ghuirm, Gura Mi Tha Trom Duilich, Gaol Ise Gaol I, & Nighean Chruinn Donn Dhut Is Eibhinn.

Dalguise
Our own slant on the well-known dances Glasgow Highlanders, Circassian Circle and the Glenesk Broun's Reel.

Dusty Miller and Flowers of Edinburgh
Most of these steps can be found in the 1841 Hill manuscript from Alford in Aberdeenshire, but as written notation is only a guideline, this is our own interpretation.

Sword Dances
In a 2003 project involving World Champion Highland dancers Deryck and Gareth Mitchelson, we explored some old and almost forgotten sword dance steps plus come up with a few new ones. Some steps were found in sources in Canada and New Zealand.