Issue 1061: Toast to the Mousies

Object

Toast to the Mousies (Dance)

Submitter

Sara Gratiot

Assigned to

Eric Ferguson

Priority

Normal

Disposition

Fixed

Description

The dance follows the typical progression for a three couple dance done in a four couple longwise set.

Notes from the leaflet:

Devised by Sara Gratiot, San Francisco Branch, Sept. 2016 Inspired by the tune “Toast to the Mousies” composed by Keith Smith in 2008 The tune has always tickled me and it needed a dance!

When asked what prompted the tune, Keith responded: “There have been a number of mice incidents over the years but one in particular was trying to humanely catch and eject small cute field-mice that were making rather loud munching noises in my house whilst a pal and I were trying to record Scottish music…”

About the dance, Sara shares: “I first heard Keith’s tune “Toast to the Mousies” in a set by the same name on the CD, Highland Shortbread, with Keith Smith and Muriel Johnstone, released by Scotscores in 2009. The tune just makes me happy, and I thought it needed a light, fun, whisker-wiggling, tail-twitching dance. The dance was finally devised for the Sunday morning combined class at the San Francisco Branch’s Annual Asilomar Weekend Workshop in 2016. Bars 9–16 honor our kept creatures that get their exercise on a wheel. Bars 17–24 depict the skittering into and out of mouseholes and hidey-holes.”

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