Tom Kerr choreographed this dance for his own and Christine Dawson’s wedding celebration.
The
following corrections
were included on a loose sheet “Notes on Dances by Bob Grant June 1996”, when Book 39 was first sold in the Summer School bookshop:
9-16 Reel across is between 1st and 2nd positions
21-24 Use first setting step to advance into the circle. Pull right shoulders back quickly and tightly
Notes from the book ‘Book of Tom’s Dances’:
“The dance was devised in 1995 to celebrate my wedding to Christine Dawson in Cape Town. lt is symbolic in that the dancers crossd own without giving hands as they do not know each other.
Turning the 3rd couple represents meeting other people; then they meet as they turn in the middle only to take right hands as they do not know each other well at that stage. As they lead up they get to know each other better represented by taking promenade hold for the reel across. After the petronella turn all join hands to form a circle representing the ring. The dance finishes with the Knot which represents the Wedding.”
Some additional information
from the “
Fare Thee Well
” instructions in the ‘Book of Tom’s Dances’:
Unfortunately the marriage did not last, hence Tom Kerr devided the dance “
Fare Thee Well
” as a sequel to “Cape Town Wedding”. It contains the formation “Untie the Knot” to symbolize the divorce.