Editing Reel (dance)

{{Short description|Form of Scottish folk dance and music}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2015}}

The '''reel''' is a [[folk dance]] type as well as the accompanying [[dance music|dance tune type]]. Of Scottish origin, reels are also an important part of the repertoire of the [[fiddle]] traditions of Britain, Ireland and North America.<ref name="Exploring Folk Fiddle">{{cite book |last1=Haigh |first1=Chris |title=Exploring Folk Fiddle |date=2013 |publisher=Schott |location=London |pages=11}}</ref> In [[Scottish country dancing]], the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the [[jig]], the [[strathspey (dance)|strathspey]] and the [[waltz]], and is also the name of a dance figure.
[[File:Jig shoe 3.jpg|thumb|Hard shoes worn for Irish dance]]
[[File:Irish Dance Soft Shoes.jpg|thumb|Soft shoes worn for Irish dance]]
In [[Irish dance]], a reel is any dance danced to music in ''reel time'' (see below). In [[Irish stepdance]], the reel is danced in soft shoes and is one of the first dances taught to students. There is also a '''treble reel''', danced in hard shoes to reel music.

==History==
The reel is indigenous to Scotland. The earliest reference was in a trial of 1590, where the accused was reported to have "daunced this reill or short dance."<ref>''Newes from Scotland. Declaring the damnable life of Doctor Fian a notable sorcerer, who was burned at Edenbrough in Ianuarie last.'' London 1591. (Glasgow University Library: Sp Coll Ferguson Al-a.36)</ref> However, the form may go back to the Middle Ages. The name may be cognate with or relate to an [[Old Norse]] form, with Suio-Gothic ''[[:wikt:rulla|rulla]]'', meaning "to whirl." This became [[Anglo-Saxon]] ''hreol'' and Gaelic ''ruidhle'' or ''ruidhleadh'', which is the origin of the word now.<ref name="Grove"/> 

After being introduced to Ireland in the late eighteenth century it thrived.<ref name="Grove">{{Cite Grove |last=Norton |first=Pauline |year=2014 |title=Reel (USA) |id=A2257178 }}</ref> Later it was introduced to North America by English, Scottish, and Irish colonists and immigrants. In the United States, reels remain central in the traditions of Anglo and African-American [[Old-time music]] and [[square dancing]], as well as [[Cajun music|Cajun]] and [[Zydeco]]. In Canada, they are important parts of [[Cape Breton fiddling|Cape Breton]], [[Acadian]], [[Music of Quebec|Québécois]], and [[Métis fiddle|Métis]] repertoires.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Haigh |first1=Chris |title=The Fiddle Handbook |date=2009 |publisher=Hal Leonard}}</ref><ref name="Exploring Folk Fiddle"/>

==Reel music==
{{listen
|filename=Dancing Willow - Demo-CD 2007 01 - The wind that shakes that Barley.ogg
|title=The wind that shakes that Barley
|description=A reel performed by ''Dancing Willow''
|filename2=Dancing Willow - Demo-CD 2007 05 - Drowsy Maggie.ogg
|title2=Drowsy Maggie
|description2=A reel featuring viola da gamba and recorder, performed by ''Dancing Willow''|format=[[Ogg]]
}}

Reel music is notated in simple [[Metre (music)|metre]], most commonly either in {{music|time|2|2}} or {{music|time|4|4}}. For example, the same reel ''Rakish Paddy'' is notated in a {{music|time|2|2}} [[time signature]] in ''O'Neill's Music of Ireland, New & Revisited,''<ref>{{cite book |first=Miles |last=Krassen |title=O'Neill's Music of Ireland, New & Revisited |page=158 |date=1976}}</ref> but in {{music|time|4|4}} time in ''English, Welsh, Scottish & Irish Fiddle Tunes,''<ref>{{cite book |first=Robin |last=Williamson |title=English, Welsh, Scottish & Irish Fiddle Tunes |page=69 |date=1976}}</ref> with no change to the note lengths.

All reels consist largely of [[quaver]] (eighth note) movement with an accent on the first and third beats of the bar. A reel is distinguished from a [[hornpipe]] in two ways. Firstly it is played with even beats, without swing or dotted rhythm. Secondly it is played twice as fast, implied by the {{music|time|2|2}} time signature. Like most dance music originating in the British Isles, reels are usually composed in [[binary form]], meaning they have two parts (A and B); in most reels each part is repeated (AABB), but in others it is not (ABAB). Each part (A and B) typically has eight bars, which in turn are divisible into four-bar and two-bar phrases. (An exception is the "auld reel" of [[Shetland]] which tends to irregular structure and may have been influenced by the Norwegian [[Halling (dance)|halling]].) A reel usually has 32 bars (with structure AABB), but there are other common structures such as 40 bar reels (often played for the introduction of the Eightsome Reel) and 64 bar reels (with structure AABBCCDD).

Reels are popular in the [[folk music]] of South West [[England]]. They crossed the [[Atlantic]] ocean with Irish and British immigration and thus entered the musical tradition of Atlantic and French-speaking [[Canada]] including that of [[Music of Quebec|Quebecers]] and [[Acadians]].  Reels are featured in many pieces by [[Quebec]] singers and bands, such as [[La Bolduc]], [[La Bottine Souriante]] and even the more modern ''[[néo-trad]]'' group [[Les Cowboys Fringants]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/musicscotland/celticroots/standard/dancing/dancing_feet2.shtml Military Two Step]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/musicscotland/celticroots/standard/dancing/dancing_feet.shtml Gay Gordons]

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{{Commons category}}

[[Category:Music of Quebec]]
[[Category:Folk music genres]]
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[[Category:Scottish country dance]]
[[Category:Irish dances]]
[[Category:Competitive dance]]