Quite Carr-ied Away, or, Joan Transported

Pat Shaw honored many celebrated members of the English country dance community in his two volumes of dances written to mark his visit to Pinewoods in 1974, including musician extraordinaire Marshall Baron; Nancy Langstaff, wife of singer John Langstaff; Jim Morrison, former National Director of CDSS, fiddler, caller, and dance historian; the redoubtable May Gadd; and the subject of this video, Joan Carr Shimer. Some details of her life are recounted in the 2019 obituary published by CDSS and reproduced at the beginning of the video, but suffice to say that she was Associate Director of CDSS when Pat arrived in America; an educator and author; a loving partner of Jack Shimer, whom she married in 1996 after Genny Shimer’s passing; and by all accounts—and certainly if Pat’s dance reflects anything of her dancing skill and carriage—a beautiful dancer.

Quite Carr-ied Away, or, Joan Transported appeared in Pat’s Between Two Ponds. It is a longways triple minor dance in triple time, set to one of Pat’s most beloved tunes, with its ravishing 12 bar B section that climaxes in an ascending series linked to the left-hand turn with corner that sends the 1st couple across the set by left shoulder, ready for what comes next. There are opportunities in the dance to highlight some of the hidden beauties in the choreography, for instance, for dancers to spot up and down the line in the partner back to backs, and for 2M to cross with partner in A1 by the right, and then turn right into the back to back with the 1M, creating a seamless flow. You’ll notice how successfully the 1s time the R-hand turn in the B section, so easy to execute too quickly, but here regulated to flow nicely into the ½ heys.

My great thanks go out to the dancers for bringing this beautiful dance to life and to the musicians of A Joyful Noise, Daniel Beerbohm, Barbara Greenberg, and Kathy Talvitie, for bringing out the joy in this dance and its tune. –Paul Ross