In learning the blue line for Cambridge Surprise Minor we have looked first at what happens when you make ‘Cambridge places’. Next we will look at the back work and the front work. (The warning given before still applies: if you are reading this and trying to learn Cambridge, then don’t assume that the instructions here are right. I am doing this from memory as part of my own learning process.)
The back work in Cambridge is like this:
double dodge 5–6 up, lie behind, dodge 5–6 down with the treble, make 5th place (below the treble), dodge 5–6 up with the treble, lie behind, double dodge 5–6 down.
And we can draw this in diagrammatic form, like this:
-1-x–
1—x- double dodge 5–6 up
-1—x
–1-x-
—1-x
–1-x-
—1-x two blows at the back
—-1x and dodge 5–6 down with the treble
—-x1
—-1x
—-x1 make 5th place below the treble
—-x1
—-1x and dodge 5–6 up with the treble
—-x1
—-1x two blows at the back
—1-x
–1-x- and double dodge 5–6 down
—1-x
–1-x-
-1—x
1—x-
-1-x– and continue
Next, we come to the front work, which is something like this:
dodge 1–2 down, lead full, dodge 1–2 up, make 2nd place, lead full, dodge 1–2 up with the treble, make 2nd place over the treble, dodge 1–2 down with the treble, lead full, make 2nd place, dodge 1–2 down, lead full, dodge 1–2 up, and continue.
Got that? Perhaps a diagram will help:
–x–1
-x–1- start with a dodge 1–2 down
x—-1
-x—1
x—1- lead
x—-1
-x–1- and dodge 1–2 up
x–1–
-x1— make 2nd place
-x-1–
x-1— lead again
x1—-
1x—- dodge 1–2 up with the treble
x1—-
1x—- make 2nd place over the treble
1x—-
x1—- dodge 1–2 down with the treble
1x—-
x1—- and lead agan
x-1—
-x-1– make 2nd place again
-x1—
x–1– dodge 1–2 down
-x–1-
x—-1 lead
x—1-
-x—1 dodge 1–2 up
x—-1
-x–1-
–x–1 and onward
Now we have each of the components of Cambridge Surprise Minor. We just have to put them together, along with a few more dodges and some plain hunting.