Dances for June 19, 2024

No Video

Rideau River Reel
Lindsay Clark
32 bar reel for 3 couples in a 3 couple set
The 2s are the dancing/active couple.

1-8 2W and 2M dance mirror figures of eight on their own sides, dancing up and out to begin. They finish in the centre in 2nd position ready for…

9-16 Hands across on both sides, right hand on the ladies’ side, left hand on the men’s side, the 2s passing right shoulder to dance hands across on the opposite side. The 2s end facing their own first corner.

17-24 2s and dancers on 1st corner diagonal dance Corners pass and twirl, the corners ending in opposite position and the 2s passing right shoulder to face their own 2nd corners. Repeat Corners pass and twirl with 2nd corners, the corners ending in the opposite position, and the 2s in 2nd place on opposite sides.[Order is now 3,2,1 with all dancers on the opposite side]

25-32 All chase ½ way round clockwise. [1,2,3] 1s change places with the 2s, left hand on the ladies’ side, right hand on the men’s side (i.e. 1s dance in and down); 1s change places with the 3s, right hand on the ladies’ side, left hand on the men’s side (1s dance out and down). [2,3,1]


Video: Reuben Butler

Reuben Butler
SCDS Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian
The Dance – 1820 and 2021
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple set

1820 Instructions

1st Cu: lead down the middle, up again _
3 hands round with 2d Lady, same with Gent.
poussette_
right and left.

2021 Reconstruction

1 – 8 1st couple dance down the middle and back to second place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

9 – 12 Using skip change of step, 1st couple and 2nd woman, dance three hands round to the left.

13 – 16 1st couple and 2nd man, dance three hands round to the left. 2nd and 1st couples finish in sidelines.

17 – 24 2nd and 1st couples dance a waltz poussette.

25 – 32 1st and 3rd couples dance rights and lefts.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Notes

  1. Hands round in the early 19th century would most likely have used a chassé step, hence
    the skip change of step in bars 9 to 16.
  2. The poussette is a full poussette all round, starting from sidelines, and in waltz hold, not
    using pas de basque. See page 61.
  3. The original instructions do not stipulate whether the rights and lefts is danced with the
  4. 2nd or 3rd couple. As the poussette was with the 2nd couple, it would have been acceptable
  5. to dance the rights and lefts with third couple, thus making the dance a three-couple jig.

4, Although there were different versions of rights and lefts in 1820, the version adopted is
the Quadrille rights and lefts, as we do it today.

The Waltz Poussette

Starting from sidelines and using waltz turns throughout the dancers should follow the general pattern below:

Bar 1 Dance in and meet in waltz hold (two hand hold may also be used).

Bar 2 – 4 Dance out to the sides (couple in second place to woman’s side and couple in 1st place to men’s side) and continuing dancing waltz turns round other couple and back into centre in progressed position.

Bar 5 – 7 Repeat bars 2 – 4 to finish in centre in original positions

Bar 8 Retire


No Video

Lady Charlotte Bruce
Miss Milligan’s Miscellany of Scottish Country Dances
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 4 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples advance one step and retire one step, twice. To finish, 1st couple face each other, 2nd couple face down and 3rd couple face up.

5 – 8 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a half grand chain.

9 – 12 3rd, 2nd and 1st couples repeat bars 1-4 to finish 3rd couple facing down, 2nd couple facing up, and 1st couple facing each other.

13 – 16 3rd, 2nd and 1st couples dance a half grand chain, to finish in original places.

17 – 24 1st couple lead down the middle and up and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 23-24.

25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Customary tune: Lady Charlotte Bruce (William Shepherd)

TACNotes:’
5-8 1st woman & 2nd man finish with polite turns.
13-16 Half grand chain begins with RH – 3rd cpl to 2nd cpl & 1st cpl to partner. 1st woman and 2nd man again finish with polite turns.


Video: Ray Milbourne

Ray Milbourne
Derek Haynes, Carnforth 1

Reel for four-couple sets

On the 2nd chord 2nd and 4th couples change sides

1 – 4 1st and 4th couple, giving right hands, cross over then cast inwards one place. 2nd couple step up and 3rd couple step down on bars 3 – 4.

5 – 8 1st couple dance a half figure of eight around 2nd couple and 4th couple dance a half figure of eight around 3rd couple.

9 – 12 1st and 4th couple dance half rights and lefts. They omit the polite tum on bar 12 and finish with 4th couple facing up and 1st couple facing down ready to give right shoulders into –

13 – 16 Half reels of four on the sides. They finish in the order 3 1 4 2 with the women facing out and the men in, ready to dance into –

17 – 24 3rd with 1st couple, and at the same time 4th with 2nd couple, dance men’s chains across the dance. The men cross over giving left hands to start

25 – 32 3rd, 1st, 4th and 2nd couples dance eight hands round and back.

Repeat three times, each from new positions.

Tune: Ray Milboume by lain MacPhail. Recorded by David Hall on Diamond Jubilee, DIH 001 CD.

First published by Scottish Dance Archives, September 1976.




Dances for March 6, 2023

Video: Mrs Stewart of Fasnacloich

Mrs Stewart of Fasnacloich
RSCDS Leaflet – No. 18
(Reel)

Figure 1 - Bar 9
Figure 1 – Bar 9

Figure 2 – Bar 28

1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples petronella turn into centre to face partners and set.

5 – 6 1st and 2nd couples turn partners by right hand three-quarters way round, then, retaining partners’ hands.

7 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across halfway round to finish, 2nd couple in first place and 1st couple in second place, on own sides.

9 – 16 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. To begin, 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over to third place. (Fig. 1). 1st couple finish facing second corners; 2nd and 3rd couples dance the long way round into place.

17 – 20 1st couple dance half a diagonal reel of four with second corners. Then 1st couple turn each other by the left hand to face first corners.

21 – 24 1st couple dance half a diagonal reel of four with first corners, passing left shoulders. Then 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish back to back in the centre, 1st man facing up, 1st woman facing down.

25 – 27 1st man dances three hands round with 3rd couple, while 1st woman dances three hands round with 2nd couple.

28 – 30 Releasing left hand, 1st man leads his circle down the women’s side, while 1st woman leads her circle up the men’s side to form a large circle. Six hands round to the left. (Fig. 2).

31 – 32 All 3 couples set.

TACNotes:’
19-20 1st cpl dance a wide LH turn instead of passing L shoulder.
24 1st cpl pass L shoulder.
25-30 Controlled slip steps. If 1st cpl release LH in the small circles at end of bar 27, then large circle may be formed by end of bar 28.


Ysobel
John Drewry, Bankhead Part 5
1973
Strathspey – 3 couples – 32 bars

Tune “Mrs Stewart of Inverugie”
by William Marshall 1st Collection page 35
see also The Athole Collection page 107

1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples dance petronella turns into the middle to face partners and set to partners.

5 – 6 1st and 2nd couples turn partners with the right hand three quarters round and retain hold of hands.

7 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across half way round to finish on own sides having changed places. 2nd couple stay facing out.

9 – 16 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides.
To begin, 2nd couple dance out and down,

1st couple, giving right hands, dance down crossing over to reel on opposite sides,

3rd couple dance out and up.

At the end, 1st couple dance in to finish back to back facing second corners and 2nd and 3rd couples dance the long way round into place.

17 – 20 1st couple dance half a reel of four with second corners. At the end, 1st couple pass each other by the left to face first corners.

21 – 24 1st couple dance half a reel of four with first corners. At the end, 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish back to back in the middle with the man facing up and the woman facing down.

25 – 26 3rd and 2nd couples face diagonally in and 3rd, 1st. and 2nd couples set.

27 – 29 3rd couple and 1st man, and 1st woman and 2nd couple, dance three hands round to the left. At the end, 1st man, releasing his left hand, leads his string down the women’s side, while 1st woman, similarly, leads her string up the men’s side.

30 – 32 Six hands round to finish on own sides in the order 2,1,3.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

NOTE This dance, devised in 1973, was used by the Publications Committee in that year as the basis for the reel “Mrs Stewart of Fasnacloich” – a dance which has always disappointed me – I do not like left shoulder reels of four and I think that setting should come at the beginning of a phrase rather than at the end. My feeling, for a long time, has been that Mrs Stewart was never the same woman again after she was interfered with by the committee!

I am publishing the dance in its original form in the hope that dancers will enjoy it this way.


Video: Follow Me Home

Follow Me Home
RSCDS Book 38 – No. 3
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8 1st couple set and, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, turn to join right hands with first corners in balance in line position. 2nd couple step up on bars 5-6.

9 – 10 1st couple and first corners balance in line.

11 – 16 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn first corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by first corners, dance clockwise halfway round the set, passing behind second corners. 1st couple dance in to join right hands with partner and left hands with second corners. 3rd woman finishes in 1st man’s place and 2nd man finishes in 3rd woman’s place.

17 – 18 1st couple and second corners balance in line.

19 – 24 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn second corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by second corners, dance anticlockwise halfway round the set, passing behind 1st corners. 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish in second place on opposite sides facing out. 3rd man finishes in 1st woman’s place and 2nd woman finishes in 3rd man’s place. All are on opposite sides in the order 3, 1, 2.

25 – 28 3rd , 1st and 2nd couples dance half reels of three on the sides, 3rd and 1st men and 1st and 2nd women passing by the left to begin.

29 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands to partners, cross over.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Ellie Briscoe, Alexandria, Virginia.
Original tune: Miss Catherine Stewart, Pettyvaich (William Marshall)

The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing:
Bars 11-16 The half turns should be completed in one bar to ensure the corners finish in new place. Similarly for bars 19-24.

TACNotes:’
11-16 1st cpl half turn corners, on bar 11, & release hands. Corners follow closely without going back through corner position.
19-24 Bar 19 as well as bar 11 above.


Video: The Deil amang the Tailors

The Deil amang the Tailors
RSCDS Book 14 – No. 7
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples set to partners and dance right hands across halfway round.

5 – 8 2nd and 1st couples set to partners and dance left hands across halfway round to original places.

9 – 16 1st couple lead down the middle and up to finish in the middle of the set facing up. 2nd couple step in.

17 – 24 1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.

25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Dale’s Collection of Reels and Dances c. 1799.
Original tune: The Deil amang the Tailors (Gow)


Video: Rabbie’s Reel

Rabbie’s Reel
RSCDS Book 40
(Reel)

1 – 8 1st woman, followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th women, dances across the top of the set, down behind the men and back to place.

9 – 16 1st man, followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th men, dances across the top of the set, down behind the women and back to place.

17 – 20 All four women dance round their partners, passing right shoulders, and back to place.

21 – 24 All four men dance round their partners, passing right shoulders, and back to place.

25 – 28 1st couple lead down to fourth place. 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples step up on bars 27 – 28.

29 – 32 All clap (eight claps).

Repeat with a new top couple.

Devised by members of Fife Council Physical Education Visiting Teacher Service for The
Fife Scottish Country Dance Festival, 1996.




Dances for February 27, 2023

Video: The Trysting Place

The Trysting Place
RSCDS Book 35 – No. 6
32-bar strathspey for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples set and link.

5 – 8 2nd and 1st couples set and link.

9 – 12 1st woman and 2nd man set and, giving right hands, change places. At the same time, 1st man and 2nd woman, giving right hands, change places and set.

13 – 16 Repeat bars 9-12 back to original places.

17 – 24 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across and left hands back to finish in a line of four up and down the middle of the set, women facing down and men facing up.

25 – 32 1st and 2nd couples dance a Highland schottische poussette.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Iain Boyd, New Zealand Branch, 1985.
Original tune: The Duchess of Gordon’s New Strathspey (Robert Mackintosh)

Inscribed to Mary Murray of Vancouver, BC, whose home in Tryst Road, Falkirk was opposite the traditional site of the Falkirk Tryst, where cattle drovers from the Highlands, Lowlands and the north of England met to buy and sell their livestock and produce.

TACNotes:’
31-32 On bars 7-8 of poussette figure, cpls turn 2H, using travelling steps – all starting on R foot.


Video: Follow Me Home

Follow Me Home
RSCDS Book 38 – No. 3
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8 1st couple set and, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, turn to join right hands with first corners in balance in line position. 2nd couple step up on bars 5-6.

9 – 10 1st couple and first corners balance in line.

11 – 16 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn first corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by first corners, dance clockwise halfway round the set, passing behind second corners. 1st couple dance in to join right hands with partner and left hands with second corners. 3rd woman finishes in 1st man’s place and 2nd man finishes in 3rd woman’s place.

17 – 18 1st couple and second corners balance in line.

19 – 24 Releasing left hands with partner, 1st couple turn second corners halfway. 1st couple, followed closely by second corners, dance anticlockwise halfway round the set, passing behind 1st corners. 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish in second place on opposite sides facing out. 3rd man finishes in 1st woman’s place and 2nd woman finishes in 3rd man’s place. All are on opposite sides in the order 3, 1, 2.

25 – 28 3rd , 1st and 2nd couples dance half reels of three on the sides, 3rd and 1st men and 1st and 2nd women passing by the left to begin.

29 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands to partners, cross over.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Ellie Briscoe, Alexandria, Virginia.
Original tune: Miss Catherine Stewart, Pettyvaich (William Marshall)

The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing:
Bars 11-16 The half turns should be completed in one bar to ensure the corners finish in new place. Similarly for bars 19-24.

TACNotes:’
11-16 1st cpl half turn corners, on bar 11, & release hands. Corners follow closely without going back through corner position.
19-24 Bar 19 as well as bar 11 above.


Video: MISS CATHERINE ANN

MISS CATHERINE ANN
David Queen, The Queen Collection

32 Bar Strathspey for a 3 couple set

1 – 4 1st and 2nd men and 1st and 2nd ladies, set and ‘mirror link’ ie. ladies pulling back right shoulders and men pulling back left shoulders.

5 – 8 1st couple dance half a figure of eight round 2nd couple, crossing up to begin.

9 – 12 1st and 3rd couples set and ‘mirror link’ ie.1st man and 3rd lady pulling back right shoulders, 1st lady and 3rd man pulling back left shoulders.

13 – 16 1st couple dance half a figure of eight round 3rd couple, crossing up to begin.

17 – 20 All 3 couples petronella turn into the centre of the set and set to partners.

21 – 24 All turn partners halfway with both hands and damce a petronella turn back out to own sidelines.

25 – 32 All 3 couples flow into a circle round and back.

Start again with a new couple at the top.

For my wife Cathy.


Video: MAIRI’S WEDDING

MAIRI’S WEDDING
TWENTY-TWO SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES by James B. Cosh and TWO OTHERS

(N.B. Dancing couple passing left shoulder in centre.)

1 – 4 First couple turn with right hand and cast one place on own side. (Second couple move up.)

5 – 8 Then turn with left hand to corners.

9 – 12 First couple dance half reel of four with first corners. (The corners changing places.)

13 – 16 First couple dance half reel of four with second corners.

17 – 20 First couple dance half reel of four with first corners, (Who are now on the other side.)

21 – 24 First couple dance half reel of four with second corners.

25 – 32 Reels of three across, the woman with second couple and the man with third couple.

33 – 40 Six hands round and back.


Video: RABBIE’S REEL

RABBIE’S REEL
RSCDS Book 40
(Reel)

1 – 8 4st woman, followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th women, dances across the top of the set, down behind the men and back to place.

9 – 16 1st man, followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th men, dances across the top of the set, down behind the women and back to place.

17 – 20 All four women dance round their partners, passing right shoulders, and back to place.

21 – 24 All four men dance round their partners, passing right shoulders, and back to place.

25 – 28 1st couple lead down to fourth place. 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples step up on bars 27 – 28.

29 – 32 All clap (eight claps).

Repeat with a new top couple.

Devised by members of Fife Council Physical Education Visiting Teacher Service for The
Fife Scottish Country Dance Festival, 1996.