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.

No Video

Marlborough Rant

A 32 bar reel for 3 couples in a 4 couple set
Craig Williams, March 2024

1 – 8 1st couple dance a ½ figure of eight on their own sides. Begin by dancing in and down. Take nearer hands when they meet between the 3rd couple, dance up to the top and cast off to 2nd place on own sides, 2nd couple stepping up on bars 7 & 8

9 – 16 2nd, 1st & 3rd couples dance a 3 couple Espagnole.
9 – 10 2nd man & 3rd woman cross to opposite sides
2nd & 1st women giving right hands, cross to opposite sides, 1st woman passing in front of 2nd woman
1st & 3rd men giving right hands, cross to opposite sides, 1st man passing in front of 3rd man
11 – 12 Repeat bars 9-10 from new positions
13 – 14 Repeat bars 9-10 from new positions. The dancers should finish on opposite sides in order (3, 1, 2) across from their partners
15 – 16 All ½ turn partners with the right hand, finishing ready for allemande.

17 – 24 3rd, 1st & 2nd couples dance a allemande.

25 – 32 Circle 6 hands round & back.

Marlborough forest is Ottawa’s largest natural area and lies in the south end of the City. It’s largely unknown to most residents. A 200 km2 patchwork of forest and abandoned homesteads, swamps and fens, dusty forestry roads and claustrophobic thickets — it hides off the beaten path, protecting its secrets

Video: Jeanie Deans’ Strathspey

Jeanie Deans’ Strathspey
RSCDS Sir Walter Scott – A Celebration through Scottish Music and Dance

The Dance — 1820 and 2021
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple set

1820 Instructions

1st Cu: swing round, & cast off there left hand
& set abreast top & bottom, same on the sides,
set cross corners
& lead outsides

2021 Reconstruction

1 – 8 Giving right hands, 1st couple turn and cast off one place: 2nd cou ple step up. 1st couple, giving left hands, turn to finish man between 3rd couple and woman between 2nd couple.

9 – 12 2nd and 3rd couples face up or down.

All set. 2nd and 3rd couples continue setting as, on bars 11 and 12, 1st man casts up to 2nd place on his own side and 1st woman casts off into 2nd place on her side.

13 – 16 All three couples set twice.

17 – 24 1st couple, advancing, set to first corners. 1st couple dance round each other by the right to face second corners. 1st couple set to second corners, then dance round each other to face the men’s side, man with his partner on his right.

25 – 32 1st couple lead outsides:

Giving nearer hands, 1st couple dance out between 2nd and 3rd men, then cast back into centre. Giving nearer hands, they dance out between 2nd and 3rd women and cast back to 2nd place own sides.

Repeat having passed a couple.

Notes:

1. ‘Swing’ meant turn using one hand; ‘turn’ meant both hands.
2. Bars 9 – 16 are different from modern RSCDS practice. The above version is similar to that in D.A.’s ‘Country Dancing Made Plain and Easy’ of 1764.
3. The interpretation here of ‘set cross corners’ in bars 17 – 24 is based on Thomas Wilson’s ‘set contrary corners’ on pages 44 – 46 of his ‘Analysis of Country Dancing’ of 1811.
4. Lead outsides could be simply danced out or the dancers cross, depending on contemporary fashion. In a crowded ballroom with little space for dancers to dance out together, 1st man could cross his partner in front of him, giving left hands.

Video: The Hazel Tree

THE HAZEL TREE
John Drewry, The Brodie Book
devised between 1972 and 1982

for the 25th Anniversary of the Goyt Valley S.C.D. Club

Jig – 3 couples ~ 32 bars
Tune – “Sandy Pirie of Hazelhead” by I. Munro
Kerr’s Thistle Collection page 29

1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance “The Espagnole” to change places. See the note at the end of the book. At the end, 2nd couple turn with the right hand to first place on own sides, but 1st couple turn with the left hand to face first corners.

9 – 12 1st couple turn their first corners with the right hand. At the end, 1st couple pass each other by the right to face partners’ first corners. They release hands after three steps but the corners continue to dance for the full four steps.

13 – 16 1st woman turns 3rd woman with the left hand, while 1st man turns 2nd man with the left hand. At the end, 1st couple pass each another by the left to face own second corners.

17 – 20 1st couple turn their second corners with the right hand. At the end, 1st couple pass each other by the right to face partners’ second corners.

21 – 24 1st woman turns 2nd woman with the left hand, while 1st man turns 3rd man with the left hand. At the end, 1st couple pass each other by the left to finish side by side in the middle of the dance in second place on wrong sides facing down.

25 – 28 Joining left hands, 1st couple dance down between 3rd couple crossing over to own sides and cast up to 2nd place.

29 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples turn partners with the right hand.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

“The Espagnole” (A new progression)

1 – 2 1st and 2nd women, joining right hands, dance towards the men’s side passing between their partners. On the second step, 1st woman crosses 2nd woman over in front of her, so that 2nd woman dances out and up towards first place while 1st woman dances out and down towards second place.

Meanwhile 1st and 2nd men cross to the women’s side passing on either side of their partners.

3 – 4 1st and 2nd men, joining right hands, dance back towards their own side passing between their partners. On the fourth step, 1st man crosses 2nd man over in front of him, so that 2nd man dances out and up towards first place while 1st man dances out and down towards second place.

Meanwhile 2nd and ist women cross back to their own side passing on either side of their partners.

5 – 8 2nd couple turn with the right hand while 1st couple turn with the left hand.

No Video

CATRIONA’S REEL
Duncan Brown, The Bovey Collection
32 bar Reel for three couples in a four couple longwise set

1 – 4 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands, cross over.

5 – 8 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands, half turn partner to finish in promenade hold facing up.

9 – 16 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a promenade, finishing in original places.

17 – 24 1st couple lead down the middle and up, finishing in the middle, facing each other, both hands joined. On bar 24 2nd couple step in to finish in the middle both hands joined.

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

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Note: On the 2nd, 4th and 6th times through the dance it is recommended to dance a three couple poussette, with the bottom two couples stepping in on bar 24.

Devised for my elder daughter, Catriona.

Recommended tune: Iain MacPhail’s Compliments to the late Gordon Jamieson