Video: The Bramble Circle
The Bramble Circle
Let’s All Dance
32/R or J/single circle by Elinor M. Vandegrift
All face the center of the circle. Men have their partner on their right.
1 – 8 All circle round and back
9 – 12 All advance (2 steps) and retire (2 steps).
13 – 16 Repeat bars 9-12. Finish facing partner.
17 – 20 Turn partner right hand once round and finish facing the dancer behind (woman face the man who was originally on her right and man face the woman who was originally on his left).
21 – 24 Turn the new partner left hand 1 1/4 times, finishing in promenade hold facing counterclockwise, women on the right of their new partner.
25 – 32 Promenade, finishing in single circle ready to repeat the dance.
Repeat with new couples.
Music: Any good reel or jig 4 times through
Note: Audience participation or 1st night dance. “Written in honour of Seattle’s Bramble Band members who give generously of their time to play for many ‘audience participation’ events.” E.M.V.
Video: A Wee Nothin’
A Wee Nothin’
32 Bar jig for 2 couples
1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance Right Hands across and Left Hands back to place.
9 – 14 1st Lady followed by the 2nd Lady dance across the top of the set, behind the men’s line, 1st Lady dances below the 2nd man, and 2nd Lady dances between the two men, and across to their own side, both pull LEFT shoulders back.
15 – 16 1st and 2nd ladies join hands and Set. (Men do not set back)
17 – 22 1st Man followed by the 2nd Man dance across the top of the set, behind the ladies’ line, 1st Man dances below the 2nd lady’s position, 2nd Man dances between the two ladies, and across to their own side, both pull RIGHT shoulders back.
23 – 24 1st and 2nd Men join hands and Set. (Ladies do not set back)
25 – 32 2nd and 1st couples dance Rights and Lefts.
Devised by Elaine Brunken as a wee warm up dance. Note: Please include the polite turns at the end of Rights and Lefts, prior to entry to the wheels.
Suggested tune: Miss Hannah of Elgin
Video: The Birks of Invermay
The Birks of Invermay
Book 16 – No. 2
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st man and 2nd woman, giving both hands, turn once round.
5 – 8 1st woman and 2nd man, giving both hands, turn once round to places. On bar 8, 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance into the middle of the set to join both hands and face up.
9 – 16 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a promenade.
17 – 24 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place, lead up between 2nd couple, cross over to own sides 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.
Skillern’s compleat Collection of Two Hundred & four Reels and Country Dances c. 1789 as Birks of Endermay.
Original tune: The Birks of Invermay (Surenne)
Video: Flowers of Edinburgh
Flowers of Edinburgh
RSCDS Book 1 – No. 6
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 6 1st woman casts off two places, crosses to the opposite side and dances up behind 2nd and 3rd men to her partner’s original place. 1st man follows his partner, crossing over and dancing behind 2nd and 3rd women, and up the middle to his partner’s original place.
7 – 8 1st couple set to each other.
9 – 14 1st couple repeat bars 1-6, with 1st man casting off and 1st woman following. 1st couple finish in original places.
15 – 16 1st couple set to each other.
17 – 24 1st couple lead down the middle and up to finish facing each other in the middle of the set with both hands joined. 2nd couple step in.
25 – 32 1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Kate Hughes’ Dancing Book (MS), Dundalk 1867.
Original tune: Flowers of Edinburgh (Traditional)
Video: The Braes of Tulliemet
The Braes of Tulliemet
RSCDS Book 7 – No. 12
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st couple set and cast off one place on own sides. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
5 – 8 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off to third place on opposite sides. 3rd couple step up on bars 7-8.
9 – 12 3rd and 1st couples dance four hands once round to the left.
13 – 16 1st couple dance up to the top and cast off one place to face first corners. 3rd couple step down on bars 15-16.
17 – 24 1st couple set to and turn corners and finish facing first corners.
25 – 30 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. 1st couple pass first corners by the left to begin.
31 – 32 1st couple, giving right hands, cross to second place on own sides.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
A Perthshire dance. Collected in the Borders.
Original tune:
The Braes of Tulliemet (Miss Stewart’s Collection, 1761).
TACNotes:’
9-12 Finish on sidelines.
Video: The Highland Rambler
The Highland Rambler
Roy Goldring, Leeds Branch, Silver Jubilee.
(a 40 bar reel for 3 couples)
1 – 4 1st couple dance towards each other then cast to 2nd place; 2nd couple steps up.
5 – 8 1st and 3rd couples dance Right Hands Across once around; 1st lady remains facing out.
9 – 12 1st and 2nd couples dance Left Hands Across once around; 1st lady remains facing out.
13 – 16 1st lady followed by her partner casts up around 2nd lady and dances down the middle to finish 1st lady between 3rd couple and 1st man between 2nd couple; all facing down.
17 – 24 In lines of three, all dance down the set, turn (pulling back right shoulders) and dance up again; 1st couple remains facing up.
25 – 28 1st man followed by his partner casts off one place on the ladies’ side and dances across the set to 2nd place on his own side; 1st lady finishes on her own side.
29 – 32 1st couple turns by the Right Hand.
33 – 40 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance Six Hands Round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Video: The Findlay’s Jig
The Findlay’s Jig
14 Social Dances for 2000, devised by Roy Goldring
32 bar jig for 3 couples
1 – 8 1st couple lead down the middle and back finishing at the top in the centre.2nd and 3rd couples step in on bar 8.
9 – 16 3 couple allemande.
17 – 20 1st couple dance in, face down and cast up to the top. 3rd and 2nd couples step down on 19-20.
21 – 24 2nd couple repeat bars 17-20. 1st and 3rd couples step down on bars 23-24.
25 – 32 6 hands round and back.
Repeat having passed a couple
For Faustina and Ian Findlay
Tune: The Groom’s Jig by Ian Findlay
Video: The Piper and the Penguin
The Piper and the Penguin
The Scotia Suite of Scottish Country Dances devised by Roy Goldring
(Reel for Four Couples in a Square Set)
1 – 4 The women dance round their corners, passing in front of them to begin.
5 – 8 The women dance right hands across and remain in the centre.
9 – 12 The women dance round their partners, passing in front of them to begin.
13 – 16 The women dance left hands across and finish in original places.
17 – 32 The men repeat bars 1–16, but dance in front of partners before dancing right hands across, and in front of their corners before dancing left hands across.
33 – 36 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn partners one and a quarter times.
37 – 40 1st man, followed by his partner, dances between 4th couple and cast back to place. Similarly, 3rd couple dance between 2nd couple and cast back to place.
41 – 48 1st and 3rd couple dance rights and lefts.
49 – 64 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 33–48, 2nd couple dancing between 1st couple and 4th couple dancing between 3rd couple.
65 – 72 The women dance in and pull back right shoulders (2 bars), dance out (2 bars), and cast clockwise half way round the set to opposite woman’s place.
73 – 80 The men repeat bars 65–72, but pull back left shoulders at the end of bar 74, and cast anticlockwise.
81 – 84 All turn partners with the right hand, just over once round, to finish in promenade hold facing anticlockwise.
85 – 88 All promenade halfway round the set. On bar 87, all release right hands and the men lead their partners to original places ready for the bow and curtsey.
Video: MacDONALD OF THE ISLES
MacDONALD OF THE ISLES
The Second Carnforth Collection of Scottish Country Dances devised by Derek Haynes.
Strathspey for three-couple sets
1 – 8 2nd couple dance a diagonal reel of four with first corners. On bar 8 2nd couple dance left shoulder around each other to face second corners, ready to dance into a –
9 – 16 Diagonal reel of four with second corners. All finish on the side lines with 1st woman and 3rd man looping round by their right on bar 16.
HORSESHOE CHAIN aka PICK-UP or SNOWBALL CHAIN
17 – 18 1st couple cross over giving right hands.
19 – 20 1st and 2nd couples change places giving left hands.
21 – 22 2nd couple cross over while 1st and 3rd couples change places on the sides, all giving right hands.
23 – 24 2nd and 3rd couples change places on the sides as 1st couple cross to own sides, all giving left hands.
25 – 28 3rd and 2nd couples dance half rights and lefts.
29 – 32 Half figures of eight: 3rd woman crosses down then casts up around 1st woman and 3rd man crosses up then cast off round 2nd man.
Repeat from new places.
Tune: The Smith’s a Gallant Fireman. Recorded on Alastair Hunter’s Lorne Choice, DACD 9716 and also on Deirdre Adamson’s Come Scottish Country Dancing, DACD 9614.
First published on a Glendarroch S.C.D. Sheet in 1966.
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)
