Mo Video
Mrs Stewart’s Strathspey
Book 13 – No. 3
48-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples set to partners and, giving both hands, turn once round.
5 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance four hands once round to the left.
9 – 16 1st couple lead down the middle and up. 1st woman finishes between 2nd couple facing 2nd man, 1st man between 3rd couple facing 3rd woman. 2nd couple step up on bars 11-12.
17 – 24 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance reels of three across the set, 1st woman and 2nd man and 1st man and 3rd woman passing by the right to begin. 1st couple; finish facing first corners.
25 – 32 1st couple turn first corners with the right hand, partner with the left hand, second corners with the right hand and, giving left hand to partner, turn to lead up on own sides. 1st couple finish in the middle at the top of the set, facing up. 2nd couple step down and in on bars 31-32.
33 – 40 1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.
41 – 48 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Jacob Harbour’s Third Book of New & Favorite Country Dances, Strathspey Reels, Waltz, & Hornpipes, c. 1800.
Original tune: Jolin Roy Stewart (MacGlashan c. 1800)
No Video
The Heart of Mid-Lothian
The Dance – 1820 and 2021
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple set
1820 Instructions
1st & 2d Cu. 4 Hands across_back again
_down the middle_up again
_set cross corners
& Reel_or lead outsides
2021 Reconstruction
1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across and left hands back.
9 – 16 1st couple dance down the middle, then back to second place. (2nd couple step up on bars 11 – 12)
17 – 24 1st couple, advancing, set to first corners. Giving both hands, 1st couple turn 1st corners using skip change and face 2nd corners. 1st couple set and turn 2nd corners likewise. 1st couple finish in the centre, facing the men’s side, man with his partner on his right.
25 – 32 1st couple lead outsides: (see note 4)
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
- Down the middle and back to second place was the commonest progression in the early 19th century. As most formations finished on the sidelines, it would not be common to finish facing 1st corners.
- Leading down the middle was done using nearer hands at this time.
- Alternative endings were not uncommon. Although three of the dances in this leaflet finish with ‘lead outsides’, this is the only one in quick time and, hence, this is the ending selected for this dance.
- 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.
No Video
ATLANTA FAIR
Carol Bell – Atlanta Fare
32-bar Jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 6 1st couple cast off two places, meet below 3™ couple, and dance up (nearer hands joined) to their own places.
7 – 8 1 couple set to each other.
9 – 16 1st couple dance a half figure of eight about 2nd couple, then a half figure of eight about third couple, finishing in a diagonal line and joining left hands with partner and right hands with first corners. 2nd couple step up on bars 15-16.
17 – 24 Balance in line, 1st couple advance a quarter turn pas de Basque, balance in line with second corners, and dance out to second place on own sides. .
25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Symbolism of the figures:
Casting off — Forms the Coca Cola bottle.
Up the middle and set — Coca Cola pouring out. These first two figures commemorate the Atlanta Branch’s 10″ anniversary and Coca Cola’s 1 00″ anniversary.
Half Figures of Eight — form the petals of the Dogwood Flower, symbol of Atlanta and the Atlanta Branch.
Diagonal Lines — form the St. Andrews Cross and the cross on the Confederate flag and are one of the figures in a favorite Atlanta dance, “The Balgeddie Reel”.
Six Hands Round — dancing around Stone Mountain, where we meet each Fall.
No Video
A Trip To Newtown School
Rod Downey, The Piwakawaka Collection
A 3 couple 32 bar reel in a longwise 4 couple set.
1 – 4 All 3 couples take hands and advance and retire.
5 – 6 All cross RH and face clockwise.
7 – 8 All chase clockwise 14 to form two lines of three, the men across 3rd place and the ladies across first place.
9 – 12 All take hands and advance and retire.
13 – 14 All cross LH, and face anticlockwise.
15 – 16 All chase anticlickwise back to original places.
17 – 24 First man followed by his partner, chase behind the men’s line, across the set below 3rd couple, up behind 3rd lady and across the set in second place, first lady finishing in second ladies place. 2nd couple steps up on bars 5-6. First man should curl into place pulling back right shoulder.
25 – 32 All dance 6 hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Notes Devised 21 August, 2023 as a simple ceilidh-style dance, for the first club night after our annual dance jointly held with Capital City on the 19th August, in Newtown School Hall. Recommended tune is “Unnamed Stallion” by James MacQueen, and a suitable recording is on “Excited States” on the
album by the same name by “Stringfire!”.