Video: Drumelzier

Drumelzier
TWO SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES devised by Christopher Blair

Four-couple Progressive Strathspey

1 — 2     All four couples, giving right hands, cross over to opposite sides of the dance.

3 — 4      First and second couples and, at the same time, third and fourth couples, dance right hands across half way round to own sides but not original places.

5 — 6     Repeat bars 1 — 2 but giving left hands in crossing.

7 — 8     Repeat bars 3 — 4 but this time making the half wheel with left hands to finish in original places.

9 — 10    All four couples set.

11 — 14    All four couples, joining hands in a circle, dance eight hands round to the left, using four steps

15 — 16    Without dropping hands and while still in the circle, all set, now drop hands and the formation takes on the appearance of a square.

17 — 20    First and fourth couples dance half rights and lefts to original places.

21 — 24    Second and third couples dance half rights and lefts to original places (figure 2).

25 — 28    All four couples turn partners with right hands once round.

29 — 32    First couple lead down the middle to fourth place.

At the same time Second, third and fourth couples set and then, turning to face the top, dance up one place with two travelling steps.

Repeat with a new top couple.

N. B.    Drumelzier (pronounced Drum-ell-yer) is a small village in Peeblesshire and the reputed burial place of Merlin the Wizard of Arthurian Legend. Confusion seems to arise over the correct spelling of the name of the village as some signposts show Drummelzier but here the more common version has been used.

Sorry no video

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Ian Boyd, THE KILMARNOCK ALBUM

A three couple, 32 bar reel.

1 – 8    First couple dance a chase round second and third men. First woman dances down across the set, round third man passing by the left shoulders, up behind second man and across to own side while first man dances into the middle then follows his partner back to his original place.

9 – 16     First and second couples dance right hands across and back with the left.

17 – 24    First couple dance a chase round second and third women. First man dances down across the set, round third woman passing by right shoulders, up behind second woman and across to own side while first woman dances into the middle then follows her partner back to her original place. First and second couples finish facing the diagonally opposite dancer.

25 – 32    First and second couples dance set and rotate.

25-26    First and second couples set once to the diagonally opposite dancer and begin to turn right about on the spot on bar 26.

27-28    First and second couples cast to the right and dance on one place clockwise to finish facing partner – first couple on the women’s side and second couple on the men’s side.

29-30    First and second couples change places with partner with right hands.

31-32    First and second couples dance on one place clockwise to finish back on own sides having changed places.

Repeat having passed a couple.

No videos for Todlen Hame

Todlen Hame
Book 16 – No. 6
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–8        1st and 2nd couples dance a reel of four across the set, 1st wman and 2nd man passing by the left to begin. 1st couple finish in second place and 2nd couple in first place.

9–16    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance a grand chain.

17–24    2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.

25–32    1st couple dance down between 3rd couple, cast up round them, dance up between 2nd couple and cast off one place.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Thomas Wilson: A Companion to the Ballroom, London, 1816.
Original tune: Todlen Hame (Aird’s Collection)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
7 – 8       1st woman & 2nd man pass through their original positions (bar 7) & on to new places (bar 8), as partners pass L shldr in middle (bar 7) then diagonally left to new places (bar 8). 1st cpl finish facing down.
25 – 32      Nearer  hand leading.

Video: Midsummer Common
Video: Midsummer Common

Midsummer Common
RSCDS Book 49
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1–8    1st couple set and, giving right hands, turn halfway; lead down, crossing over below 3rd couple and cast up to second place on own sides.  2nd couple step up on bars 5-6.

9–12    1st couple and first corners set, 1st couple advancing to finish back to back. 1st couple and first corners, giving both hands, turn to finish 1st woman between 2nd couple and 1st man between 3rd couple.

13–16    1st couple and second corners set, 1st couple advancing to finish back to back. 1st couple and second corners, giving both hands, turn.

17–20    1st couple lead second corners into three hands once round to the left, 1st woman with 3rd couple and 1st man with 2nd couple. 1st couple pull back by the right to finish facing each other up and down the set.

21–24    1st couple set and dance a petronella turn to second place on own sides.

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

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Note:  On bar 16, 1st couple, with right hands, retain hold of second corners’ left hands.

Devised by Tom and Lindsey Ibbotson, Cambridge Branch.

No Video for Home and Away. Sorry.

HOME AND AWAY
THE CELTIC BOOK, 14 Scottish Country Dances
                                
 8 x 32 bar Reel Devised by Barry Skelton 8th September 1994
 Suitable Music:  The Back O’ Bennachie
 Record:  Dancing Through Scotland  (Jimmy Shand)

A reel for three couples danced in a longwise four couple set.

1–8        First couple cross with the right hand and cast off one place  (second couple step up on bars 3 & 4).  First lady up with second couple, first man down with third couple dance half a figure of eight across the dance, and finish facing first corners.

9–16    (Bars 9-12) First couple set to first corner and cast by the right to finish in their partners first corner position, while first corner set and dance into the middle turning by the right to face the position they danced in from. (Bars 13-16) First couple set and dance into the centre to finish right shoulder to right shoulder with their partner and turn around by the right to face second corners, while the corners set and cast by the right to finish in the opposite corner position.

17 – 24    (Bars 17-20) First couple set to second corner and cast by the right to finish in their partners second corner position, while second corners set and dance into the middle turning by the right to face the position they danced in from. (Bars 21-24) First couple set and dance into the centre to finish right shoulder to right shoulder with their partner and dance around each other by the right to finish with first man facing his own first corner position while first lady finishes behind him.

25 – 32    First couple dancing in tandem dance half a diagonal reel with first corners and finish with first lady facing the mans second corner position. First couple dancing in tandem dance half a diagonal reel with second corners and finish on their own sides in second place.

First couple repeat from second place.

Video: City of Belfast
Video: City of Belfast

City of Belfast

32-bar Strathspey for three couples in a three-couple set

1–4        1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple to finish in partner’s place.

5–8        1st man and 2nd woman with left hands, 1st woman and 2nd man with right hands, turn one and a quarter times to finish with 1st couple in the middle back to back, 1st man facing 2nd woman, 1st woman facing 2nd man.

9–16    1st and 2nd couples dance a reel of four across the dance in second place, 2nd couple finish in first place and 1st couple passing left shoulders, face 1st corners.

17–20    1st couple set to first corners, set to second corners and pulling back right shoulders, finish on the opposite side between corners.

21–24    All three couples join hands and set, 1st couple cross giving right hands to finish in second place on own side.

25–32    1st and 3rd couples dance the Espagnole. Finish in order 2,3,1.

The Espagnole (devised by John Drewry)

1 – 2    1st and 3rd women, joining right hands, dance towards the men’s side. On the second step,  1st woman crosses 3rd woman in front of her so that 3rd woman     dances out and up towards second place while 1st woman dances out and down towards third place. Meanwhile 1st and 3rd men dance across to the women’s side passing on the outside of their partners.

3 – 4    1st and 3rd men joining right hands, dance back towards their own side passing between their partners. On the fourth step 1st man crosses 3rd man over in front of him so that 3rd man dances out and up towards second place while 1st man dances out and down towards third place. Meanwhile 3rd and 1st women cross back to their own side passing on the outside of their partners.

5 – 8    3rd couple turn with the right hand while 1st couple turn with the left hand.

Original Tune composed by Marian Anderson
Dance devised by Lucy Mulholland

Sorry, no videos this week

May’s 100
The Other Kangaroo Paw, A Collection of Scottish Country Dances
A 32 bar jig for three couples in four-couple longwise set
Devised by John Brenchley, Perth, Western Australia.

Bars
1–4        1st couple dance in towards each other, briefly join nearer hands facing up and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3 and 4.

5–8        1st couple, giving right hands, turn three quarters and giving left hand to first corners, balance in line.

9–12    1st couple and first corners turn with the left hand once round.  First corners dance a polite turn to finish in promenade hold with 1st couple, facing clockwise, first corners on the left of 1st couple.

13–16    1st couple with their first corners dance half way round the outside of the set.  First corners finish in the opposite first corner position. At the same time, second corners, giving right hands, change places with a half turn and a twirl. (i.e. second corners, giving right hands, turn half way round to face each other in the middle of the dance. They release hands and pulling right shoulder back, dance out to opposite second corner positions).

17–20    1st couple, giving right hands, turn three quarters and giving left hand to second corner person, balance in line.

21–24    1st couple and second corners turn with the left hand once round.  Second corners dance a polite turn to finish in promenade hold with 1st couple, facing clockwise, second corners on the left of 1st couple.

25–28    1st couple with their second corners dance half way round the outside of the set.  Second corners finish in original second corner positions. At the same time, first corners, giving right hands, change places with a half turn and a twirl, finishing in original first corner positions.

29–32    1st couple, giving right hands, turn to second place on own sides then 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set. 

Repeat having passed a couple.

For Mrs May Brown on the occasion of her 100th birthday, 22 April 2011.
Sadly, May subsequently died peacefully on 14 June 2011. May was a life member of the RSCDS Western Australia Branch and the devisor of several dances including The McCulloch Strathspey, published as a leaflet by the RSCDS in 1966.

Célébrations 2017
8 x 24 or 4 x 48 bar jig for four couples in a four couple set

Part one
1–8        1st and 2nd couples set and rotate

9–16        2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the side; 1st couple giving right shoulder to 2nd couple to begin

17–20    1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across
21–24    1st and 3rd couples dance left hands across

Part two
25–28    1st, 3rd and 4th couples advance for two and retire for two
29–32    1st, 3rd and 4th couples, giving right hand to partner, turn once round

33–40    1st, 3rd and 4th couples circle six hands round and back, finishing in
        the middle facing their partner

41–48    1st, 3rd and 4th couples dance a three couple poussette to finish 2, 3, 4, 1

Repeat with a new top couple

Suggested music:  A Camp of Pleasure: track 4, The Merry Reapers. (8 x 24)

C’est le 375e anniversaire de Montréal and it is now 150 years since Confederation.
January 2017

Copyright @ 2016 by Holly Boyd. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for verbatim reproduction and non-profit distribution of this leaflet provided that this notice remains intact.

Video: The Falls of Rogie
Video: The Falls of Rogie

THE FALLS OF ROGIE
ALEXANDER DANCES, BOOK 1  by Jean Attwood

Reel  –  3 Couples  –  32 bars

Tune  –  The Breakdown

1 – 4        1st couple cross giving right hands and cast off one place, 2nd couple moving up on bars 3 – 4.

5 – 8        1st couple cross giving right hands and cast to the right (1st man up, 1st lady down), 1st lady ends facing 3rd man, 1st man facing 2nd lady.

9 – 12        1st man with 2nd couple, 1st lady with 3rd couple, dance half reel of three across, passing left shoulders to begin, and end three and three across.

13 – 16        All join hands and set once, then cross giving right hand to opposite person, and face clockwise.

17 – 24        Three couples dance round in a circle (follow my leader), 2nd and 3rd couples dance all the way round for 8 bars, while 1st couple dance halfway (4 bars) then turn each other 1¼ times with the right hand, to end facing 1st corner positions.

25 – 28        1st couple dance half diagonal reel of four with 1st corners, finishing by passing right shoulders to face 2nd corner positions.

29 – 32        1st couple dance half diagonal reel of four with 2nd corners, passing right shoulders to finish in 2nd place on own side.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Video: Linnea’s Strathspey
Video: Linnea’s Strathspey

Linnea’s Strathspey
RSCDS Book 47
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 4        1st couple set and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

5 – 8        1st couple cross over, passing each other by the left, and dance round first corners by the right. 1st couple finish back to back facing first corners.

9 – 14        1st couple set to corners and partner to face each other up and down the set.

15 – 16        1st couple, passing by the right, finish in second place on own sides facing out.

17 – 24        2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance a chain progression for three couples.

17 – 18      2nd and 3rd couples, giving right hands to partners, turn three quarters round. At the same time, 1st couple dance clockwise one quarter round.

19 – 22      2nd man and 3rd woman, giving left hands, turn one and a half times. At the same time, 1st man and 2nd woman, and 3rd man, with 1st woman on his left, taking promenade hold, dance clockwise halfway round.   

23 – 24      3rd and 2nd couples, giving right hands to partners, turn three quarters round and remain in the middle of the set, facing up. At the same time, 1st couple dance clockwise one quarter round the set to second place, in the middle, facing up.

25 – 32        3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Tim Wilson, San Francisco Branch.

For Linnea Johnson, a valued member of the Branch class held in San Francisco, on her birthday. With thanks to Tom Winter for suggesting that all three couples dance the chain progression.