Dances for July 9, 2025
Ottawa Summer Class
No Video
Campbell Chute
Craig Williams
A 32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples
1 – 4 2nd couple with 3rd woman & 1st man dance diagonal rights and lefts
5 – 8 2nd couple with 1st woman & 3rd man dance diagonal rights and lefts
9 – 16 2nd & 1st couples Helice,
1-2 2nd & 1st couple ¾ turn partners right hand, to finish in promenade hold, top couple (2nd couple) facing men’s side, bottom couple (1st couple) facing women’s side, forming a line up and down the dance
3-4 2nd & 1st couple promenade ½ way round anticlockwise (not too close together)
5-6 2nd & 1st couple still in promenade hold, turn to finish in middle of set facing partners – 2nd couple below 1st couple, [top couple on own side (1st couple), bottom couple on opposite side (2nd couple)
7-8 2nd & 1st couple pull back right shoulder and cast into sidelines, 1st couple facing out on own sides
17 – 24 1st & 3rd couples dance a double figure of eight. 1st couple casting up, 3rd couple crossing down to begin. 1st couple finishing facing out
25 – 28 1st couple cast to their right, woman down around 2nd man (in 3rd woman’s place), 1st man up around 3rd woman (in 1st man’s place) and pass giving right hands up/down the centre of the set to finish 1st man between 2nd couple facing 2nd woman, 1st woman between 3rd couple facing 3rd man
29 – 32 1st man with 2nd couple, 1st woman with 3rd couple, 1/2 right shoulder reel of 3 across the set. Finish in order 3, 1, 2 on own sides.
Originally named, Campbell Chute. after a local logger, it is now named Camel Chute. When surveyors arrived and asked residents the name of the place the local brogue was misheard as Camel
No Video
AUTUMN GOLD
John Morris, Vallin Collection Five
8×32 bar Jig – a 3 couple dance in a 4 couple longwise set
1- 8 1s, 2s & 3s dance a normal diagonal rights & lefts for 3 couples
[ 2s change place RH with 1st corner & LH to “middle” couple, then RH to 4th corner & LH to “middle” couple own side ]
[ finish 3-2-1, with 2s (no polite turns) facing down-out, own side and 3s & 1s on opposite side ]
9 – 14 2s dance 3/4 figure of eight across by casting down behind 1s (bottom place)
[1s step up on bars 13-14]
[ finish 3-1-2, all now on opposite side ]
15 – 16 3s, 1s & 2s dance 1/2 RH turn to face up middle (W polite turn), ready for allemande
17 – 24 3s, 1s & 2s dance Allemande [finish 2-1-3 ]
[ on last bar, 2s start to cast out-down, anticipating turn with 1s ]
25 – 32 1s leading up (inside), turn 2s [ finish 2-1-3, with 1s facing in-down ]
then 1s leading down (inside) turn 3s,
[ 3s finish with polite turns in 3rd place to face 1st corner ]
[ finish 2-1-3-4, with 3s ready to start diagonal rights & lefts ]
Repeat, having passed a couple
at end of 2nd sequence, 1s & 4s turn 1 1/2 to finish 2-3-4-1, with new 3W (old 4W) ready to start diagonal rights & lefts
This dance is for those dancers (including my wife and I) who have been Scottish Country dancing for at least fifty years. We started dancing in the fifties, which was the time when people were becoming interested in this form of “exercise” with its social connotations. On reflection, this era was possibly the heyday of folk dancing, both English & Scottish. So here’s to these mature dancers ( “the golden oldies” ) who are now in the autumn of their lives, enjoying what they love the most – Scottish Country dancing and hopefully encouraging the newcomers, whether they be young or retired !.
recommended music: colin dewar – “the Vallin Suite four” – track 14
dance 5.11 devised by John Morris
No Video
Gadie Reel
RSCDS Imperial Book of SCDs Vol. 1-3
32-bar reel for two couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 8 1st couple and 2nd woman dance a reel of three across the set. To begin, 1st man and 2nd woman pass by the left and 1st woman dances down the side.
9 – 16 1st couple and 2nd man dance a reel of three across the set. To begin, 1st woman and 2nd man pass by the right and 1st man dances down the side.
17 – 20 1st couple set and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 19-20.
21 – 24 2nd and 1st couples dance right hands across once round.
25 – 32 2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Devised by Edna Russell and Jack McConachie.
No Video
The Boky Hound
Barry Priddy, Green Lady Book
Reel – 32 bar reel for 3 couples in a 4 couple longwise set
The Boky Hound was a spectre that-haunted Noltland Castle on Westray, Orkney. Its howling announced the death of a member of the Balfour family.
1 – 4 1C set and cast a place; 2C step up on 3-4.
5 – 6 2C, 1C & 3C join hands on the sides and set.
7 – 8 1C dance a petronella turn to finish 1M between 3C, 1W between 2C, facing own sides, while 2C and 3C turn right about on the spot with two pas de basque to finish facing clockwise.
9 – 12 All chase clockwise half round to finish in lines of three across facing up and down.
13 – 16 1C dance half diagonal rights and lefts up and down the dance with 1st corners — 1M gives RH to 2M – 1W gives RH to 3W – to begin. All finish facing counter-clockwise.
17 – 20 All chase counter-clockwise half round to finish in lines of three across facing up and down.
21 – 24 1C dance half diagonal lefts and rights up and down the dance with 2nd corners. 1M gives LH to 3M – 1W gives LH to 2W – to begin. They finish with hands joined in lines of three across.
25 – 28 All set, then 1C turn RH % round to 2nd place on opposite sides while 3C change places with 2C giving RH on the sides.
29 – 32 All set and cross giving RH to partner.
Repeat, having passed a couple.