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.

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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.