St. John’s Road
32 bar reel for 3 couples
1-4: 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. (2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.)
5-8: 1st woman dances 1⁄2 figure of eight around 3rd couple, 1st man dances 1⁄2 figure of eight around 2nd couple, finish in 2nd place on own side.
9-12: 2nd , 1st , and 3rd couple dance 1⁄2 reels of three on the side. 2nd and 1st woman, 1st and 3rd men giving right shoulder to begin.
13-16: 1st woman with 3rd couple, 1st man with 2nd couple dance 1⁄2 reels of three across the dance, 1st woman giving left shoulder to 3rd man, 1st man giving left shoulder to 2nd woman. 1st couple finish facing partner’s first corner position.
17-20: 1st couple and first corners set and, 1st couple, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in first corner position. At the same time, 1st corners dance in towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing corner position.
21-24: 1st couple and first corners set and first corners, pulling back by the right, dance around each other and out to finish in first corner position. At the same time, 1st couple dance in towards each other and, pulling back by the right, finish back to back in the middle facing partner’s second corner position.
25-32: 1st couple repeat bars 17-24 with second corners and pass each other by the right shoulder to finish in 2nd place on own side.
Repeat having passed a couple.
Note: the movement in bars 17-32 was devised by the late Alec Hay.
Chasing the Eclipse
32 Bar strathspey for 3 couples
in a 3 couple set
1-8: 1st couple set, dance down below third couple, cast up to 2nd place and pass left shoulder to face first corner. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
9-16: 2nd, 1st, and 3rd couple dance reels of three on the side, 1st man and 3rd woman, 1st woman and 2nd man passing right shoulder. 1st couple finish in the center facing 1st corner.
17-24: 1st couple set to first corners, dance 3⁄4 round partner by the right shoulder, set to second corners, and dance round partner to 2nd place on own side and face out.
25-32: Chain Progression (promenade).
25-26: 2nd and 3rd couples turn partner 3⁄4 with right hands while 1st couple dance clockwise 1⁄4 round the set.
27-30: 2nd man and 3rd woman turn with left hands 1 1⁄2 times while 1st man and 2nd woman take promenade hold and 1st woman and 3rd man take reverse promenade hold and dance clockwise 1⁄2 way round the set.
31-32: 3rd and 2nd couples turn partner 3⁄4 with right hands to own sides while 1st couple dance clockwise 1⁄4 round the set to end in 2nd place
The new positions are 3,1,2.
Repeat from new positions.
Note: the movement in bars 25-32 was devised by Tim Wilson.
Tune: “Chasing the Eclipse” – M. Johnstone
Suggested Music: “Elisabeth Hunter’s Strathspey” – 15 Social Dances Muriel Johnstone & Her Band
Devised for Mike and Eilean Yates of North Carolina, in February 2013. The Yates’ have been pillars of dancing in Shelby and the Carolinas for decades and also involved in the dancing at the Loch Norman Highland Games almost since the beginning. Sadly, Mike passed away in March 2013.
Beyond dancing, Mike’s passion for viewing solar eclipses has taken them all over the world. You can detect that in the Promenade Chain progression (thanks, Mary!)
FATHER CONNELLY’S JIG
THE DONSIDE BOOK of Scottish Country Dances, 1989-1990 by John Drewry
Dance devised January 1990
Jig – 4 couples – 64 bars
Tune – “Father Connelly’s Jig” – by John Mason, the conductor of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra
1–8 1st and 2nd couples “Set and Rotate”.
9–12 1st couple and their first corners dance half right and left on the diagonal.
Meanwhile second corners set to each other and then change places giving right hands. At the end, 3rd and 2nd couples stay facing out.
13–16 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance half reels of three on opposite sides. To begin:- 1st and 3rd men, and 1st and 2nd women, pass by the right. At the end:- 2nd and 3rd couples veer into place (i.e. no extra loops).
17–20 1st couple and their second corners dance half right and left on the diagonal (1st couple begin by giving right hands to second corners in person). Meanwhile first corners set to each other and then change places giving right hands. At the end, 3rd and 2nd couples stay facing out.
21–24 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance half reels of three on the sides.To begin:- 1st and 2nd men, and 1st and 3rd women, pass by the right. At the end:- 2nd and 3rd couples dance round loops on the corners to enter the reels across the dance.
25–32 1st woman dances a reel of three across the dance with 2nd couple (left shoulder to 2nd man) while 1st man dances a reel of three across the dance with 3rd couple (left shoulder to 3rd woman).
33–40 1st couple, giving right hands, dance down between 3rd couple crossing over to opposite sides; 1st woman casts up round 3rd man while 1st man cast off round 4th woman. 1st couple, giving left hands, change places up and down the dance; 1st woman casts up round 4th woman while 1st man cast off round 3rd man. 3Rd couple step up on bars 39-40. (1st couple are now in third place on own sides.)
41–56 3rd, 1st and 4th couples dance the figures danced by 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples during bars 9-24.
57–64 3rd, 1st and 4th couples six hands round and back – (2nd couple could join in too to make it eight hands round and back).
Repeat with a new top couple.
NOTE The dance is really two dances each of 32 bars. Bars 9-24 of each dance are similar. 1st couple dance the first part with 2nd and 3rd couples and the second part with 3rd and 4th couples. Either part could be danced separately as a normal 8 X 32 bar dance. The reason for this unusual structure is that the tune contains 64 bars and it was thought that this arrangement would make it less tiring for the dancers than a 8 X 64 bar dance.
In the half right and left on the diagonal it is essential for the dancers to be in the side lines before changing places with the left hand to leave the centre of the set free for the other dancers.