Tonight we will be introducing a new formation to the class: poussette. This is a figure for two couples and takes eight bars or Pas de Basque. At the end of the figure you the two couples will have changes places. We will put the formation in the dance Sister Blanche of St. Andrews. At the time of writing I don’t have the full instructions with me. I post the instructions in the near future.

The other dance we plan to cover will depend on how many attend tonight. On the list is The Piper and The Penguin. This dance is in a square set and requires exactly four couples. So, if the number attending work out we will do this one. If the numbers don’t work out we will do The De’il Amang the Tailors. A very popular dance and one worth doing and remembering.

All the mentioned dances will be on the Ardbrae Christmas dance, December 4. Mark you calendar.

Hope to see all of you tonight.

The Deil amang the Tailors
Book 14 – No. 7
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

Bars                        Description

1 – 4        1st and 2nd couples set to partners and dance right hands across halfway round.

5 – 8        2nd and 1st couples set to partners and dance left hands across halfway round to original places.

9 – 16        1st couple lead down the middle and up to finish in the middle of the set facing up. 2nd couple step in.

17 – 24    1st and 2nd couples dance an allemande.

25 – 32    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

        Repeat, having passed a couple.

Dale’s Collection of Reels and Dances c. 1799.
Original tune: The Deil amang the Tailors (Gow)

THE PIPER AND THE PENGUIN
The Scotia Suite of Scottish Country Dances devised by Roy Goldring
(Reel for Four Couples in a Square Set)

Bars        Description

1 – 4        The women dance round their corners, passing in front of them to begin.

5 – 8        The women dance right hands across and remain in the centre.

9 – 12        The women dance round their partners, passing in front of them to begin.

13 – 16    The women dance left hands across and finish in original places.

17 – 32    The men repeat bars 1–16, but dance in front of partners before dancing right hands across, and in front of their corners before dancing left hands across.

33 – 36    1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn partners one and a quarter times.

37 – 40    1st man, followed by his partner, dances between 4th couple and cast back to place. Similarly, 3rd couple dance between 2nd couple and cast back to place.

41 – 48    1st and 3rd couple dance rights and lefts.

49 – 64    2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 33–48, 2nd couple dancing between 1st couple and 4th couple dancing between 3rd couple.   

65 – 72    The women dance in and pull back right shoulders (2 bars), dance out (2 bars), and cast clockwise half way round the set to opposite woman’s place.

73 – 80    The men repeat bars 65–72, but pull back left shoulders at the end of bar 74, and cast anticlockwise.

81 – 84    All turn partners with the right hand, just over once round, to finish in promenade hold facing anticlockwise.

85 – 88    All promenade halfway round the set. On bar 87, all release right hands and the men lead their partners to original places ready for the bow and curtsey.