We are starting to repeat dances that will be on the Ardbrae Christmas Social. The Silver Tassie was covered a couple of weeks ago. Check the blog history. Teaching the Rondel to dancers in the first six months is not commonly done. It is an interesting challenge for us and I maintain that it is no more difficult than the Allemande.

We will also cover one of The Reel of the Royal Scots or The Piper and The Penguin. Both are on the Christmas social but the latter requires exactly 4 couples. If we don’t have the right number of dancers we will do The Reel of the Royal Scots, another very popular dance.

Here are the dance instructions.

The Silver Tassie
Leaflet – No. 1
Devised by John Drewry
(Strathspey)
MUSIC                          DESCRIPTION
Bars
1 – 4        1st, 2nd and 3rd couples, giving right hands to partners, cross over and joining hands on the sides, set.

5 – 8        Repeat bars 1 – 4.

9 – 16        1st couple dance a figure of eight round 2nd couple, who stand still. 1st couple dance down between 2nd couple, crossing over, to begin the figure. 3rd couple also dance a figure of eight round 2nd couple, beginning by casting up to top place, then dancing down crossing over.

17 – 24    1st couple, followed by 2nd and 3rd couples, dance down the middle for four steps. 1st couple dance up the middle, while 2nd and 3rd couples divide to allow 1st couple through. 2nd couple meet and dance up between 3rd couple, who then meet and dance up.

25 – 32    1st and 2nd couple Rondel, i.e.
      25        1st couple dance down under the arch made by 2nd couple, who dance up.
      26-27   2nd and 1st women cross in front of partners, then all cast to meet the other woman or man on the opposite sides and join nearer hands.
      28        2nd and 1st women and at the same time 2nd and 1st men cross to own sides, the women passing under the arch made by the men.
      29-30   1st man and 1st woman cross in front of 2nd man and 2nd woman, then all cast to meet partners in original places as in bar 25.
      31-32   1st couple dance under the arch made by 2nd couple and all dance out to own sides, having changed places.

        Repeat, having passed a couple.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing:
Bars 17 – 24    1st, 2nd and 3rd couples give nearer hands throughout, i.e. they dance down and dance up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
17-24    Note use of word “dance”, i.e. all 3 cpls use nearer hands, down and up.

The Reel of the Royal Scots
RSCDS Leaflets (Reel)

    MUSIC                                  DESCRIPTION
Bars
1 – 2    1st and 2nd women turn with the left hand, while 1st and 2nd men turn with the right hand, 1st couple finishing back to back in the centre of the set in second place.

3 – 4    2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set as in double triangles.
   
5 – 6    1st and 3rd women turn with the right hand, while 1st and 3rd men turn with the left hand to change places.

7 – 8    2nd, 3rd and 1st couples set as in double triangles.

9 – 16    1st couple followed by 3rd couple, dance up between the 2nd couple and cast off, then dance down to third place and cast up to second place, 3rd couple finishing in original places. (1st and 3rd couples join nearer hands with partner on every occasion when dancing up or down in the centre). (Fig.).

17 – 24    1st couple turn first corners with right hands. 1st couple pass each other by the right shoulder.
1st couple turn second corners with right hands. 1st couple passing right shoulders cross to second place on own sides.

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

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Devised by Roy Goldring to celebrate the 350th  Anniversary of The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) in 1983.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TACNotes:’
17-24    Corners dance for 4 bars.
25-32    On bar 32, cpls dance straight into places.

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.