The class tonight should again prove to be fun and interesting. We have to popular dances ready to teach tonight. Both will be on the Christmas Social.We will be starting with Hooper’s Jig which provides a real challenge on bars 17-24 for new dancers. We follow that with Seann Truibhas Willichan. A very popular strathspey. This will give the dancers some thing easy to learn and practice the strathspey steps

Hooper’s Jig
Miss Milligan’s Miscellany of Scottish Country Dances
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

   Bars                        Description

1 – 4        All clap and 1st couple, passing right shoulders, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides.  2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.

5 – 8        1st and 3rd couples dance right hands across once round.

9 – 12        All clap and 1st couple, passing by the right, cross over and cast up to original places.  2nd couple step down on bars 11-12.

13 – 16    1st and 2nd couples dance left hands across once round.

17 – 18    1st man and 3rd woman, giving right hands, change places.

19 – 20    1st woman and 3rd man, giving right hands, change places, while 1st man and 3rd woman dance round ready to cross back.

21 – 22    1st man and 3rd woman, giving right hands, change places and 1st man faces out.  At the same time, 1st woman and 3rd man dance round ready to cross back.

23 – 24    1st woman and 3rd man, giving left hands, cross over with 3rd man guiding 1st woman into second place while 1st man casts off to second place.  2nd couple step up. 

25 – 32    2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Rutherford, D:  Compleat collection of 200 of the most celebrated country dances, both old and new, c. 1756, London
Customary tune:  Peter’s Peerie Boat  (Tom Anderson)

Seann Truibhas Willichan
32 bar Strathspey for 2 couples
RSCDS book 27

  Bars            Description
1 – 8        First couple cast off behind their own lines, then cast up to original places.

9 – 12        First woman and second man set and change places giving right hands, while first man and second woman change places giving right hands and set.

13 – 16    Repeat bars 9–12 back to original places.

17 – 24    First couple lead down the middle (2 steps), turn with right hands lead up to the top and cast off to second place. Second couple step up on bars 23–24.

25 – 28    Second and first couples set on the sides, then turn partner with both hands once round, opening up to form a circle.

29 – 32    Second and first couples 4 hands round to the left.
Repeat having passed a couple

Thomas Wilson’s Companion to the Ballroom.
Tune:  My Dearie
James Johnstone, 1771