Dances for September 23, 2019

Video: The Glasgow Highlanders

The Glasgow Highlanders (Strathspey)
RSCDS Book II – No. 3

On the second chord, 1st woman crosses over to the right hand side of her partner. 2nd man takes his partner’s place while she moves up to the top. Fig. 1.

1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples right and left, giving right hand to dancer opposite to begin.
On bar 7, 2nd man gives his left hand to his partner and dances diagonally down into the middle,
offering his right hand to 1st woman, who has been handed over to him by 1st man.

9 – 12 2nd man between 1st and 2nd women, with hands joined, dance down the middle followed by 1st
man. Fig. 2.
Release hands, all turn to face top, 2nd man turning 1st and 2nd women towards him, while 1st and
2nd men turn right about.

13 – 16 1st man gives left hand to his partner and right hand to 2nd woman, all three dance up the middle,
2nd man following. Finish at the top in a line of four across the dance and facing partner, men back
to back in the middle, women on the side lines.

17 – 24 1st and 2nd couples set to partner with simple Strathspey steps.

25 – 32 1st and 2nd couples dance a reel of four across the dance.
On bars 31-32, 1st woman progresses down to third place on men’s side of dance, 1st man follows,
progressing to second place, 2nd man dances round 1st man, passing left shoulders, to top place on
men’s side of dance, 2nd woman dances to top place on women’s side of dance. 3rd woman
steps up to second place and 3rd man moves across to his partner’s original place.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Suggested Strathspey step: – Step forward on right foot and hop; step back on left foot and hop; step behind with right foot; step on left foot, them step slightly forward on right foot and hop.

Note: Each man, having in turn crossed to the side of his partner, stays on the women’s side of the dance until he reaches the top. He and his partner then stand still on their own sides for one turn, at the end of which the woman crosses over to her partner’s right hand side, and they dance all the way down on the men’s side. At the bottom, each couple stands on own sides for one turn before the man crosses over to his partner to progress up to the top again.

Tune: The Glasgow Highlanders

The Manual of Scottish Country
Dancing Bars 7-8 As 2nd man gives left hand to his partner on bar 7 he must dance diagonally into the centre of the dance, while 2nd woman dances left about to finish facing down the set, her right hand in her partner’s left. At the same time, as 1st couple give left hand, 1st man dances diagonally into the centre to finish behind 2nd man, also facing down. He hands 1st woman in to finish with her left hand in the right hand of 2nd man. Bars 25-32 The reel of four must be completed in six bars to leave the last two bars for the progression. The progression is made by 1st couple dancing down the man’s side ready to face 3rd couple, 3rd man having crossed over and 3rd woman having stepped up. 2nd couple finish in top place on their own sides.

TACNotes:’
7-8 2nd woman aids partner towards middle & finishes with polite turn, giving her RH to him at end of bar 8.
1st man, giving LH to partner, dances diagonally up into the middle, turning L about to face down & handing prtnr to 2nd man.

13-16 On bar 15, 1st man directs 2nd woman towards 1st place on women’s side. On bar 16 he places partner in 1st place (men’s side) as he & 2nd man finish in middle, each facing own partner.

Video: The Duke of Atholl’s Reel

The Duke of Atholl’s Reel
Book 16 – No. 3
32-bar jig for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

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

5 – 8 2nd and 1st couples set and dance left hands across back to places.

9 – 12 1st man and 2nd woman set advancing and, giving right hands, turn each other once round.

13 – 16 1st woman and 2nd man repeat bars 9-12.

17 – 20 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 19-20.

21 – 24 1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple.

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

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Skillern’s compleat Collection of Two Hundred & four Reels and Country Dances c. 1789.
Original tune: The Athole Highlanders (Traditional)

Video:Red House

Red House or Where would Bonnie Annie lie?
Book 7 – No. 2
40-bar reel for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 8 1st couple set and cast off one place, set and cast up to original places.

9 – 16 1st man casts off below 2nd man, dances up between 2nd couple, round behind 2nd woman and crosses over to own side to finish below 2nd man. 1st woman follows her partner to finish below 2nd woman. (Fig. 1)

17 – 24 1st woman casts up above 2nd woman, dances down between 2nd couple, round behind 2nd man and crosses over to own side to finish in original place. 1st man follows his partner to finish in original place.

25 – 32 1st couple dance a reel of three with 2nd man on the men’s side of the set. 1st and 2nd men pass by the left to begin the reel. 1st woman dances across to enter the reel at 2nd man’s place. On bars 31-32, 1st and 2nd men change places passing by the left and 1st woman dances across to original place. (Fig. 2)

33 – 40 1st couple dance a reel of three with 2nd woman on the women’s side of the set. 1st and 2nd women pass by the right to begin the reel. 1st man dances across to enter the reel at 2nd woman’s place. On bars 39-40, 1st and 2nd women change places passing by the right and 1st man dances to second place on own side. (Fig. 3)

Repeat, having passed a couple.

John Walsh: The Compleat Country Dancing-Master, 1731. Also in Playford: The Dancing Master (9th Edition, 1695).

Original tune: Red House (Walsh’s Country Dances, 1731). 17th Century as The Red House.