The intermediate class that evening will be held at Fisher Park Community Centre, located within Fisher Park School at 250 Holland Ave., just north of the Queensway.
Video: The Glasgow Highlanders
The Glasgow Highlanders (Strathspey)
RSCDS Book 2 – 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.
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Answer to Dance Query found on RSCDS website:
Question:
How should the dancing couples finish the last turn of the dance? Should everybody progress down/up the sides as though ready to start another turn of the dance, or should the dancing couples finish with the men on the men’s side and the women on the women’s side?
Answer:
Glasgow Highlanders ends exactly as most 8x dances do, i.e. the finishing order is actually 1, 2, 4, 3, with everyone on their own side.
Only the 2nd and 4th couples contest the last 32 bars. 1C are already back home, own side, at the top, after 7 repetitions, 1W curving left into top place, own side, on the last two bars, 1M pulling L shoulder sharply back after passing 4M L shoulder for the 2nd time, at the end of bar 22. 3C, likewise, are already finished, in fourth place, own side.
At the end of bar 24, 2C and 4C are in a line across the centre of the set, facing partners, men back to back, 2C occupying the “women’s side” end of the line, 4C, the “men’s”. After a 6 bar reel of 4, 2W curves left up to 2W’s place, 4W curves left across the dance to 3W’s place, 4M follows her to 3M’s place, and 2M pulls his LS sharply back immediately after passing 4M LS for the second time, and curves left about into 2M’s place.
The key to everything is that it MUST be a six bar reel of four every time. For the men that is out (1 bar), right about (1 bar), in and pass other man L Shoulder (1 bar), out (1 bar), right about (1 bar), in and pass other man L Shoulder (1Bar). Nothing less will do. Unfortunately, a six bar reel of four is very rare, and most are taken by surprise by the speed necessary. Particularly the “Working Up” woman !! For her, it does not have to be a six bar reel. A standard 8 bar reel will suffice for her, as she is more or less in the right place after 24 bars. A majority of “Working Up” women thus tend to dance a standard 8 bar reel of four, oblivious of the pile up behind them as everyone else scrambles desperately to cover far more ground.
The Glasgow Highlander’s Progression instructions.
2 chords. On the first chord, all honour your partner. On the 2nd chord, 1st man stands as 1st lady crosses diagonally to stand beside her partner, 2nd lady steps up, 2nd man crosses to his partner’s place.
Note: Dancing couples finish each repetition by dancing down the men’s side moving one place on at a time, and then moving up the ladies side. When you are at the bottom or the top of the dance on your own side, you stand for one repetition of the dance.
1st Repetition – (1st & 2nd) Top Couples – Last 2 bars of the dance after the 6 bar Reel:
1st couple dance down the men’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
2nd couple finish on own side in 1st place.
3rd lady steps up.
3rd man crosses to opposite side.
2nd Repetition – (1st & 3rd) Middle Couples – Last 2 bars of the dance after the 6 bar Reel:
1st couple dance down the men’s side to 3rd and 4th place.
3rd couple dance up the ladies side to 1st and 2nd place.
2nd man stands in 1st place.
2nd lady crosses to 2nd man’s place.
4th lady steps up.
4th man crosses to opposite side.
3rd Repetition – (1st & 4th, 2nd & 3rd) Top & Bottom Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
1st couple finish in 4th place on own side.
2nd couple dance down men’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
4th couple dance up ladies side to 2nd and 3rd place.
3rd couple finish in 1st place on own side.
4th Repetition – (4th & 2nd) Middle Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
2nd couple dance down men’s side to 3rd and 4th place.
1st lady steps up.
1st man crosses to 4th lady’s place.
4th couple dance up lady’s side to 1st and 2nd place.
3rd man stands in 1st place.
3rd lady crosses to 2nd man’s place.
5th Repetition – (3rd & 4th, 2nd & 1st) Top & Bottom Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
1st couple dance up lady’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
2nd couple finish in 4th place on own side.
3rd couple dance down men’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
4th couple finish in 1st place on own side.
6th Repetition – (3rd & 1st) Middle Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
3rd couple dance down men’s side to 3rd and 4th place.
2nd lady step up.
2nd man crosses over.
1st couple dance up ladies side to 1st and 2nd place.
4th lady crosses to 2nd man’s place.
7th Repetition – (4th & 1st, 3rd & 2nd) Top & Bottom Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
4th couple dance down men’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
1st couple finish in 1st place on own side.
2nd couple dance up lady’s side to 2nd and 3rd place.
3rd couple finish in 4th place on own side.
8th Repetition – (4th & 2nd) Middle Couples – Last 2 bars after the 6 bar Reel:
2nd lady finishes in 2nd lady’s place.
2nd man finishes in 2nd man’s place.
4th lady finishes in 3rd lady’s place.
4th man finishes in 3rd man’s place.
Note: at the end of the dance the order is 1, 2, 4, 3 all couples on your own side.
Video: Polharrow Burn
Polharrow Burn
Three Dances by Hugh Foss
32-bar reel for five couples in a five-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. 2nd and 4th couples step up on bars 3-4.
5 – 8 1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple while 3rd couple dance a half figure of eight round 4th couple.
9 – 16 1st and 3rd couples turn with the right hand once round, then with the left hand to finish facing first corner positions. At the same time 2nd couple, giving right hands, cross over and 2nd man, followed by his partner, dances down behind the women’s line and across at the foot of the set to finish in fifth place on own side of the dance. Similarly, 5th couple, giving right hands, cross over and 5th woman, followed by her partner, dances up behind the men’s line and across to finish in first place on own side of the dance.
17 – 20 1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in first corner positions. To finish they pass by the left shoulder to face second corner positions.
21 – 24 1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in second corner positions. To finish, they pass by the left shoulder to face their partners’ first corner positions.
25 – 28 1st and 3rd couples dance a half reel of four with the dancers in their
partners’ first corner positions and finish, passing by the left shoulder to second and fourth place on own sides of the dance. The order is now 2, 1, 4, 3, 5.
29 – 32 1st and 3rd couples turn with the left hand and cast off one place on own sides. 4th and 5th couples step up on bars 31-32.
Repeat from new posititions.
Originally published as Glendarroch Sheet No. 18
Original tune: Miss Clementina Loughan (Nathaniel Gow)
From Old Scottish Music by Annie Shand
Video: Mairi’s Wedding
MAIRI’S WEDDING (Reel)
TWENTY-TWO SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES by James B. Cosh and TWO OTHERS
(N.B. Dancing couple passing left shoulder in centre.)
1 – 4 First couple turn with right hand and cast one place on own side. (Second couple move up.)
5 – 8 Then turn with left hand to corners.
9 – 12 First couple dance half reel of four with first corners. (The corners changing places.)
13 – 16 First couple dance half reel of four with second corners.
17 – 20 First couple dance half reel of four with first corners, (Who are now on the other side.)
21 – 24 First couple dance half reel of four with second corners.
25 – 32 Reels of three across, the woman with second couple and the man with third couple.
33 – 40 Six hands round and back.
Fig. 1 shows pattern danced by first woman. Fig. 2 shows pattern danced by first man.