Dances for February 10, 2020

Video: Land of the Heather Hills

Land Of The Heather Hills
S 32 4
The title was suggested by a line by R. L. Stevenson: “In the land
of the heathery hills”.

2 chds 3C & 4C cross to opposite sides.

1 – 2 1C & 4C set to partners.

3 – 8 1W casts off behind 2W, dances in front of 3M, casts up behind him and crosses diagonally up to face 2M; 1M crosses over to follow his partner and finishes behind her facing 2M. 4C dance similarly round 3W & 2M to finish facing 3M. 2C & 3C step to the ends on bars 7 – 8.

9 – 12 1W, followed by 1M, and 4W, followed by 4M, dance half a diagonal reel of four with 2M & 3M. After passing the men, 1C & 4C turn right about singly to continue the half reel with the men in the lead; the two couples pass by the left in the middle and on the fourth step, 1M & 4W – 4M & 1W – turn with left hands halfway. 1C are now facing up to 2W, 4C down to 3W.

13 – 16 1C & 4C dance a similar half diagonal reel of four with 2W & 3W, they turn with left hands halfway as before so that 1C finish facing across the set to 2M (now in opposite comer place) and 4C finish facing across the set to 3M (also in opposite corner place).

17 – 24 1C & 4C repeat bars 9 – 16. On bar 24, they turn with left hands halfway so that 1C finish in 2nd place on opposite sides facing up to 2C and 4C finish in 3“ place on own sides facing down to 3C.

25 – 28 2C, 1C, 4C & 3C dance half reels of four on the sides passing right to begin, but 1C & 4C, instead of passing left at the end, turn with both hands once round, opening out to face across to partners. 2M & 3M curve round to the right at the end of the half reels.

29 – 32 3C,1C, 4C & 2C join hands on the sides and set, then cross over giving right hands to partners.

Repeat with a new top couple.

Video: The Two Gray Cats

The Two Gray Cats
A reel for three couples in a four couple longwise set

1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance a double figure of eight. 2nd couple dance up the side to start and finish facing out and up.

9 – 16 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance Inveran reels but with all three couples crossing
down from first place and up from third place. 1st couple cross down, dance down, cross up and dance up. 2nd couple dance up, cross down, dance down and cross up. 3rd couple cross up, dance up, cross down and dance down.

17 – 24 1st couple, giving right hand, cross and cast off one place, then giving left hand, cross down between 3rd couple, cast up and passing by the left shoulder, finish facing first corners. 2nd couple step up on bars 19 and 20.

25 – 32 1st couple dance Corners Pass and Turn with their 1st and 2nd corners. 1st couple pass right shoulder through the middle finishing in 2nd place on their own sides.

33 – 40 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat having passed a couple.

For dear friends Ian and Yvonne Gray in Auckland, New Zealand whose lives are finely balanced between family, Scottish Country Dancing and ‘two grey cats’. June 2010.

Devised by Francis Walduck