No Video
Silver Seven
48 bar jig for 3 couples in a 4 couple set
Jayne Irwin, March 2024
1 – 8 1st couple dance a figure of eight around 2nd couple, crossing down between 2nd couple to start.
9 – 16 1st couple cross over and dance a reel of 3 with 2nd & 3rd couples on the opposite sides
17 – 24 1st couple cross over and dance a reel of 3 on their own side with 2nd & 3rd couples
25 – 32 1st couple dance down the middle for 4 bars with nearer hands joined, on bars 21 & 22 1st woman dances under their raised arms and in front of her partner (as he dances below her) to switch places and face up, and dance up to 2nd place on bars 23 & 24, finishing in the middle of the set. 2nd couple step up on bars 19 & 20
33 – 40 1st man with 2nd & 3rd women dance right hands across, 1st woman with 2nd & 3rd men dance left hands across. 1st woman crosses in front of 1st man to dance right hands across with 2nd & 3rd women, 1st man dances left hands across with 2nd & 3rd men. 1st couple finish in the middle facing up, 2nd couple in top place facing out.
41 – 48 2nd couple, followed by 1st & 3rd couples, cast off & dance in to take nearer hands and continue dancing down for 4 bars. 1st & 3rd couple divide and follow 2nd couple back up to finish in progressed places.
Video:The Laird o’ Dumbiedike’s Favorite
The Laird o’ Dumbiedike’s Favorite
RSCDS Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian
The Dance – 1820 and 2021
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple set
1820 Instructions
1st and 2d Cu: 4 hands round, set and back again.
1st Cu: lead 3 outsides opposite, back again to places
_ poussette & right and left
2021 Reconstruction
1 – 8 1st and 2nd couples, with two skip change of step, circle to left, then retaining hands, set.
They repeat to the right back to places, dropping hands at the end of bar 6.9 – 16 1st man, followed by 2nd and 3rd men, cross over, dance down the opposite side, cross through third couple’s position and back up own side. Meanwhile, 1st woman does the same with 2nd and 3rd women.
The women pass below the men at the top and the bottom of the set. 1st and 2nd couples finish in the middle.17 – 24 1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette.
25 – 32 1st and 3rd couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat having passed a couple.
Notes
- A version of this dance has been previously published by the RSCDS in Book 12 – this interpretation is different.
- Historic dance manuals provide no help in reconstructing bars 9 – 16. What is clear is that both 1st man and 1st woman are dancing for these 8 bars at the same time.
- The progression in this dance can only have taken place during the poussette. It is suggested that the modern RSCDS poussette should be used. Dancers are welcome to try waltzing round one and a half times, as long as both couples are agreed in advance!
- The 1820 instructions do not stipulate whether 1st couple dance the rights and lefts with the 2nd or 3rd couples. The dance seems more interesting if the 3rd couple are involved in these bars.
Video: The Laird of Dumbiedyke’s Favourite
The Laird of Dumbiedyke’s Favourite
RSCDS Book 12 – No. 4
40-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples dance four hands halfway round to the left and set to partners.
5 – 8 2nd and 1st couples dance four hands halfway round to the right and set to partners.
9 – 16 1st couple, followed by 2nd and 3rd couples, cast off to third place, cross over and dance up to partners’ places on opposite sides. (Fig.)
17 – 24 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples repeat bars 9-16 to original places, the women again dancing on the inside. 1st and 2nd couples finish in the middle of the set facing partners with both hands joined.
25 – 32 1st and 2nd couples dance a poussette.
33 – 40 2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
The Heart of Midlothian … Favourite Dances for 1820, printed by John Sutherland, Edinburgh.
Original tune: Johnnie’s friends are never pleased (Niel Gow’s Repository Part 4).
No Video
Lochindorb
Duncan Brown, The Bovey Collection
32 bar Strathspey for two couples in a three or four couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st and 2nd couples dance set and link.
5 – 8 1st and 2nd couples dance four hands round to the left halfway and ‘melt’ into half a turn, giving both hands, with partners, to finish in original places.
9 – 16 1st couple lead down the middle for 4 steps. On bar 13, 1st woman dances under her partner’s arm as 1st man dances below his partner, so that 1st couple have changed sides. 1st couple lead up the middle for 3 steps to finish in 2nd place, opposite sides. 2nd couple step up on bars 11-12.
17 – 24 2nd and 1st couples dance a Ladies’ Chain.
25 – 28 1st couple dance half a figure of eight up through 2nd couple.
29 – 32 2nd and 1st couples, giving both hands, turn partner once round.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
When 1 first played this lovely E flat slow air in the mid 1990s, I thought this tune was a ‘cracker’. I thought it deserved a dance – 10 years later I devised this.
Recommended tune:- Lochindorb (Ian Hardie) — published in ‘A Breath of Fresher Airs’ publ.
Ian Hardie, also available at www.ian-hardie.co.uk
No Video
Further Ado
Lydia Hedge, Further Ado
32 bar Reel for 3 couples in a 4 couple longwise set
devised by Lydia Hedge 2019.
1 – 8 1s set, cross down between 2s (as 2s step up), cast behind 3s, dance up between 3s to 2nd place in the centre.
9 – 16 2s, 1s and 3s dance mirror reels of 3 (1s out and up, 2s in and down, 3s in and up) 1s finish back to back facing opposite sides.
17 – 22 2s, 1s and 3s dance 6 bars of double triangles.
23 – 24 1s petronella turn out to own sides in 2nd place.
25 – 32 2s, 1s and 3s circle 6 hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple
Tune: Further Ado by M. G. Hughes 2017