No Video
Rideau River Reel
Lindsay Clark
32 bar reel for 3 couples in a 3 couple set
The 2s are the dancing/active couple.
1-8 2W and 2M dance mirror figures of eight on their own sides, dancing up and out to begin. They finish in the centre in 2nd position ready for…
9-16 Hands across on both sides, right hand on the ladies’ side, left hand on the men’s side, the 2s passing right shoulder to dance hands across on the opposite side. The 2s end facing their own first corner.
17-24 2s and dancers on 1st corner diagonal dance Corners pass and twirl, the corners ending in opposite position and the 2s passing right shoulder to face their own 2nd corners. Repeat Corners pass and twirl with 2nd corners, the corners ending in the opposite position, and the 2s in 2nd place on opposite sides.[Order is now 3,2,1 with all dancers on the opposite side]
25-32 All chase ½ way round clockwise. [1,2,3] 1s change places with the 2s, left hand on the ladies’ side, right hand on the men’s side (i.e. 1s dance in and down); 1s change places with the 3s, right hand on the ladies’ side, left hand on the men’s side (1s dance out and down). [2,3,1]
Video: Reuben Butler
Reuben Butler
SCDS Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian
The Dance – 1820 and 2021
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple set
1820 Instructions
1st Cu: lead down the middle, up again _
3 hands round with 2d Lady, same with Gent.
poussette_
right and left.
2021 Reconstruction
1 – 8 1st couple dance down the middle and back to second place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
9 – 12 Using skip change of step, 1st couple and 2nd woman, dance three hands round to the left.
13 – 16 1st couple and 2nd man, dance three hands round to the left. 2nd and 1st couples finish in sidelines.
17 – 24 2nd and 1st couples dance a waltz poussette.
25 – 32 1st and 3rd couples dance rights and lefts.
Repeat having passed a couple.
Notes
- Hands round in the early 19th century would most likely have used a chassé step, hence
the skip change of step in bars 9 to 16. - The poussette is a full poussette all round, starting from sidelines, and in waltz hold, not
using pas de basque. See page 61. - The original instructions do not stipulate whether the rights and lefts is danced with the
- 2nd or 3rd couple. As the poussette was with the 2nd couple, it would have been acceptable
- to dance the rights and lefts with third couple, thus making the dance a three-couple jig.
4, Although there were different versions of rights and lefts in 1820, the version adopted is
the Quadrille rights and lefts, as we do it today.
The Waltz Poussette
Starting from sidelines and using waltz turns throughout the dancers should follow the general pattern below:
Bar 1 Dance in and meet in waltz hold (two hand hold may also be used).
Bar 2 – 4 Dance out to the sides (couple in second place to woman’s side and couple in 1st place to men’s side) and continuing dancing waltz turns round other couple and back into centre in progressed position.
Bar 5 – 7 Repeat bars 2 – 4 to finish in centre in original positions
Bar 8 Retire
No Video
Lady Charlotte Bruce
Miss Milligan’s Miscellany of Scottish Country Dances
32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 4 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples advance one step and retire one step, twice. To finish, 1st couple face each other, 2nd couple face down and 3rd couple face up.
5 – 8 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a half grand chain.
9 – 12 3rd, 2nd and 1st couples repeat bars 1-4 to finish 3rd couple facing down, 2nd couple facing up, and 1st couple facing each other.
13 – 16 3rd, 2nd and 1st couples dance a half grand chain, to finish in original places.
17 – 24 1st couple lead down the middle and up and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 23-24.
25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Customary tune: Lady Charlotte Bruce (William Shepherd)
TACNotes:’
5-8 1st woman & 2nd man finish with polite turns.
13-16 Half grand chain begins with RH – 3rd cpl to 2nd cpl & 1st cpl to partner. 1st woman and 2nd man again finish with polite turns.
Video: Ray Milbourne
Ray Milbourne
Derek Haynes, Carnforth 1
Reel for four-couple sets
On the 2nd chord 2nd and 4th couples change sides
1 – 4 1st and 4th couple, giving right hands, cross over then cast inwards one place. 2nd couple step up and 3rd couple step down on bars 3 – 4.
5 – 8 1st couple dance a half figure of eight around 2nd couple and 4th couple dance a half figure of eight around 3rd couple.
9 – 12 1st and 4th couple dance half rights and lefts. They omit the polite tum on bar 12 and finish with 4th couple facing up and 1st couple facing down ready to give right shoulders into –
13 – 16 Half reels of four on the sides. They finish in the order 3 1 4 2 with the women facing out and the men in, ready to dance into –
17 – 24 3rd with 1st couple, and at the same time 4th with 2nd couple, dance men’s chains across the dance. The men cross over giving left hands to start
25 – 32 3rd, 1st, 4th and 2nd couples dance eight hands round and back.
Repeat three times, each from new positions.
Tune: Ray Milboume by lain MacPhail. Recorded by David Hall on Diamond Jubilee, DIH 001 CD.
First published by Scottish Dance Archives, September 1976.