"An Evening of Scottish Country Dancing in Celebration of Spring"

Saturday, May 9, 1998

Dance Instructions

Ball Program and Dance Instructions in a larger font with background.

Dance Instructions with Comments by Editor - useful information about many formations and transitions in the dances on our ball program.

* No briefings in honor of RSCDS's 75th anniversary.



1.  
Waltzing To Iowa 
6x32W1 progressive 
Doug Schneider,  
Wee Hoose On The Prairie

Couples face center of circle, nearer hands joined, W on R of
partner.

1-4    
With nearer hands joined ADVANCE towards center of circle,
then RETIRE away from center of circle;

5-8
Turning towards partner to face out of the circle with 
nearer hands joined ADVANCE away from center, then RETIRE
towards center of circle.

9-16
GYPSY (dance around partner back to place keeping eye contact
but no hands joined); TURN partner RH. At end retain RH with
partner & link LH with neighbor to form a large circle with M
facing in & W facing out.

17-24 
All BALANCE R and L, then drop RH and 1/2 TURN neighbor LH to
again form a large circle this time with M facing out & W facing
in and all BALANCE R then L, drop RH and 1/2 TURN neighbor LH to
face partner.

25-32
Dance BACK TO BACK with partner; PASS partner RS & TURN new
partner BH to face center of circle nearer hands joined.




2.  
Mrs. Stewart Sinton's Reel
8x32J2
Graded Book  #12

1-8
1C+2C SET 2X; CROSS  OVER to change sides using 4 SCOS with
W nearer hands joined dancing under an arch made by M.

9-16
1C+2C REPEAT bars 1-8 back to places.

17-24
1C LEAD DOWN the middle and UP to finish ready
for  allemande (2C STEP IN on bar 24).

25-32
1C+2C ALLEMANDE.




3.  
The Ladies of Dunse
8x40R3 
Book 26  #11

1-8
1C LEAD DOWN for 3 steps and UP for 3 steps then CAST OFF 
1 place (2C STEP UP on bars 7-8).

9-16
2C LEAD DOWN for 3 steps and UP for 3 steps then CAST OFF 
1 place (1C STEP UP on bars 15-16) to finish in original 
positions both couples facing down ready for  ...

17-24
2C followed by 1C dance a FIG. 8 about 3C to finish with 2C 
in 1st place and 1C in 2nd place.  

25-32
1C+3C dance RIGHTS  & LEFTS  1C finishing facing
1st Corners.

33-40
1C SET TO CORNERS pulling R shoulder back on bar 36 to finish 
facing partner; 1 1/2 TURN RH back to original sides. 
 



4.  
*Miss Milligan's Strathspey
8x32S3
Leaflet  #20

1-8
1C+2C circle 4 HANDS ROUND to L to finish 1C facing down & 2C
facing up nearer hands joined; SET with 1C turning towards each
other to face up on 2nd setting step, then 1C CAST OFF to 2nd
place WHILE 2C DANCE UP to 1st place to face out, ready for...

9-16
2C+1C+3C dance mirror REELS-3 on own sides 
nearer hands joined with partner when possible and 2C & 3C 
finish by turning the long way round to places.

17-24
2C+1C+ 3C SET,  2C+1C 1/2 TURN LH  to face down the dance; 
1C followed by 2C LEAD DOWN LH then CROSS OVER below 3C and 
CAST UP to original places.

25-32
1C+2C dance the KNOT.



 
5.  
West's Hornpipe
4x32R4 
Book 5/65  #3

1-16
1C+2C+3C dance REELS-3 ON OPPOSITE SIDE AND THEN 
ON OWN SIDE (cross-over reels).

17-24
1C LEAD DOWN the middle & UP turning inwards on 
the last step to face 2C diagonally.

25-32
1C SET to 2C,  then joining nearer hands DANCE DOWN the middle
to 4th place and turn inwards (2C+3C+4C STEP UP on bars 
27-28); 4C+1C circle 4 HANDS ROUND to L.




6.  
*Mrs. Stewart's Jig
8x32J3
Book 35  #1  

1-8
1C SET, 1W CASTS OFF 2 places as 1M follows; 
1W CROSSES below 3C & DANCES UP behind 3M 
to 2nd place on M's side WHILE 1M DANCES UP the
middle to 2nd place on W's side both curving by the right 
to finish facing down  (2C STEP UP on bars 7-8) ready for...

9-16
2C+1C+3C GRAND CHAIN finishing with 1M & 2M facing out
ready for...

17-24
2C+1C LADIES' CHAIN.

25-32
2C+1C+3C ADVANCE & RETIRE; 1C 1 1/2 TURN RH to 2nd place
on own sides. 




7.  
Peggy Dewar
8x32R3
Book  38  #1  

1-8
1C SET, CROSS DOWN  RH between 2C (2C STEP UP
on bars 3-4); DANCE DOWN behind 3C (1W behind
3M and 1M behind 3W), and DANCE UP the middle
nearer hands joined to finish facing 1st Corners.

9-16
1C SET & TURN 1st Corners RH to finish with 1W 
between 2C facing 2W and 1M between 3C facing 3M;
1W+2C & 1M+3C 1/2 REEL-3  L shoulder across the 
dance to finish with 1C passing R shoulder (short way) 
to face 2nd Corners (in partner's 1st Corner positions).

17-24
1C REPEAT 9-16 with 2nd Corners EXCEPT 1W
finish between 3C facing up & 1M finish between 2C
facing down ready for...

25-32
1C 1 1/2 TURN  LH to change places; 1W+2C & 
1M+3C 3 HANDS ACROSS once round to finish
with 1C in 2nd place on own sides. 



 
8. 
Miss Nancy Arnott
5x32S lines of 3 progressive
Book 32  #5

One line of 3 facing another, each with 1 man between 2 women.

1-4 
Taking hands in lines of 3 all ADVANCE 1 step & RETIRE 
1 step, M PETRONELLA TURN to R to finish between 2 
women on their right;

5-8
Taking hands in new lines of 3 all ADVANCE 1 step & RETIRE
1 step across the dance, M PETRONELLA TURN to R to finish
in opposite M's original position.

9-16
Each line of 3 (M with opposite M's partners) dances REEL-3.  
To begin each M gives R shoulder to W on his R.
At end W make a long turn to flow into...

17-24
W PETRONELLA TURN to change 1 place to the R, SET facing 
diagonally inward; W PETRONELLA TURN 1 more place to the 
R finishing on correct side of partner in original lines of 3 
but on opposite side of dance all facing opposite to original 
direction, then all join hands in lines of 3 and SET.

25-28
All dance BACK TO BACK with person opposite taking hands 
for the 1st step forward & the last step backward;

29-30
All ADVANCE 1 short step, make a slight BOW or CURTSEY, then...

31-32
Still holding hands in lines of 3, each M RAISES LH to form 
an arch with LH partner WHILE she DANCES 1/2 CIRCLE CW 
as RH partner DANCES 1/2 CIRCLE CCW under arch & M 
TURNS 1/2 ROUND under own L arm following RH partner 
to finish in original lines of 3 facing in original directions 
but facing different lines of 3 (lines of 3 originally facing 
now have backs to each other).




9.  
*The Duke of Atholl's Reel
8x32J2
Book 16 #3  Skillern

1-8
With nearer hands joined 1C+2C SET,  RIGHT HANDS ACROSS  1/2; 
SET,  LEFT HANDS  ACROSS  1/2 back to original places.

9-16
1M+2W SET ADVANCING, TURN RH back to place; 1W+2M REPEAT 9-12.

17-24
1C CROSS RH, CAST OFF 1 place (2C STEP UP on
bars 19-20); 1/2 FIG. 8 about 2C.
 
25-32
2C+1C RIGHTS & LEFTS.




10.
Argyll Strathspey
8x32S3
Book 35  #5

1-8
1C+2C+3C 1/2 TURN RH remaining in center of dance, 
then releasing hands & pulling back R shoulders DANCE OUT 
to partner's places on opposite sides; REPEAT 1-4 back to 
original places. 

9-16
1C+2C+3C circle 6 HANDS ROUND & BACK to finish with 
1C & 3C facing each other up and down the dance.

17-24
1C+3C RIGHTS & LEFTS up and down the dance finishing 
in original places.

25-32
1C+2C TOURNÉE to change places.

Note: On 2nd turn of the dance, 1C finish in 3rd place
& step down on bars 1-2 of the next turn, as 4C dance 
up 1/2 turning RH.




11.  
*Triumph
4x24R4
Book 1  #2  

1-8
1C LEAD DOWN the middle & UP to finish with 1M passing 
1W in front to him to present her to 2M as 1M dances up to 
the top and turns to face down.

9-16
1W+2M DANCE DOWN the middle nearer hands joined
with 1M following to finish 2M+1W+1M FACING UP 
with 1M+2M FORMING AN ARCH behind 1W's head; 
then 1W with 2M+1M DANCE UP the middle IN TRIUMPH 
to finish with 2M breaking off to return to his own place & 
1C at the top on opposite sides facing each other BH joined.

17-24
1C "TRIUMPH" POUSSETTE to finish in 4th place
(2C+3C+4C STEP UP on bars 23-24). 




12.  
The Summer Assembly
1x88R4 square
Book 35  #8  
Roy Goldring 
1985
Devised as a tribute to  RSCDS Summer School at St. Andrews.

1-8
All TURN partners RH; W DANCE clockwise 1 place 
outside set as M stand still facing CCW, all SET.

9-16
REPEAT 1-8.

17-24
All TURN partners LH; M DANCE counterclockwise 1 place 
outside set as W stand still facing CW, all SET.

25-32
REPEAT 17-24.  All finish halfway round set.

32-40
1C+3C (heads) RH ACROSS ; 1M followed by 1W & 3M 
followed by 3W CHASE clockwise outside set back to
original places.
 
41-48
2C+4C (sides) REPEAT 32-40.

49-56
W FIG. 8  about partner & corner, dancing in front of 
partner to begin.

57-64
M FIG. 8  about partner & corner, dancing in front of 
partner to begin.

65-72
1C+3C (heads) CHANGE PLACES with 3C making arch, 
SET; REPEAT 65-68 with 1C making arch.

73-80
2C+4C (sides) REPEAT 65-72.

80-88
All circle 8 HANDS ROUND & BACK.



 
13.  
*Sugar Candie
8x32S3
Book 26  #9

1-8
1C SET,  CAST OFF 1 place (2C STEP UP on bars 3-4), 
CROSS OVER passing L shoulders & DANCE around 1st 
corners with R shoulders to finish back to back in the 
middle with 1M facing down and 1W facing up.

9-16
1W+2C & 1M+3C circle 3 HANDS ROUND to L at end of 
which 1C pull R shoulders back to face each other in 
the middle with 1M facing up and 1W facing down; 
1C SET, 3/4 TURN BH to finish back to back facing 
1st Corners.

17-24
1C TURN CORNERS & PARTNER to finish facing 1st Corners.

25-30
2M+1W+3M & 2W+1M+3W dance REELS-3  L shoulder 
on the sides, then...

31-32
1C CROSS OVER RH to own sides.




14.  
Scotland (corrected May 8)
8x32J2
Book 31  #6  

1-8
1W+2W & 1M+2M TURN RH on the sides; 
then dance BACK TO BACK with partner.

9-16
1C+2C TURN RH with partner;
1W+2W & 1M+2M dance BACK TO BACK on the sides.  

17-24
1M+2M DANCE ACROSS the set passing outside their partners, 
joining nearer hands DANCE BETWEEN 1W+2W back to places; 
SET to each other & CHANGE PLACES LH.

25-32
1W+2W DANCE ACROSS the set passing outside their partners, 
joining nearer hands DANCE BETWEEN 1M+2M back to places; 
SET to each other & CHANGE PLACES LH.




15.  
The Minister on the Loch
3x32S3 exactly
Roy Goldring,  
24 Graded & Social Dances  #15

1-8
1C+2C POUSSETTE RIGHT ROUND.

9-16
1C DANCE DOWN , TURN BH once round; DANCE UP, 
TURN BH to finish in center facing up.

17-24
1C+3C dance DOUBLE FIG. 8 about standing 2C. 
To begin 1C cast off as 3C cross up.  1C finish facing out.  

25-28
1W+2W 1 1/2 TURN RH while 1M+2M 1 1/2 TURN LH  
to change places  ("handy hands").  1C finish facing in.

29-32
1W+3W 1 1/2 TURN LH while 1M+3M 1 1/2 TURN RH 
to change places ("handy hands"). 




16. 
The Montgomeries' Rant
8x32R3 
Book 10  #1  

1-8
C1 CROSS RH, CAST OFF 1 place (2C step up on bars 3-4);  
CROSS LH, 1W CASTS UP while 1M CASTS OFF 1 place to finish with
1W between 2C facing 2M and 1M between 3C facing 3W ready for...

9-16
1W+2C & 1M+3C REELS -3 R shoulders across the dance.  1C finish
with nearer hands joined facing 2W with 1W on L of partner.

17-24
1C SET to 2W, 3M, 3W, 2M and finish back to back
facing 2nd Corners.

25-30
2M+1W+3M & 2W+1M+3W REELS-3 R shoulder on sides. 

31-32
1C CROSS RH to own sides.




Extra
The Whistling Wind
8x32R3 
Book 35  #3 

1-8
C1 SET, CAST OFF 1 place (long cast) (2C step up on
 bars 5-6) and SET ADVANCING to face 1st Corners.

9-12
1C+1st Corners 1/2 REELS -4  1C passing R 
shoulders to face 2nd Corners;

13-16
1C+2nd Corners  1/2 REELS -4  to finish with 1C back 
to back in middle of dance 1W facing down & 1M facing 
up & 3C in 1st place & 2C in 3rd place on opposite sides.

17-24
3C+1C+2C DOUBLE TRIANGLES facing up and down the dance 
with 1C finishing in 2nd place on own sides.

25-32
3W+1C+2M 1/2 DIAGONAL RIGHTS & LEFTS ; 
3M+1C+2W 1/2 DIAGONAL RIGHTS & LEFTS .


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