A sampler of
new country dances
ST
ANDREWS LINKS, an 8x40-bar jig, 3-cp dance in a 4-cp set.
1-4: 1st cp
cast off one place and cross over RH.
5-8: Set & link with 1st cns.
9-12: 1st cp &
1st cns dance RH across.
13-16: Six hands round to the left finishing on opp sides.
17-20: 1st cp dance
clockwise behind pts 2nd cn (who move right) into 2nd place.
and cross over LH to own sides.
21-24: Set & link anti-clockwise with 2nd cns (who are on opp sides).
25-28: 1st cp & 2nd cns dance LH across.
29-32: Six hands round to the right finishing on own sides.
33-34: 1st cp dance
anticlockwise behind cns (who move left) into 2nd place.
35-40: All take hands on sides, advance with pdb, pull right shoulder
back,
dance out to own sides and set.
Note: in each
set-&-link figure, 1st cp cast behind their cns.
Repeat having passed
a couple.
Devised by
Martin Sheffield , 1998.
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LET'S
DANCE BEFORE IT RAINS, an 8 x 32-bar jig, 3-cp dance in a 4-cp set.
1 - 8:
1st cp dance down between 2nd cp, cast down
behind 3rd cp, dance up and cast up behind 2nd cp.
9 -12:
1st cp set advancing, take RH and dance 4 slip steps
down to 3rd place, while 2nd & 3rd cps set and cast up one place.
13-16:
1st cp turn RH, while the others dance half R&Ls.
17-20:
3rd cp at the top set advancing, take RH and dance
4 slip steps down to 3rd place, while 2nd & 1st cps set
and cast up one place.
21-24:
3rd cp turn RH, while the others dance RH across.
25-28:
1st cp holding RH cross down between, then cast up
behind 3rd cp, who set and cross over.
29-32:
1st cp taking RH cross up between, and cast off
behind 2nd cp, who set and cross over.
Repeat having passed
a couple.
Devised by M
Sheffield, 1992,
after a garden party that was nearly a wash-out.
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KIRKINTILLOCH, a
32-bar strathspey for 3 couples.
1-8:
1st cp set, half turn with 2H, face up,
cast off opposite sides (2nd cp move up) and set to 3rd cp.
9-10:
1st man with 3rd lady, 1st lady with 3rd man:
half turn 2H to face out with backs to pts.
11-16:
1st cp cast down to meet below 3rd place; 2nd & 3rd ladies
pass L shoulder; 2nd & 3rd men pass R shoulder,
to begin symmetrical reels of three on the sides.
17-22:
1st cp, with nearer hands, dance up, give
free hand to 2nd man/2nd lady to turn symmetrically,
then give other hand to 3rd man/3rd lady to turn
the other way (1st cp finish in 2nd place).
23-24:
Taking hands on sides, all set to pt.
25-26:
Six hands round to the left. 1st cp release LH.
27-30:
1st lady: three hands round to the left with 3rd cp
(2 steps); she finishes at the top, and then dances down
under 3rd cp's arch, as they dance up.
1st man: likewise with 2nd cp to finish in 3rd place,
then he dances up under 2nd cp's arch, as they dance down.
31-32:
1st cp meet in 2nd place. All turn pt RH.
Repeat from new
positions.
Devised by Martin Sheffield, 1989.
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MICHAEL'S
CEILIDH BAND, a 4 x 32 bar jig, square set.
1-8:
1st & 3rd cps dance half R&Ls without polite turns,
then turn corners RH into lines across.
9-12:
All set, 2nd & 4th cps facing in and advancing & retiring
to squeeze the lines in and out like an accordeon.
13-16:
1st & 3rd cps turn pts LH once and a quarter
into a line up/down the middle. Ladies take RH.
17-20:
Like a bow across the strings, 1st & 3rd cps,
in a straight line, dance four slips steps down and four back.
21-22:
1st & 3rd cps set,
the ladies releasing each other's hands and turning under pt's LH.
In doing so, 1st cp dance up to face 2nd, 3rd cp down to face 4th,
23-24:
and all set.
25-:
1st & 2nd cps, 3rd & 4th cps, change places
passing R shoulder with person opposite ...
26-30:
and dance round clockwise
into side places, while 2nd & 4th cps dance LH across once round
and then out into 1st/3rd places.
31-32:
All set facing the centre.
Devised by Martin Sheffield, 1996, for Mike and Michel,
who have given the dancers in southeastern France so much pleasure with their
music.
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WELCOME
TO GRENOBLE, a 4 x 32 bar reel, 4-cp set.
1-8:
2nd & 3rd cps set & rotate (set, cast clockwise,
pass pts RH, dance on clockwise to own sidelines).
2nd man and 3rd lady remain facing out.
9-10:
1st lady & 3rd man pass RH, while their pts cast,
man down, lady up. 2nd & 4th cps do likewise.
11-16:
All pass pts LH on sides, then 1st lady & 2nd man turn RH
and face out with crossed hands on men's side,
while 3rd lady & 4th man turn RH & face out ladies' side.
17-20:
Promenade pass-&-turn on 1st corner diagonal
(couples promenade clockwise, while corners turn RH
and return to places).
Promenading cps end facing each other up/down.
21-24:
Couples face about and dance promenade pass-&-turn
on 2nd corner diagonal, finishing on side lines.
25-28:
1st & 3rd ladies, 2nd & 4th men dance RH across
halfway round.
All make full turn LH with pts.
29-32:
All set without taking hands and dance
petronella turns to finish 3rd, 1st, 4th, 2nd, all on own sides.
Devised by Martin
Sheffield, 1997,
to welcome a group of dancers from Washington.
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SLEEPLESS
NIGHTS, an 8x32-bar jig, 3-cp dance in a 4-cp set.
1-8:
1st cp dance petronella into the centre, set moving down a little,
and turn away from each other to cast round clockwise
(lady behind 2nd lady, man behind 3rd man) into 2nd place,
(2nd cp move up on 3-4).
9-10:
1st cp set, while 2nd & 3rd make 3/4 RH turn.
11-12:
1st cp, 3rd lady & 2nd man dance LH across halfway,
while 2nd lady & 3rd man dance round clockwise to sides.
13-14:
2nd man & 3rd lady set holding LH, while 1st lady & 3rd man,
1st man & 2nd lady, pass RH.
15-16:
1st cp dance round clockwise,
while 2nd & 3rd cps dance LH across halfway.
17-18:
2nd lady & 3rd man set holding LH,
while 1st lady & 2nd man, 1st man & 3rd lady, pass RH.
19-20:
1st cp, 3rd man & 2nd lady dance LH across halfway,
while 2nd man & 3rd lady dance round clockwise to sides.
21-24:
2nd & 3rd cps turn pts RH 1&1/4 on side lines,
while 1st cp set & pass RH (up/down). All face the centre.
25-32:
Six hands round to the left to opp sides.
All set and cross over giving RH.
Repeat having passed
a couple.
Devised by M
Sheffield in the very wee hours of 6 January 1998,
after an overdose of e-mail – the Strathspey mailing list was producing
an avalanche of interesting messages from all over the world!
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SCOTS
AROUND THE WORLD, a 32-bar reel for 5 couples.
1-4:
1st man & 5th lady set to & turn pts with 2H (3/4 turn)
to progress to opposite side on pt's left.
The others all move one place to the left.
1st lady & 5th man are still in original places.
5-8:
1st cp with 2nd & 3rd men, 5th cp with 4th & 3rd ladies:
four hands round to the left.
9-12:
2nd man & 4th lady set to & turn 1st lady/5th man
(as in 1-4), while 1st man & 5th lady set to & half turn
2nd lady/4th man to progress 2 places.
3rd cp move 1 place to the left.
13-16:
All face in keeping nearer hands for a moment,
give free hand to the person opposite and make a full turn.
17-24:
2nd man & 5th lady, 1st man & 4th lady, now
in 2nd/4th places on opp sides, set, cast behind end cps
and dance half figure 8 to finish on own sides with
crossed hands at top/bottom.
25-32:
Promenade reels of three, 2nd man & 5th lady
on men's side,1st man & 4th lady on ladies' side.
On bars 29-30 they cross to own sides and then cast to top/bottom.
Repeat with new
partners from new positions.
By the end of the
dance everyone will have danced right round the set (round the world) and
returned to their original partners.
Devised by Martin
Sheffield, 1989.
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"Rhone Valley
Dances", "Alpine Valley Dances",
"Valleys of Dauphiné" , "Peaks &
Valleys", "Scots in France"
booklets with instructions and diagrams are available by snail mail from:
mj.sheffield(AT)wanadoo.fr
(replace (AT) by @, of course.
Some more dances to be found on the 2nd dance page.
(Scots in France, 5cps; Schauchlin Jamie; Genevieve's Reel,
4 cps; Tartan shawl; Spring in the Air, 4-cp spey; St Martin's Cross, 4-cp demo
dance).
the 3rd dance page,
Green Fringe medley; Thistle of Dauphiné,4 cps; Gordon spey,
3 cps; 15th of May; Tribute to the Basques; Prince Charlie's Cairn)
the 4th dance page.
(5-cp dances : Ben McDhui, spey; Belle of Belledonne, spey;
Midnight Toil, reel; Five-couple Fugue;
4-cp dances : Doctor's Dilemma; Clishmaclaver, square;
Willie on the Muirs)
Other www sites with
Scottish country dance descriptions:
http://www.erlangen.com/erlangen/scds/dances.htm
http://www.tvt.com/dances
http://www.tm.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de/~lingnau/mdl/
