Allemande for 3 Couples

The Scottish Country Dancing Figure, Allemande for 2 couples has been extended to 3 Couples but is quite difficult to perform gracefully, especially in a Quick tempo dance, where the path can degenerate, as also can Promenade round, into a rather sloppy rounded shape. It is of the essence of Allemande for 3 couples (as for all forms of Allemande) that, at the end of bar 5, the dancers are all in the Men's Side line with, in this form, 3rd Man in 1st Man's Place, 2nd Man in his own Place and 1st Man in 3rd Man's Place).

This can be achieved by speeding up bars 1-4; then, using a Travelling step throughout the 8-bar Figure, for the 1st Couple:
in bar 1, Dance diagonally forwards and rotate;
in bar 2, Cross The set to the Men's Side and rotate;
in bar 3, Dance Down the Men's Side to 2nd Place;
in bar 4, Dance Down the Men's Side to 3rd Place;
in bar 5, rotate into the Men's Side line (Man in 3rd Man's Place).

This enables the 2nd Couple to follow one bar behind:
in bar 1, Dance diagonally forwards (as in Allemande for 2 couples);
in bar 2, Dance Up The set one Place and rotate;
in bar 3, Cross The set to the Men's Side and rotate;
in bar 4, Dance Down the Men's Side to 2nd Place;
in bar 5, rotate into the Men's Side line (Man in 2nd Man's Place).

Similarly, the 3rd Couple can follow two bars behind 2nd Couple:
in bar 1, Dance diagonally forwards (as for 2nd Couple in Allemande for 2 couples);
in bar 2, Dance Up The set one Place;
in bar 3, Dance Up The set one Place and rotate;
in bar 4, Cross The set to the Men's Side and rotate;
in bar 5, Dance down the Men's Side to 1st Place and rotate again into the Men's Side line (Man in 1st Man's Place).

All 3 Couples move in unison on bars 6-8 as in Allemande for 2 couples.

To avoid a sloppy start, it is especially important that all three Couples move in unison on bar 1; to avoid a sloppy Finish, they must all be in the Men's Side line at the end of bar 5 and then move in unison on bars 6-8.

In some dances, bars 7-8 for one or more Couples may have to be modified to suit the subsequent Figure. In a few dances, this Figure appears in an inverted form, starting with all three Couples on Opposite sides of the Centre line, Facing Down, the bottom Couple leading.

These Scottish Country Dances require Allemande for 3 couples:
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Strathspey
Black Angus
Bridge Over The Atlantic
Duchess Of Argyll
Joie De Vivre
Mcgregor's Leap
Shieling
The following examples show forms with a modified ending or inverted:
Whistlin' In The Kitchen
Greyfriar's Bobby
Song Of The Waves
Two Up, Two Down

Complex Figures

Allemande

Allemande For 2 Couples
Allemande For 3 Couples
Allemande For 4 Couples

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