Amethyst
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
AMETHYST 1 (S4x32) 4C set M Boehmer Cameo Coll 6
1- 8 All set, cross RH, set and cross back RH
9-16 1s+2s also 3s+4s dance Diamond Poussette
17-24 1s+2s also 3s+4s dance double Fig of 8 (2s and 4s cross up to start)
25-32 All dance ½ reflection reel of 4 on sides (1s and 3s out and down to start), 4s+3s+2s continue and dance ½ reel of 3 while 1s turn 2H to end 4th pl
(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)
THE AMETHYST 2 (S8x32) 3C (4C set) B Charlton
1- 8 1s+2s dance ½ R+L, set and cross RH
9-16 1s dance up between 2s, cast 1 place, dance down between 3s and cast up to 2nd place
17-20 1s with corners dance Allemande Right (adv for 2, give RH to crnr and Lady turns under M's arm, Lady dances back to place as Man retires)
21-24 1s with corners dance Allemande Left (adv for 2, give LH to crnr and Lady turns under M's arm, Lady dances back to place as Man retires)
25-32 1s dance RH across (Lady with 2s and Man with 3s), 2s+1s+3s turn RH
(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)
The Amethyst A 32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples in a 4 couple longwise set.
1 - 4 First and second couples dance half rights and lefts.
5 - 8 Second and first couples set, then cross over giving right hand to partners.
9 - 16 First couple dance up between second couple, cast to second place, dance down between third couple and cast up to second place.
17 - 20 First couple with first corners ALLEMANDE RIGHT. i.e. First couple advance two steps and giving right hand to corner, the women turn right about under the arm and dance out to place as the men retire.
21 - 24 First couple with second corners ALLEMANDE LEFT. Use left hands and women turn left about under the arm.
25 - 28 First lady with second couple dance right hands across while first man with third couple dance right hands across.
29 - 32 Second, first and third couples turn partners with the right hand.
Repeat having passed a couple.
(Dance crib compiled by the devisor, Brian Charlton in 1999.)
Dance Information
At the 24th Australian Winter School in Perth in September/October 1999 I was in the Nullagine Class. Derek Haynes taught his dance Black Donald which has the figure Allemande Right and Allemande Left, which is described in the dance Not I, R.S.C.D.S. Book 28. I like this figure and other dances, Peterhead Lassies by Roy Goldring and The Bluebells Of Scotland by Iain Boyd, which contain it.
It occurred to me that I did not know of any strathspey containing the figure (although Alastair McFadyen in New Zealand had taught a version of Sandy O'er The Lea with that figure from an old book). This was the inspiration for the dance.
To the Allemande figure, I have added other of my favourite strathspey movements - the progression, dancing through the ends and the hands across flowing into right hand turns.
Nullagine is a town in Western Australia which is famous for its amethyst production. We were pleased to learn that amethyst is said to protect from intoxication!
Music: Miss Campbell of Saddell (MacIntosh)
(Dance Information by the devisor, Brian Charlton.)
Dance Information
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry.
The name comes from the Ancient Greek a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It didn't!
Facet Cut Amethyst
Dance Information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence.
Text from this original Amethyst article on Wikipedia.
Image Copyright Michelle Jo.
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