Fisherman's Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

FISHERMAN'S REEL (R5x32) 5C Sq.Set (5s facing - M back to 4s and L back to 2s) S Petyt Dunblane Holiday

1- 8 1s+2s+3s+4s circle 8H round and back while 5s turn RH once and LH 1½ times to end 5M facing 2s and 5L facing 4s
9-16 5M+2s also 5L+4s dance RH across, 5s pass LSh and dance LH across with next couple anticlockwise (M with 1s and L with 3s)
17-24 5M dances reel of 3 with 1s+2s (in prom hold) giving RSh to 2s while 5L reels with 3s+4s giving RSh to 4s
25-32 All take ptnrs in prom hold, 5s change pl with 1s RSh, 1s pass 4s RSh, 4s pass 3s RSh, 3s pass 2s RSh and 2s end in centre facing each other

(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)

Fisherman's Reel
S Petyt   Dunblane Holiday
Reel   5 x 32 bars   5 Couple Repeat   5 Couple Set   Square Set - 5s inside
5s face each other to start, 5L with back to 2s, 5M with back to 4s.

1-8      1s2s3s4s 8 hands round to the left and back WHILE 5s turn by the right and back by the left, finishing 5L facing 4s, 5M facing 2s;
9-12    5L4s 5M2s right hands across;
13-16  5L3s 5M1s left hands across, finishing with 1s 2s 3s 4s taking promenade hold;
17-24  4s5L3s (5L right shoulder to 4s) and 1s5M2s (5M right shoulder to 2s) reels of 3, finishing with 5s taking promenade hold and facing 1s;
25-26  5s1s pass by the right to exchange places, 1s finishing facing 4s;
27-28  1s4s pass by the right to exchange places, 4s finishing facing 3s;
29-30  4s3s pass by the right to exchange places, 3s finishing facing 2s;
31-32  3s2s pass by the right to exchange places, finishing 5s3s4s1s with 2s in the centre.

(MAXICRIB, Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle.)

Dance Instruction Videos

Fisherman's Reel - YouTube Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video
Performance of Fisherman's Reel Burns Night 2007.

Dance Information

A fisherman's reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of a fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. Fishing reels are traditionally used in the recreational sport of angling. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod.

Note the play on words, this dance is also of course a Scottish Country Dance reel.

A Fisherman's Reel

Dance Information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence.
Text from this original fisherman's reel article on Wikipedia.
Image Copyright Jan Tik.

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