Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Teviot Bridge

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

TEVIOT BRIDGE (J8x24) 2C (4C set) RSCDS Book 5

1- 8 1s turn RH 2½ times ending on opposite sides
9-16 1s+2s turn LH 1½ times on sides and dance ½ Ladies' Chain ending 1s in top place Ladies' side and 2s in 2nd place Men's side ready for...
17-24 1s+2s dance modified Poussette:
 2 bars to cross to sides, 1 bar ¼ turn, 1 bar progress up/down and ¼ turn, 1 bar into centre, 1 bar ½ turn, 2 bars retire to sides

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


Dance Notes

  1-8   The phrasing is at an intermediate speed; take 3 bars for the full turns and 2 bars for the half turn and finish facing down.

  9-12 The speed is again intermediate; cover in the turns and Mn finish facing out.

15-16 This requires substantial modification to the half turns by the left of bars 3-4 of a half ladies' chain:
2M must make a full turn on the spot in his original place, guiding his partner quickly around him to face him across the dance;
1M must turn his partner into her original place, facing in, and must dance in, pulling left shoulder back, to face her;
finally, all must change to both hands hold with partner and the braver Mn should prepare to change to the left foot pas-de-basque step.

17-24 Modified poussette (note that this phrasing defeats the simplicity and elegance which is achieved in the normal poussette when Mn start on the right foot):

17-17 both couples dance (1M 2L backwards) to the centreline;

18-18 both couples continue across the set to finish 1M 2L in original places (i.e., as bar 1 of poussette);

19-19 both couples dance a quarter turn (1M 2L turning on the spot) clockwise (i.e., as bar 2 of poussette);

20-20 1s dance down the Mn's sideline, 2s up the Ls', to finish 1L in 2M's place, 2M in 1L's original places, their partners making a quarter turn to finish facing them across the dance (i.e., as bars 3-4 of poussette, combined);

21-24 both couples dance as bars 5-8 of poussette.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Teviot Bridge - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

This jig is difficult for the inexperienced in bars 15-20; for a slightly less demanding derivative, see The Teviot Bridge Reconstructed which retains the 24 bar repeat length. Rennie's Bridge is a more extensive modification of the original dance which avoids major modification of complex figures but has a 32 bar repeat length.

Teviot Bridge
Teviot Bridge Near Kelso
The last bridge over the Teviot before it joins the Tweed, built in 1795 by William Elliot, designed by Alexander Stevens


Image copyright Jim Barton under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.

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