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).When danced by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Couples from their Original Positions, the movements for bar 1 are shown in the first diagram, for bar 2 in the next diagram and so on; bars 7-8 are shown together in the penultimate diagram and the Finishing Places at the end of bar 8 in the last diagram.
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 move in unison on bars 5-8.
The Couples must start Facing Up on the Centre line and either Take hands in Allemande hold or convert an existing Hold, such as Promenade, into Allemande hold. Much hot air has been expended over the exact Timing of the transition to Allemande hold, whether at the beginning of the 8-bar Phrase or at the end of the previous Phrase. Since Allemande for 3 couples cannot be the first Figure of a dance, and since the Figure requires above average concentration, the end of the previous Phrase is much to be preferred.
Note that these instructions show a slightly different Phrasing from that in formal RSCDS teaching (as in the 2013 edition of "The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing" for which see Allemande For 3 Couples (RSCDS Definition)). The Phrasing on this page is preferred because:
it involves less dramatic changes in tempo in bars 1-5 (though bar 5 changes from a slow tempo to quick);
it retains the characteristic movement in bar 1 for all three Couples; and
bars 1-4 for 1st and 2nd couples are identical to those in our preferred Phrasing of Allemande for 2 couples.
For the Top couple in this 3-Couple Figure:
Bar 1
with Allemande hold, Dance diagonally forwards and to the right so that the Lady reaches a point half a Place Above her Original Place in the Ladies' Side line;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 1.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 2
retaining Allemande hold, rotate anticlockwise (the Man Turning On the spot in the first half bar) to Face Across The set towards the Men's Side and Dance Across The set so that they almost reach the Men's Side line;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 2.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 3
retaining Allemande hold, continue Across The set to the Men's Side line, rotate anticlockwise and Dance Down to Finish Facing Down with the Man in his Original Place (the Man taking appropriately small Steps);
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 3.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 4
retaining Allemande hold, Dance Down to 2nd Place with the Man Travelling on the Men's Side line;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 4.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 5
retaining Allemande hold, Dance Down to 3rd Place with the Man Travelling on the Men's Side line and rotate anticlockwise (the Man Turning On the spot) to Face Across The set towards the Ladies' Side;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 5.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 6
retaining Allemande hold, Dance part of the way Across The set and unwind the Hold by passing the right hands over the Lady's head so as to Face each other with arms crossed, right over left, either side of the Centre line;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bar 6.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points.
Bar 7
release Hold and individually Dance a small step backwards away from each other;
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, Bars 7-8.
Men's paths shown as full lines, ladies' broken, 1st couple's emboldened;
arrow heads show finishing points but not the facing direction.
Bar 8
continue to Dance backwards away from each other, Finishing Facing each other in the Side lines, in 3rd Place.
Allemande for 3 Couples in 3-couple Longwise Set, at end of Bar 8.
The 2nd couple in this 2-Couple Figure follow the Top couple, as closely as is practicable, as follows:
Bar 1
as bar 1 for the Top couple;
Bar 2
retaining Allemande hold, Dance Up The set to Finish with 2nd Lady half a Place Above 1st Lady's Place;
Bar 3
as bar 2 for the Top couple;
Bar 4
as bar 3 for the Top couple;
Bar 5
as bar 5 for the Top couple;
Bar 6
as bar 6 for the Top couple;
Bar 7
as bar 7 for the Top couple;
Bar 8
continue to Dance away from each other, Finishing Facing each other in the Side lines, in 2nd Place.
The 3rd couple in this 2-Couple Figure follow the 2nd couple, as closely as is practicable, as follows:
Bar 1
as bar 1 for the Top couple;
Bar 2
retaining Allemande hold, Dance Up The set to Finish with 3rd Lady half a Place Above 2nd Lady's Place;
Bar 3
as bar 2 for the 2nd couple;
Bar 4
as bar 3 for the 2nd couple;
Bar 5
retaining Allemande hold, continue Across The set to the Men's Side line, rotate anticlockwise, Dance Down and rotate anticlockwise to Finish Facing In with the Man in his Original Place (the Man taking appropriately small Steps);
as bar 5 for the Top couple;
Bar 6
as bar 6 for the Top couple;
Bar 7
as bar 7 for the Top couple;
Bar 8
continue to Dance away from each other, Finishing Facing each other in the Side lines, in 1st Place.
It is especially important that, at the end of bar 5, all three Couples are in the Men's Side line, 3rd Man in 1st Man's Place, 2nd Man in his own Place, 1st Man in 3rd Man's Place. Note that in all the rotations and the unwinding, the Men Dance On the spot, or almost so, While the Ladies rotate, taking large Steps as required.
In some dances, bars 7-8 for one or more Couples may have to be modified to suit the subsequent Figure.
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
Dance Video Clip Which Demonstrates Allemande for 3 Couples
Allemande for 3 Couples Video ClipLinks To Pages Related To 'Allemande'
Complex FiguresAllemande For 2 Couples
Allemande For 2 Couples (RSCDS Definition)
Allemande For 3 Couples
Allemande For 3 Couples (RSCDS Definition)
Allemande For 4 Couples
Allepousse
Circulating Allemande For 2 Couples
Circulating Allemande (For 3 Couples)
Interlocking Allemandes
Inverted Allemande
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