Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Corner Position For 4/2 Couples

In any Figure requiring three adjacent Couples in a Longwise set, Corner position (often shortened to Corner when there is no ambiguity), along with associated terms such as First corner and Diagonal line, provide an immensely valuable shorthand to teachers of Scottish Country Dancing.

This concept has also been applied to the 4 couple, Longwise set and to the 2 couple, Longwise set (or, indeed, to any Figure requiring four or two adjacent Couples in a Longwise set). Most associated terms are valid but note that with four Couples, the Corners' square is extended into a rectangle with its long side Up and down and with two, it is reduced to a rectangle with its short side Up and down.

In some Longwise sets with the 4 couple repeat in 4 couple set format, there are often two Dancing couples; when these have reached 2nd and 3rd positions, it is common to use the term, Corners, to refer to the Dancers in 1st and 4th Places. In Angus MacLeod, 2nd and 3rd couples are the Dancing couples; frequently, they are Back-to-back in the Centre of The set, Facing the adjacent Corner, with all Dancers disposed on either the First or Second corners' Diagonal.


Here are examples of those Scottish Country Dances for which we have instructions on this site and in which the term, Corner position, either appears explicitly or is implied; note that for a common term these will be a small selection; for a rare term, these may be all that exist:

Alex T Queen
Burdens Of Bude
Twixt Don And Dee
Wicked Willy


Links To Pages Related To 'Positions'

Set Structure

Additional search terms: Corner pstn, Crnr pstn.

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