Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Alder Burn

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE ALDER BURN (J8x32) 3C (4C set) John Drewry Brodie Book

1- 4 1s ½ turn RH moving down 1 place, set to partner and turn right about to face 1st corners
5-16 Dance to Corners and Set (12 bars):
 Couple in middle change places with corners passing RSh, corners pass RSh in middle with a ¼ turn to right to face next corner while supporting corners set (2 bars). Repeat 5 more times to end with corners in diagonally opposite place and 1s finish facing 3rd corner (position)
17-24 1s ¾ turn corner RH, set (facing in diagonal with corner on R), 1s+corners dance RH across ½ way (corners end in original place) and 1s face 4th corner (positions)
25-32 1s ¾ turn corners LH, set (facing diagonally in with corner on left), 1s+corners LH across ½ way. 213

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


The Alder Burn
John Drewry Brodie Book
Jig 8 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-2   1s cross down by the right to the centre of the set, finishing facing each other;

  3-4   1s set, pulling right shoulder back to finish facing first corners;

  5-16 courage reels:

  5-6   second corners set facing each other WHILE 1s, giving right shoulder, exchange positions with first corners, 1s finishing facing each other on the first corners' diagonal, first corners passing right shoulder in the centre and pulling right shoulder back to finish facing second corners;

  7-8   all repeat bars 5-6 from new positions rotated ¼ anticlockwise (1s setting facing on the first corners' diagonal WHILE corners exchange positions on the second corners' diagonal), finishing 1s facing each other on the first corners' diagonal, first corners facing each other on the second corners' diagonal, second corners in the centre;

  9-10 all repeat bars 5-6 from new positions (first corners setting facing on the second corners' diagonal WHILE 1s and second corners exchange positions on the first corners' diagonal), finishing 1s in the centre facing first corners (in second corners' positions), second corners facing each other on the first corners' diagonal, i.e., all have now rotated ¼ anticlockwise from the beginning of bar 5;

11-16 repeat bars 5-10 from the new positions, finishing with corners having exchanged places and 1s facing first corners (in partners' first corners' positions);

17-18 1s turn first corners ¾ by the right and take nearer hands to finish 1M3L facing 2M1L on the first corners' diagonal;

19-20 1M3L set facing 2M1L on the first corners' diagonal;

21-24 1M2M1L3L right hands across halfway, finishing first corners in original positions, 1s facing second corners (in partners' second corners' positions);

25-26 1s turn second corners ¾ by the left and take nearer hands to finish 1L3M facing 2L1M on the second corners' diagonal;

27-28 1L3M set facing 2L1M on the second corners' diagonal;

29-32 1L2L1M3M left hands across ¾ to finish 2s1s3s on own sides.

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

Dance Notes

'Dance to each Corner and Set' is also known as Courage Reels.
 

  5-10 Some dancers may prefer this alternative explanation of the 6-bar Courage Reel figure:
1s dance out to first corner positions, face in, set, dance back to the centre and pass right shoulder to face second corner positions WHILE first corners dance in to the centre, pass right shoulder, dance out to second corner positions, face in and set WHILE second corners set, dance in to the centre, pass right shoulder, dance out to first corner positions and face in.

29-32 1L 2L 1M 3M move quickly to finish in the side lines.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Information

The Alder Burn is below Ben Alder, on the north shores of loch Ericht in the Grampian mountains, due east of Fort William.
Alder Burn
Camped By The Alder Burn


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Image copyright Ali Ogden under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.

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