Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

April Fool (McKinnell)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

APRIL FOOL (J8x32) 3C (4C set) Sue McKinnell http://suedan.com/dances/instructions/aprilfool.html

1- 8 1s cross down to face out between 2s and 3s and set as in Double Triangles (2s step up bars 1-2); 1s dance out, cast round 1st corners into centre and pull back RSh to end BtoB, 1L facing up, 1M facing down
9-12 1L+2s and 1M+3s set as in Double Triangles, 1s pas-de-basque out and pull back RSh to face down/up while 2s and 3s pas-de-basque in and pull back RSh to face out
13-16 1s cross RH up/down centre and cast to right into 2nd place opposite sides while 2s and 3s set turning clockwise and chase 1 place (2L to 3L, 3M to 2M place)
17-20 1s cross RH, cast to right to end 1L between 3rd positions facing up and 1M between 2nd positions facing down while 2s+3s set and chase clockwise 1 place to end 3s in 1st place and 2s in 3rd place both on opposite sides.
21-24 1s pass LSh to dance ½ diagonal reel with 4th corners (positions) to end facing 3rd corner (positions).
25-28 1s dance ½ diagonal reel with 3rd corners (position) ending BtoB facing own sides in 2nd place
29-32 2s+1s+3s set as in Double Triangles, 1s set advancing into 2nd place own sides. 213

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


April Fool (McKinnell) 8x32 Jig for 3C by Sue McKinnell

1-4 1C cross down to face out opposite sides in 2nd place; 2C stepping up immediately. 2C, 1C, and 3C set as in double triangles.
5-8 1C cast behind 1st corners and in the ends of the set, pulling RS back to end back to back, 1W facing up and 1M facing down.
9-12 1W and 2C, 1M and 3C dance four bars of inverting double triangles up and down the dance.
13-16 1C cross RH and cast right to end in 2nd places on opposite sides WHILE 2C and 3C set turning to face CW, then chase one place around the outside of the set (2W to 3W place, 3M to 2M place).
17-20 1C cross RH and cast right to end 1W between 3C position facing up and 1M between 2C position facing down WHILE 2C and 3C set and chase one position CW to end 3C in 1st position and 2C in 3rd position, both on opposite sides.
21-24 1C pass LS into ½ diagonal reel of four with 2nd corners (who are in positions diagonally opposite from original positions). 1C end facing 1st corners, who are in positions diagonally opposite from original positions.
25-28 1C dance ½ diagonal reel of four with 1st corners, ending back to back facing own sides in 2nd position.
29-32 2C, 1C, and 3C set as in double triangles, then 1C set advancing into 2nd place on own sides.

Repeat.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Sue McKinnell, Apr 2003)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Information

Suggested music is The Starry Eyed Lassie from Miss Ogilvie's Fancy by Green Ginger.

(Dance information by the deviser, Sue McKinnell)


April Fool is a phrase associated with April Fools' Day, celebrated on April 1st.

April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (sometimes called All Fools' Day) is an annual celebration on April 1, commemorated by practical jokes and hoaxes. The player(s) of the joke(s) or hoax(es) often exposes their action by shouting "April fool(s)" at the recipient(s). The recipient of these actions are called April fools.

Mass media can be involved in these pranks that the following day are reported as such. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country.

On April Fool's Day 2003, in the month that this dance was devised, The Inverness Courier reported on opposition to a plan to build a six-foot high fence around parts of Loch Ness in order to protect the public from Nessie...

More April Fool's Day 2003 Pranks

April Fool illustration of a prank
"April Fool" Frederick Burr Opper (1857-1937), Chromolithograph, c. 1884
Illustration From Puck, v. 15, No. 369, (1884 April 2), Cover.


This page contains both original content, which is copyrighted, and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources using the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Text from this original April Fool's Day article on Wikipedia.
Image from (cropped) Opper, Frederick Burr, 1857-1937, artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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