Back O' The Change House
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Back O' The Change House A forty-eight bar Strathspey for four couples in a square set. Devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 11.1- 4 The ladies dance right hands across in a wheel, three quarters round the set, finishing on the sides. Meanwhile the men set Highland Schottische.
5- 8 The ladies set Highland Schottische; whilst the men dance left hands across in a wheel, three quarters round the set to finish facing their original opposite lady (men all back to back in the centre of the set).
9-12 First and third couples dance a half reel of four across the set. Meanwhile second man turns fourth lady once round with the right hand, fourth man turning second lady similarly.
13-16 Second and fourth couples dance a half reel of four up and down the set. Meanwhile first man turns third lady once round by the right hand, whilst third man turns the lady similarly. At the end of the reel second and fourth men join left hands as they pass, first and third men similarly joining left hands at the end of their turns.
17-20 Repeat bars 5-8, the men wheeling three quarters round by the left hand whilst the ladies set.
21-24 Repeat bars 1-4, the ladies dancing right hands across whilst the men set (all are now back in their original places).
25-28 Men petronella one place anticlockwise round the square and set. Meanwhile the ladies set and dance right hands across in a wheel one place clockwise round the set, ladies finish in the centre of the set.
29-32 Each man turns the lady he is now facing into the sidelines with the left hand.
33-40 Repeat bars 25-32, but finish by each man turning his own partner with the left hand completely round so that the ladies are back to back in the centre of the set.
41-42 All set to partners.
43-44 All turn partners half way with the right hand.
45-46 The ladies dance one place clockwise round the set, whilst the men dance a quick three quarter wheel with the left hand.
47-48 All turn partner into the sidelines. First couple are now in fourth place.
Repeat with new top couple. Recommended tune: Back O' The Change House.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 11, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell. Instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).
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