Back To Square One
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Back To Square One (S4x32) 32 bar hands-free strathspey for four couples in a square set, Murrough Landon, 2020.1-4 1st and 3rd couples dance half a Men's Change. This is half a Men's Chain but without taking hands: the men pass each other left shoulder then the opposite woman right shoulder. They end facing their new partner (1st and 3rd men facing 3rd and 1st women) as 2nd and 4th couples face their partner.
5-8 All dance back to back with the person they are facing, passing right shoulder.
9-10 All dance two bars of Highland Schottische setting to the right. The women end shoulder to shoulder in the centre, the men well outside the set.
11-12 All now travel for two bars starting with the left foot. The women chase clockwise half way round the centre to the opposite sides while the men curve round to the next man's place anticlockwise to face a new partner on the sides of the square.
13-16 All repeat bars 9-12 with two bars of Highland Schottische to the left. Then, starting as usual with the right foot, the men chase anticlockwise half way round the centre while the women curve round to the next woman's place clockwise.
1st and 3rd couples are now facing their partner, 2nd and 4th couples are facing their opposite (2nd and 4th men facing 4th and 2nd women).
17-20 All dance back to back with the person they are now facing, passing left shoulder.
21-24 2nd and 4th couples dance half a Men's Change. All end facing their partner in the order 2,3,4,1.
25-32 All dance half a Grand Change (a Grand Chain without taking hands) with two bars per person ending in the order 4,1,2,3.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA March 2020)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
Back To Square One - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
The Covid pandemic encouraged hands-free dances. During the first lockdown my number one favourite local walk included Tavistock Square in London.Unusually it has more statues of women than men and also several monuments for peace. So I kept going back to it - also in the series of subsequent lockdowns.
Recommended music: The Lonach Highlanders (Alexander Walker).
Suitable recording: Miss McLean of Inverness (Kafoozalum: London Branch 75th Anniversary).
(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA March 2020)
Tavistock Square is a historic garden square located in the Bloomsbury district of central London, England. It is known for its tranquil surroundings amidst the bustling city, offering a peaceful retreat and a place of reflection.
The square dates back to the early 19th century when it was developed as part of the Tavistock Estate. It was named after the nearby Tavistock House, the residence of the Dukes of Bedford. The layout and design of the square reflect the Georgian architectural style prevalent during its initial development.
One of the notable features of Tavistock Square is its central garden with mature trees, flower beds, and pathways, Mahatma Gandhi Statue, Tavistock Square Memorial, Conscientious Objectors' Commemorative Stone and Statue of Virginia Woolf
Tavistock Square has historical significance as a site of cultural and intellectual activity. Over the years, it has been associated with many prominent figures in literature, academia, and politics. Notably, Virginia Woolf lived at 52 Tavistock Square from 1924 to 1939, during which time she wrote several of her major works. A blue plaque commemorates her residence and literary contributions.
Square One, Tavistock Square Gardens, Camden, London
Published in Back To Square One, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Tavistock Square article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright John Winfield under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Back To Square One' page