Baldovan Reel
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
BALDOVAN REEL (R4x32) 4C set Douglas Henderson Baldovan Dances and RSCDS book 531- 8 1s dance RSh round each other (2s dance up to top) and dance 6 bars of Crown Triangles (start with 1M facing 3s and 1L facing 2s). End 1M facing up, 1L facing down
9-16 1s dance diagonal RSh reel of 4 with 2nd corners, 1s pass RSh
17-24 1s dance diagonal RSh reel of 4 with 1st corners, 1s pass RSh to end in 2nd place on opposite sides
25-32 1s set and cast 1 place, cross over RH and change places LH on side with 4s. 2341
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Baldovan Reel
Douglas Henderson Baldovan Dances and RSCDS book 53
Reel 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-2 2s move up quickly WHILE 1s pass by the right to finish back to back, 1L facing 2s, 1M facing 3s;
3-8 crown triangles, finishing facing second corners;
9-16 1s diagonal reel of 4 with second corners;
17-24 1s diagonal reel of 4 with first corners, finishing in 2nd place on opposite sides;
25-28 1s set and cast;
29-30 1s cross by the right below 3s;
31-32 1L4L 1M4M cross by the left on the sides.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
1-2 2s must step up quickly and face down.
1s can facilitate their own quick movement by taking right hands and turning ¾ as they move down.
3s face up.
3-8 Maintain the St Andrew's cross position in crown triangles; 1s back to back, all with straight arms on the diagonals.
-24 1s finish the diagonal reels on the opposite sides.
Baldovan Reel (3 couple version)
Douglas Henderson Baldovan Dances
Reel 3 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 3 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-2 2s move up quickly WHILE 1s pass by the right to finish back to back, 1L facing 2s, 1M facing 3s;
3-8 crown triangles, finishing facing second corners;
9-16 1s diagonal reel of 4 with second corners;
17-24 1s diagonal reel of 4 with first corners, finishing in 2nd place on opposite sides;
25-28 1s set and cast;
29-32 1s turn by the right 1½ times.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Special Notes for 3 couple version
Unless there is a live band, the music will be 4 times through and so the original 1s will dance as top couple twice and will be in 3rd place at the end of the dance.
29-32 These are the changed movements.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
Baldovan Reel - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the dance Baldovan Jig by Douglas Henderson, from Baldovan Set Dances (Paperback 1960 by Douglas Henderson).Also see the dance Baldovan Strathspey by Douglas Henderson, from Baldovan Set Dances (Paperback 1960 by Douglas Henderson).
Baldovan Reel was devised by Douglas Henderson who lived for a time in Dundee and named it after Baldovan, an old village to the north of Strathmartine which is itself to the north of Dundee, in the Scottish county of Angus.
Baldovan village was developed most significantly in the 1830s in order to expand Dundee to the north.
For a long while the village became an independent community with their own tram terminus and railway station, Baldovan and Downfield, serving the northern suburbs of Dundee around Strathmartine, including Bridgefoot, Downfield and Baldovan. Services were provided by the Dundee and Newtyle Railway.
Baldovan village however, is no longer there, having been substantially swallowed up in Dundee's later redevelopments, only now remembered in Baldovan Road which runs from Strathmartine to Downfield.
Recommended music: Baldovan Reel composed by Betty Low, published in Baldovan Set Dances.

Baldovan Set Dances, 1960

Baldovan 1974
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Baldovan Railway Station article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Ben Brooksbank under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
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