The Barley Twist (Beaumont)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s cross down to dance mirror reels of 3 on opposite sides (3s in/up, 2s out/up to start). (1)23
9-16 3s cross up to dance mirror reels of 3 on opposite sides (1s continue on opposite sides). (1)2(3)4
17-24 All Ladies set advancing, Balance-in-Line, then dance below and around partner to place
25-32 All Men set advancing, Balance-in-Line, dance below and around partner to place
33-40 3s+4s (bottom 2 couples) dance ½ R&L; 2s+4s (middle 2 couples) dance ½ R&L
41-48 1s+4s (top 2 couples) dance ½ R&L; 4s and 2s dance ½ Fig 8 round couple below them. 4123

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

Dance Information

Barley sugar (barley twist or barley sugar candy) is a traditional variety of boiled sweet (hard candy), often yellow or orange in colour, which is usually made with an extract of barley, giving it a characteristic taste and colour. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "a confection, usually in twisted sticks, made from sugar, formerly by boiling in a decoction of barley."

The characteristic barley twist shape is used to describe many architectural features eg. barley twist chimney stacks and barley twist columns.

A Solomnic Or Barley Sugar Twist Column
Part Of The Balduchin In The Queensberry Aisle, Durisdeer, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland

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