The Belle Of Bon Accord
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE BELLE OF BON ACCORD (S4x32) 4C set John Drewry Deeside Book 21- 8 1L and 3L cross down 1 place and cast up on opposite side into centre as 1M and 3M dance across and cast down into centre, 1s+2s and 3s+4s dance RH across
9-16 1s and 3s dance reel of 4 up and down centre of dance
17-24 1s and 3s ¾ turn RH to face up while 2s and 4s dance up on sides and turn in to face down and all set, all circle 4H round to left and end on sides
25-32 1s and 3s lead up between 2s/4s crossing over and cast down 1 place, 1s and 3s turn 2H and 1s dance down to 4th place as 3s cast up on own sides to 2nd place
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Belle of Bon Accord
John Drewry Deeside Book
Strathspey 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
3s dance as 1s, 2s as 4s for bars 1-8 and 17-30.
1-4 1L cross down between 2s and cast up round 2M WHILE 1M cross and cast, finishing on the centre line, 1L facing down 1M up;
5-8 1s2s right hands across;
9-16 1s3s reel of 4 up and down;
17-18 2s dance up and face down WHILE 1s turn ¾ by the right to face up (on opposite sides), both couples finishing with nearer hands joined;
19-20 2s1s set facing in lines across;
21-24 2s1s four hands round to the left;
25-28 1s cross up into half figures of 8 around 2s;
29-30 1s turn both hands;
31-32 1s take nearer hands and lead down to 4th place WHILE 3s cast up to 2nd place.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
The Belle of Bon Accord - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the dance Six Belles Of Bon Accord by John F Rigby.Belle is French for "beautiful".
Bon Accord is the motto of the city of Aberdeen and is often used as another of the many nicknames for the city; it means "Good Agreement" in French.
Legend tells that its use dates from the 14th century password used by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence, when he and his men laid siege to Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308 and massacring the English Garrison, retaking Aberdeen for the townspeople. The secret phrase to initiate the campaign was "Bon Accord".
We do not know which exact belle John Drewry refers to in the title.
"Princess Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart" (Daughter of James VII and II) Alexis Simon Belle (1674-1734), Oil Painting c. 1704
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Heraldry Of Aberdeen article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Alexis Simon Belle, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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