Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Between Two Lakes

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Between Two Lakes (S4x32) A 32 Bar Strathspey For Four Couples. Murrough Landon
The dance starts with two chords: 3rd and 4th couples cross to opposite sides on the second chord.

1-4 1st and 4th couples cross giving right hands and cast inwards one place as 2nd and 3rd couples step out to the ends.
5-8 1st and 4th couples dance left hands across.
9-12 2nd and 1st couples also 4th and 3rd couples dance right hands across. 1st and 4th couples end facing each other on the sides.
13-16 1st and 4th couples pass each other left shoulder and loop left shoulder around the corners (1st woman around 3rd woman etc). They end passing each other again left shoulder so that 1st couple face up in 2nd place and 4th couple face down in 3rd place. Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd couples set advancing on the diagonals and then retire diagonally back to place.
17-20 1st and 2nd couples also 3rd and 4th couples giving both hands turn one and half times on the side, then open out to form circles at top and bottom.
21-24 1st with 2nd couples also 3rd with 4th couples circle four hands round to the left and end facing up and down in the centre, nearer hands joined with partner. All are back in the original order (1,2,3,4) but now with 1st and 3rd couples on opposite sides.
25-32 All dance through the mirror rondels:
 25 1st and 4th couples dance down/up under arches made by 2nd/3rd couples.
 26-27 1st and 4th couples circle four hands half way round, dropping hands early with partner but retaining nearer hands with opposites to end beside them on the sidelines, finally switching to take the other nearer hand with 2nd and 3rd couples. Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd couples cross at the top/bottom and come in to join nearer hands with 4th and 1st couples on the sides.
 28-30 2nd and 4th couples at the top also 1st and 3rd couples at the bottom, with the men making arches, continue the rondels as usual.
 31-32 2nd and 3rd couples again make the arches, facing up/down respectively.

End in the order 2, 4, 1, 3 with 1st and 3rd couples on opposite sides.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon CC BY-SA April 2017, revised September 2018)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Between Two Lakes - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

This strathspey, Between Two Lakes, was devised by Murrough Landon for Liz And Colin Anderson who teach at and help organise dance groups in Annecy and Geneva which are both cities beside lakes named after them.

2nd and 3rd couples stay in their own halves of the set representing the groups in each city, while 1st and 4th couples, representing the double lives of Liz and Colin, constantly flit between them.

Recommended Music: Suitable recording: Janet's Cup of Tea (Glencraig: Stirling at 90).

(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA 2017 (revised September 2018))



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