A Bevy Of Black Swans
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
A Bevy Of Black Swans 32 bar jig for 7 couples in a longwise set Rod Downey The Piwakawaka CollectionActive couples are 1, 3, 5 and 7.
1-2 Active couples set advancing to partner's right to form a zig-zag line along the centre line of the set, joining hands with partner and person above them (if any). (That is, as in The Wild Geese, 1L will have partner's right hand and join left hand with 3M, etc.)
3-4 All active couples set.
5-8 Active couple at top (i.e. 1C) cast to 7th place, while remaining active couples (3C, 5C and 7C turn RH once round and lead up to odd place above them. That is, for example, 3C lead up to 1st place, etc.
9-16 Active couples repeat 1-8 from new positions.
17-24 Active couples repeat 1-8 from new positions.
25-28 2C, 4C, 6C turn RH once round, cast down one place with 1C, 3C, and 5C stepping up on 27-28.
29-32 All take hands on the side and advance and retire.
Finishing order 7,1,2,3,4,5,6.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)
Dance Information
This jig was first devised 29/9/2023.Lee Miller taught the dance "The Black Swans of Narrabeen" by Olivier Roberts (which is similar to "A Flock of Geese" by Mel and Ellie Briscoe) which is a 5 couple version of "The Wild Geese' and it occurred to me that it would also work in 7 couples with a modification.
The music obviously is "Mrs MacPherson of Cluny" by Joseph Lowe, which is the traditional lead tune for "The Wild Geese". Since you can't get that as a 7C recording, if you can use the one by the Berkeley Players.
(Dance information from The Piwakawaka Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)
Published in The Piwakawaka Collection, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey.
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