The Big Corral
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Big Corral A forty-eight bar Reel for four couples in a square set. Devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 13.1- 4 All set to and turn partners with the right hand.
5- 8 All set to and turn partners with the left hand.
9-24 Schiehallion reels, ladies cast to commence as the men dance in.
25-32 Grand chain, one step to each hand.
33-36 Ladies dance right hands across in a wheel half way and turn the opposite man with the left hand.
37-40 Half ladies' chains: second and third ladies cross giving right hand to turn first and fourth men with the left hand, whilst first and fourth ladies cross giving right hand to turn second and third men with the left hand.
41-48 Eight hands round to the left in a circle and back to the right.
37-40 Half ladies' chains, first and second ladies (new numbers) change right hand and turn fourth
Repeat with new partner, but ladies' chains half way are done on the opposite diagonal: and third men whilst fourth and third ladies change right hands to turn first and second men. All ladies are now opposite their original partners. Repeat twice more as above to return to original places, ladies having danced with each man in turn. Recommended tune: The Big Corral Note If the second set of ladies' chains half way is danced on the same diagonal as the first set the ladies all return to their original partners. By alternating the chains the ladies progress.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 13, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell. Instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).
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