Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Birls Allowed

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

BIRLS ALLOWED (J8x32) 3C (4C set) Alex Taylor Bannockburn 700

1- 8 1s cross RH and cast 2 places (3s face down), 1s with 3s+2s dance ½ reflection reel of 3 (1s dancing in/up, 3s down/out, 2s in/down to start) (1)32
9-16 1s cross down to dance full reels of 3 on own sides. 132
17-24 3s+2s (bottom 2 couples) set and rotate:
 Set, rotate singly and dance on 1 place clockwise, change places RH on sides and dance on 1 place to own sides (3s in 2nd place) 123
25-32 1s+2s dance ½ R&L, 2s+1s turn partner 1½ times RH. 213

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


Dance Notes

Unofficial Variation (but with the approval of the deviser Alex Taylor)

Bars 17-24 AS 3s2s (botts) set and rotate ALSO 1s full wide graceful RH turn (4 bars) then same back LH (or birl RH then LH)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Birls Allowed - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

We assume that the name of this dance is a pun on the name of a famous girl band, Girls Aloud, which was created through the British ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

The Girls Aloud group comprised singers Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They achieved a string of twenty consecutive top ten singles in the United Kingdom, including four number ones and also achieved seven certified albums, of which two reached number one.

Girls Aloud have been nominated for five Brit Awards, winning the 2009 Best Single for "The Promise".

Girls Aloud - The Promise Song - Information Video

Girls Allowed
Girls Allowed


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Girls Aloud article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright CKWNNS (Own work) Creative Commons Licence 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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