Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Black Chanter Of The MacPhersons

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Black Chanter of the MacPhersons
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 11: Three Dozen
6/8x32 bar Strathspey
2-couple dance in 3- or 4-couple longways set

  1-8   SET AND LINK TWICE: 1st and 2nd couples set and link twice (on bars 7-8, 2nd man and 1st woman turn halfway with left hands to face partner in a diagonal line);

  9-16 REEL OF 4: 1st and 2nd couples dance a Reel of 4 ending with 1st woman and 2nd man curling into original places (1st woman facing out);

17-18 CHASE: 1st woman followed by 1st man cast off one place and cross over into middle;

19-24 TURN AND LEAD UP: 1st couple turn once round with right hands (4 bars), lead up the middle, and turn to face down in allemande hold (2nd couple step in to face them in allemande hold);

25-32 KEPPOCH:
Bars 25-28: 1st and 2nd couples dance forward on right, hop, backward on left, hop (as in the 1st bar of the Glasgow Highlanders setting step), then travel forward diagonally to the right (1 bar), forward on left, hop, backward on right, hop (as in the 3rd bar of the Glasgow Highlanders setting step), then travel forward diagonally to the left (1 bar): couples have now changed places, men passing left shoulders, and are now back-to-back;
Bars 29-32: dropping front hands, turn once to end on own side.

Repeat from 2nd place.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)


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