Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Bona Chord

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Bona Chord (R4x32) A 32 bar reel for four couples in a longwise set. Murrough Landon, 2017
The dance starts with two chords: on the second chord the 2nd and 4th couples cross over to the opposite side.

1- 4 1st couple with 2nd man, also 4th couple with 3rd man, each dance half a reel of three across. 1st and 4th women start by passing their partner right shoulder and end in the centre facing their own side. 1st and 4th men end in their partner's original place.
5- 8 1st couple with 2nd woman, also 4th couple with 3rd woman, each dance half a reel of three across. 1st and 4th couples start by passing their partner left shoulder. 1st and 4th men end on their own sides between 2nd and 3rd places. 1st and 4th women end back to back in the centre facing their partners. 2nd and 3rd couples end in 1st and 4th places respectively with 3rd couple now on the opposite side.
9-16 1st and 4th couples dance a reel of four across, starting by giving right shoulder to their partner. They end in promenade hold with their partner, facing out and to the right.
17-24 1st and 4th couples, in promenade hold, giving right shoulder to 2nd and 3rd men, dance half a reel of three on the sides, then half a reel of three across. 1st and 4th couples end facing each other down and up in the centre. 3rd and 2nd couples end in 1st and 4th places respectively with 2nd couple now on the opposite side.
25-32 1st and 4th couples dance right hands across and then left hands across. The final order is 3,1,4,2 with 1st and 2nd couples on opposite sides.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA July 2017)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Bona Chord - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Recommended music: Suggested tune Dance for Joy! by James Gray; suitable recording Carlin's Loup (J Gray And S Petrov: Opus Dance - Tweeddale).

(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA July 2017)


Published in Bona Chord, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA.

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