Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Bow Fiddle Shore

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

The Bow Fiddle Shore 96 bar Medley (S32+R32+S32) for 4 Couples in a 4 Couple Set, devised by Margaret Zadworny, 2007, Published in Aye Afloat - Portknockie Collection.

Strathspey
1- 8 All advance and retire (1 bar each)
 1st and 2nd couples, and 3rd and 4th couples, link (as set and link)
 1st and 4th couples repeat advance and retire and link. 2413
9-16 Left shoulder reels of four on the sidelines
17-24 All set
 Cross right hand, 2nd and 3rd couples remain in the centre
 Circle eight hands round halfway to the left. 3142
25-32 3rd man with 1st lady change places left hand while 2nd man with 4th lady change places right hand
 All set facing partner on sidelines
 1st and 2nd couples turn partner left hand while 3rd and 4th couples turn partner right hand
 Finish with men back to back in the centre facing partner in corners

Reel
1- 8 Intersecting diagonal reels of four with quick half left hands across in the centre
9-16 Chorus:
 All change places right hand with partner
 Ladies dance half left hands across while men chase one place clockwise
 All change places right hand in corners
 Men dance half left hands across while ladies chase one place clockwise
17-24 Repeat intersecting reels of four
25-32 Repeat Chorus (bars 9-16)
 Men dance half left hands across to sidelines between partners while ladies chase one place clockwise
 All finish facing across:
 Men's side: 2nd lady, 2nd man, 3rd man, 3rd lady
 Ladies' side: 4th lady, 4th man, 1st man, 1st lady

Strathspey
1- 8 All set
 4th lady with 2nd man change places left hand while 1st lady with 3rd man change places right hand. (2)(4)(1)(3)
 All set to partner
 Change places both hands, finishing in the centre, 2nd and 1st couples facing down, 4th and 3rd couples facing up
9-16 2nd and 4th couples, and 1st and 3rd couples, set facing up and down
 Circle four hands round to the left
 Set on the sidelines. 2413
17-24 2nd and 1st couples turn right hand
 Turn left hand while 4th and 3rd couples turn left hand
 Turn right hand
25-32 4th and 1st couples advance and retire and Link
 All advance and retire and Link to finish. 1234

(WEECRIB)


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Keith Rose's Crib Diagram


Dance Instruction Videos

The Bow Fiddle Shore - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Portknockie lies along the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland, where the rugged shoreline is a defining feature of the landscape. Just offshore stands Bow Fiddle Rock, a striking formation of quartzite rising around 50 feet from the sea.

Eroded by waves over time, the rock features a natural arch that curves like the bow of a fiddle, making it a distinctive landmark along the coast.

Bow Fiddle Rock and Bow Fiddle shoreline
Bow Fiddle Rock With Bow Fiddle Shore In Foreground


This page uses content under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, along with original copyrighted content and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources.
Text from this original Bow Fiddle Rock article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright J. Thomas under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.

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