The Boys Of Bluehill
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Boys Of Bluehill A sixty-four bar Reel for four couples in a longwise set., devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 8.1- 4 First and third couples set and cross to the opposite side giving right hand in passing.
5- 8 All four couples join hands on the sides and set, then turn partner once round with the right hand to finish in a promenade hold, each man with his partner on his right, first and third couples facing down and second and fourth couples facing up.
9-12 Commencing by passing the right shoulder dance a half reel of four in promenade hold.
13-16 The four ladies complete the reel of four: on bar 13 first man (at the foot) and fourth man (at the top) release their partners and commence to dance round the outside in a clockwise circle; on bar 14 second man releases his partner to follow first man into the circle whilst third man releases his partner to follow fourth man into the circle. At the end of bar 16 first and fourth couples meet own partner at their original end of the set.
17-24 First and fourth couples join nearer hands on bar 17 as the four men continue to dance round in a clockwise circle; second and third ladies dance out to the ends as if continuing the reel of four and join nearer hands with their partners as second and third man reach the top and foot of the set respectively at the end of bar 18. All four couples continue to dance round clockwise, the four ladies joining right hands across in a wheel on bar nineteen. The wheel finishes at the end of bar 24, all still in a grand cross formation, first couple at the top of the set, second couple on the men's side, third couple on the ladies' side and fourth couple at the foot; ladies back to back in the centre all facing own partner.
25-28 All set to partners and turn once round with the right hand.
29-40 Double reel of four, all commence by passing partner by the right shoulder, the men giving left hands across half way as they pass in the middle. All finish the reel where they commenced, ladies back to back in the middle facing their own partners.
41-48 Half a star grand chain: all change places with own partner giving right hand on bars 41-42, men advancing one place anticlockwise in the centre to face the next lady; all change places giving left hand on bars 43-44, the ladies advancing one place clockwise to face the next man; at the end of bar 48 all finish facing own partner.
49-52 All turn own partner with the right hand to finish back in a longwise set: fourth couple turn three quarters into top place facing down, third couple turn once into second place to finish man facing up and lady facing down, second couple turn one half round into third place to finish facing up and first couple turn one and a quarter to finish facing across.
53-56 Second, third and fourth couples dance half reels of three on own side of the set, to commence second and third ladies pass right shoulder as do the third and fourth men.
57-64 Eight hands round to the left in a circle for four bars and back to the right. Finish in the order 2, 3, 4, 1 all on own side of the set. Repeat with a new top couple. Recommended tune: The Boys of Bluehill
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 8, 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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