The Breakdown
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE BREAKDOWN (R3x32) 3C set John W Mitchell 1979, Whetherly Book 41- 8 1s dance Fig of 8 on own sides (giving RSh to 2s)
9-16 1L followed by partner cast behind Ladies' side, 1L dances below 3L round and up while 1M dances round 2L to dance up the middle (1M leading) to top and cast down behind Men, 1M dances round 3M and 1L round 2M
17-24 1s dance reels of 3 across (Lady with 2s and Man with 3s) and 1s end facing up
25-32 1s dance RH across with 2L+3L and LH across with 2M+3M, 1s end 3rd place own sides. 231
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Breakdown A thirty-two bar Reel for three couples in a three couple longwise set, devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 4.
1- 8 First lady dances a figure of eight round second and third ladies, passing second lady by the right to start and finishing facing out. At the same time first man dances a figure of eight round second and third men passing second man by the right to start.
9-12 First lady casts off below third lady and dances up in front of her, whilst first man chases his partner behind second lady and dances in between second and third ladies to face up.
13-16 First man dances up and casts off behind second and third men then dances in to face third lady. Meanwhile first lady chases her partner behind second man and dances in between second and third men to face second lady.
17-24 First lady dances a reel of three across the set with second couple passing second lady by the right to start, at the same time first man dances a reel of three across the set with third couple passing third lady by the right to start.
25-28 First couple dance right hands across in a wheel with second and third ladies.
29-30 First couple dance left hands across in a wheel half way with second and third men.
31-32 Second and third ladies step up. Releasing hands first lady dances across into third place on the ladies’ side of the set, first man dances down into third place on own side, third man follows first man into second place on own side and second man dances up into first place on own side.
Repeat with new top couple.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Dance Instruction Videos
The Breakdown - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoPublished in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 4, 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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