Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Bride's Favourite

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

The Bride's Favourite 6 x 32 Bar Jig for three couples in a three couple set Ruary Laidlaw

1- 8 The first couple dances a full figure of eight across the dance between the second couple, beginning by dancing down between the second couple, finishing ready for... (See note at the end of the instructions)
9-16 All three couples dance reflection reels of three on their own sides taking hands as they meet. All three couples finish in the middle of the dance facing up with inside hands joined.
17-24 All three couples advance towards the top of the dance for two steps, retire to their own place on the sides of the dance and then turn their partner with the right hand.
25-32 The first couple cross over with the right hand and cast off to third place on the opposite side.. The 2s and 3s join hands and move up on 3 and 4. The first couple then turn each other one and a half times for bars with any mutually agreed turn to finish in third place on their own side.

Repeat the dance with a new top couple.

The first couple should begin on the opposite sides in their partner's place for the first time through only.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Ruary Laidlaw, Revised 1st March 2020)


Dance Notes

Bars 11-16 It might be helpful if corners start the reel by dancing slightly in towards each other while first couple just notice each other with the left shoulder.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Ruary Laidlaw)


Dance Instruction Videos

The Bride's Favourite - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

In 1976, during the holidays, I enjoyed having a morning bath and playing music loudly so that I could lie back and listen in a relaxed but concentrated way.

On one such day I was listening to "Below the Salt" and suddenly realised that the track I was listening to was going in eight bar phrases. No-one else was home so I rushed through to the stereo dripping water everywhere, started that track again, puddled back to the bath, topped it up with a bit more hot water and lay back to check on the phrasing, count how many phrases in each tune and how many tunes made up the whole piece. After several more trips through to the stereo and top-ups I had it - 32 bar tunes and 6 of them.

Such evocative music needed a dance to increase the pleasure, so here it is!

Music Note
This dance was composed for the original music, "The Bride's Favourite",as played by Steeleye Span on the album entitled "Below the Salt", CYL 34716 - "Jigs (2009 remaster)". This track is available from iTunes for $2.39 (2020).

When this particular recording is used, there is no chord at the beginning for a bow and curtsey, instead the first four bars are played slowly. The first couple should cross to the opposite side during the first two very slow bars, then all four couples should bow and curtsy on bars 3 and 4 as it speeds up. The first couple can then be ready to dance the second half of the figure of eight from the opposite side on bars 5 and 6. (see video)
(Thereafter the first couples can do the full Figure of Eight from their own side.)

Originally devised in 1976, this dance was revised in Auckland, March 2020 to make the formation for the first eight bars flow into the formation for the next eight bars. The first version didn't quite do that, this one does!

I hope you enjoy them wherever you are: the music as well as the dance.

(Dance information by the deviser, Ruary Laidlaw, Kihikihi, New Zealand, 2020)


Here is the original crib for The Bride's Favourite by Ruary Laidlaw, also available as a .pdf The Bride's Favourite (Portable Document Format).

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