Brighton Square

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Figure 1
1- 2 The ladies set, whilst the men dance a petronella turn in front of their partners to finish one man's place anticlockwise round the set.
3- 4 The men set, whilst the ladies dance in front of the man on their left to finish one ladies place clockwise round the set (ideally the ladies should turn left about as they do this, commencing with their left foot).
5-16 Repeat bars 1-4 three times back to place.
17-32 Grand chain, two steps to each hand. Figure 2

Figure 2
1- 4 All dance back to back with own partner.
5- 8 All turn partner with the right hand.
9-12 All dance back to back with corners, passing left shoulders as they advance and right shoulders as they retire.
13-16 All turn corner with the left hand.
17-24 The ladies dance a figure of eight round their partners and their corners, commencing by casting behind their partners .
25-32 The men dance a figure of eight round their partners and their corners, commencing by dancing in front of their partners. Figure 3

Figure 3
1- 8 First and third couples dance rights and lefts.
9-16 The ladies dance right hands across in a wheel and back with the left hand.
17-24 Second and fourth couples dance rights and lefts.
25-32 The men dance right hands across in a wheel and back with the left hand. Figure 4

Figure 4
1- 8 Double ladies' chains:
1- 2 the ladies dance right hands across in a wheel half way whilst the men dance into their partner's places;
3- 4 all turn with the left hand half way;
5- 8 repeat bars 1-4 back to place.
9-10 The ladies set advancing.
11-12 The ladies join hands in a circle and set.
13-16 The ladies dance four hands round to the left in a circle.
17-24 Double men's chain:
17-18 the men dance left hands across in a wheel half way whilst the ladies dance into their partner's places;
19-20 all turn with the right hand half way;
21-24 repeat bars 17-20 back to place.
25-26 The men set advancing.
27-28 The men join hands in a circle and set.
29-32 The men dance four hands round to the right in a circle. Figure 5

Figure 5
1- 8 The ladies cast behind their partners, dance right hands across in a wheel half way and cast behind their corners back to their original places.
9-16 The men cast behind their partners, dance left hands across in a wheel half way and cast behind their corners back to their original places.
17-20 All turn partner with the right hand once round.
21-24 All turn corner with the left hand once round.
25-32 Eight hands round to the left in a circle and back to the right.

Recommended tunes: Figure 1: The Freemason; Figure 2: The Boatie Rows; Figure 3: Four Leaf Clover; Figure 4: Boland's Favourite; Figure 5: Mist On The Bog

(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)

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