Burnside Strathspey
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Burnside Strathspey A 40 bar strathspey for four couples, danced in a square set. Bryan Russell 19891- 4 All four couples, joining hands in a circle, dance halfway round to the left. Couples face partners (men face anticlockwise, ladies face clockwise).
5- 8 Joining both hands with partners as if for a strathspey half-Poussette, couples will dance back one place round the set (finish in the order 2,3,4,1 - see note below).
9-16 Repeat the first 8 bars. (Couples will now have progressed halfway around the set - finishing order 3,4,1,2.)
17-20 All four men cross over, briefly giving right hands across in a wheel in passing to reach the opposite sides of the dance, whereupon they all set. At the same time, all four ladies set across the dance, then cross over, briefly giving right hands across in a wheel in passing, to reach the opposite sides of the dance.
21-24 Repeat, with men crossing and setting whilst the ladies are setting and crossing. (At the end of bar 24, the ladies remain facing out.)
25-40 Schiehallion reels.
41-80 Repeat Bars 1-40, in order to return to original positions.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Bryan Russell, 1989)
Dance Notes
The four bar phrases danced during Bars 5-8 and 13-16 are identical, and bear a strong kinship to the strathspey half-Poussette.Bar 1 The man advances setting diagonally on his right foot and his partner retires setting on her left foot;
Bar 2 Pivoting slightly, the man again advances setting diagonally on his left foot and his partner retires setting on her right foot;
Bars 3 and 4 Each couple turns using both hands (employing two strathspey travelling steps), and opens out to finish back in square formation, each man once again having his partner on his right.
(Dance notes by the deviser, Wilf Astley, 1989)
Dance Information
Recommended Music: As for "Dorney Wood" (Tunes: "Heart's Desire" and "Marie's Wedding") on Frank Reid's record "Just for you".(Dance information by the deviser, Bryan Russell, 1989)
Published in The Thistle And Vine, Copyright 2025, reproduced here with the kind permission of the president of RSCDS Adelaide And Districts Branch, Australia, 2025. All rights reserved.
Published in The Thistle And Vine Original, Copyright 1989, reproduced here with the kind permission of the president of RSCDS Adelaide And Districts Branch, Australia, 2025. All rights reserved.
Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Burnside Strathspey' page