The Cane Toad Jig

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s dance reels of 3 on own sides, LSh to 2s to start. Bars 7-8: 1s pass 2s LSh but 1L ends in centre facing 3L. 213
9-24 1s dance "Hello and Goodbye Chase" with corners:
 1L dances Hello-Goodbye setting (14 bars) ending between 3s, Bars 23-24: 1L pulls back RSh to face down (pas-de-basque) while
 1M sets advancing to 3L (bars 9-10), dance Hello-Goodbye setting (14 bars) to end in centre in 2nd place facing down
25-32 1L followed by 1M casts up behind 3L, crosses to 2nd place Men's side and 1s cast up round 2s to top, 1s pass 2s RSh to 2nd place own side, 1M facing out. 213

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

1-8 First, second and third couples dance reels of three on own sides. First and second couples pass by left shoulders to begin. On bars 7-8 first and second couples pass by left shoulders to finish with first woman in the middle in second place facing third woman, first man in second man's place and second couple in top place.
9-24 First couple dance a "hello and goodbye" setting 'chase' with corners.
First woman dances the "hello and goodbye" figure for bars 9-22 all the way round to finish between third couple facing up. On the last two bars, the first woman (who will be between the third couple) should turn once around on the spot, pulling back her right shoulder, to finish facing down.
The first man does not begin the hello-goodbye figure until bar 11. Rather, on bars 9-10 first man advances across the set towards first corner before beginning to dance the figure. First man finishes in the middle in second place facing down. Corners set as appropriate. The figure is called a "hello goodbye chase" because the woman is dancing the figure 2 bars in front of the man.
25-32 First woman dances up behind third woman, across the set below second couple, up behind second man, across the set above second couple and down behind second woman to finish in second woman's place
while
first man dances down the middle, up behind third woman, across the set below second couple, up behind second man and down in front of second man to finish in second man's place facing out.

Repeat having passed a couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

Dance Notes

On bars 1-2 of the next sequence the original first couple dance to the bottom passing the original fourth couple by left shoulders.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Rod Downey)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

The Cane Toad Jig - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

The dance refers to the occasion when my sons Carlton and Alex chased and caught two cane toads during a visit to Pomona in 1993.

Symbolism 1-8 The chase.
9-24 The toads in a bucket trying to escape.
25-32 The boys let the toads go but chase after them.

The dance is intended to be rather playful, with no touching, since who wants to touch a cane toad? It is good for teaching intermediate dancers setting to corner and partner.

The recommended tune is "Juniper Jig" composed by C F Sherrit and played ABBA.

Suitable music - "The Lantern Of The North" recorded by Andrew Rankine and his Band on "The London Highland Club Diamond Jubilee" (LHC LP7), side 2, track 2 or "C'est L'Amour" recorded by Rob Gordon and his Band on "The Complete Caledonian Ball" (LDDL 8005), record 2, side 1, track 5.

(Dance information from The Cane Toad Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

Cane Toad

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'The Cane Toad Jig' page