Catherine Livsey's Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 1C and 4C cross RH and cast 1C off and 4C up. 2C steps up, 3C steps down on 3 and 4.
5-8 1C dances a half figure of eight around 2C crossing up to begin and finish with 1W behind 1M facing 2M at top, and similarly 4C dances half a figure of eight down around 3C, and finish with 4W facing 3W and 4M immediately behind 4W. Thus we will have a diagonal 2M, 1M, 1W, 4M, 4W, 3W.
9-16 1C and 4C dance 2 corners of shadow hello-goodbye setting. To wit:
 9 All set on RF.
 10 1M on the left foot dances to 2M place, while 1W dances to 3M place; 4W dances on LF to 3W place and 4M to 2W place. First "corners" set on 1-2.
 Whilst it would be idea for this to be done in pas de Basque, unless the dancers are very strong it is quite a stretch, and might be best done with a LF skip change.
 11-12 1C set and then similarly use LF to finish facing 3M this time 1L will be in front of 1M. 4C dance similarly and finish facing 2W with 4M in front of partner.
 13-14 4C set and this time move to finish between 2C at top, in a line from the men's side, 2M, 4W, 4M, 2W. Similarly for 1C with 3M, and finishing in a line, from the men's side 3M, 1W, 1M, 3W, in 4th place.
 2W and 3M set.
 15-16 4C set moving down the centre of the set, 1C set moving up the centre of the set, all pulling back RS, finishing with 4C facing the men's side and 1C the ladies' side. (4W will be in front of 4M, 1M in front of 1W at the end of bar 16.)
17-24 1C, 4C dance "corners pass and turn in (lead change) tandem". To wit:
 17-20 While 2M and 3W turn right hand and return to places, 1C dance out to 4th lady's place, with lead change, so that 1W is in front of 1M at the end of bar 18. Similarly for 4C so that now the 4M is leading.
 1C and 4C will pass collective right shoulder to dance into bars 21-22, finishing 1W (with 1M behind) facing 2W who is in 1W place, and similarly 4C finishing facing 4th man's place.
 21-24 Repeat this with 2W and 3M, again lead changing.
 1C and 4C will again pass right shoulder (1M and 4W leading). 4C will be in second place in from the sidelines and 1C in third place similarly, flowing into...
25-28 1C and 4C dance 4 hands across.
29-32 1C and 4C turn partners once around RH.

Finishing order 2, 4, 1, 3. Repeat from new positions.

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Catherine Livsey's Reel - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

I am dedicating this dance to Catherine and the group at Leeds who, aside from being generally supportive, trial many of my dances and correct many which "worked in my head."

I have several dances with hello-goodbye setting in tandem such as "The Three Oaks" and "Desiree Patterson". The idea of having one dancer behind the other, shadow hello-goodbye setting, I found in a dance called "Tail Kinker's Jig" by Sandra Kesler, although this was only for one couple, like my dance "The Cane Toad Jig," which has a hello-goodbye setting chase. I thought this figure would be sympathetic with the corners pass and turn in lead change tandem, taken from "My Golden Bear", from the "Golden Bear collection.

Recommended music is "The Shetland Fiddler" by P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay. It should be played quite slowly. Failing that a very steady reels is needed, possibly 2/4 if you have a musician.

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

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