Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Circle Of Cheer

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

CIRCLE OF CHEER (R32) Circle Jo Hamilton Let's All Dance Too
Circle, Man has Lady on his right

1- 8 All advance and retire, advance and retire ending facing partner
9-16 All dance Grand Chain to face 5th person
17-24 All dance DoSiDo with new partner and turn RH
25-32 All circle round and back

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


Circle Of Cheer
Jo Hamilton Let's All Dance Too
Reel n x 32 bars N Couple Repeat N Couple Set Progressive Large Circular Set
All form one large circle, L on partner's right, facing inwards around the room; if necessary, make concentric circles.

  1-8   All advance and retire twice, finishing facing partners;

  9-16 all grand chain for 4 places to meet a new partner;

17-20 all dos-à-dos with new partner;

21-24 all turn new partner with both hands;

25-32 all hands round to the left and back.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Notes

  9-16 Pass one dancer every two bars, i.e., pass by the right and by the left only twice each, as in bars 25-32 of The Eightsome Reel chorus.

    -16 As an aide-mémoire, you meet your new partner after passing by the left for the second time.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Circle Of Cheer - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video
Circle Of Cheer
Circle Of Cheer
"Children Dancing In A Ring" Hans Thoma (1839-1924), Oil On Canvas, c. 1872


Image copyright Hans Thoma, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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