Clutha
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
CLUTHA (R4x48) Sq.Set RSCDS Book 311- 8 1L+3M turn RH, dance round partner RSh to turn each other again RH ending in middle holding RH and partners LH
9-16 1s+3s Balance-in-Line, 1L+3M turn partners LH into the middle and Balance-in-Line again, turn partner LH to original positions
17-24 1s+3s dance R&L
25-32 1s+3s dance Ladies' Chain
33-40 All turn corners RH retaining hold and hold partner's LH to form a circle (Men facing out), all set and turn partner LH (4 bars) into prom hold
41-48 All dance round anticlockwise in prom hold to original positions
Repeat with 2L+4M, 3L+1M, 4L+2M
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Clutha
RSCDS Book 31
Reel 192 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Square Set
1-2 1L3M turn by the right;
3-6 1L 3M dance round partner (passing right shoulder);
7-8 1L3M turn by the right finishing 1M1L3M3L in balance position;
9-10 1M1L3M3L balance;
11-12 1s 3s turn by the left halfway to 1L1M3L3M;
13-14 1L1M3L3M balance;
15-16 1s turn by the left ¼ to place WHILE 3s turn by the left ¾ to place;
17-24 1s3s rights and lefts;
25-32 1s3s ladies' chain;
33-36 all turn corners by the right to finish in places (Mn facing out, Ls facing in);
37-38 all balance in circle;
39-40 all turn by the left ¾;
41-48 all promenade round, anticlockwise.
49-96 Repeat bars 1-48, 2s dancing as 1s, 4s as 3s.
97-144 Repeat bars 1-48, 3s dancing as 1s, 1s as 3s.
145-192 Repeat bars 1-48, 4s dancing as 1s, 2s as 3s.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
15-16 It is much less frantic and more manageable as a quarter turn for 1s rather than one and a quarter turns.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
Clutha - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Clutha is a Scottish Country Dance written down by Kate Hughes in about 1867 (as a longways dance) and probably modified into a square by Thomas Murphy - though I can't verify that. It was interpreted by the RSCDS in Book 31, 1983.Hughes wrote:
2. Cast a couple and swing (8)
3. Balance four in line with second couple and turn opposite partners (8)
4. Rights and lefts (8)
5. Set and turn opposite partners (8)
6. Half chasie and swing out time (8)
7. Pousette (8)
(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of George Williams)
"An Clutha" (more often spelt "An Cluadha") is the Gaelic name for "The Clyde", a major river in Scotland. (Clutha is also the name of a river on the South Island of New Zealand.)
See Clutha Mhòr for an excellent idea for an encore.
It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire.
This reel, Clutha, is said to refer to the movements of The Clutha ferry passenger harbour steamers. These provided an up-and-down service on the Clyde in Glasgow, and were collectively known as Cluthas. They were introduced on 12 April 1884, with six boats.
By 1899 twelve Clutha boats ran a service between Victoria Bridge and Whiteinch Ferry, taking about 45 minutes on the 3 miles (4.8 km) route which included 11 landing stages alternating on both sides of the river, and charging one penny fare for the full distance.
The Cluthas were busy - a newspaper article of the time tells us that in the year ended 30 June 1897 the number of passengers carried was 2,795,671. The passengers included workers commuting every day to the Clyde's docks and industries which included shipyards and engineering workshops.
This Clutha service was in addition to the cross ferries running from side to side of the river, which had introduced steam ferries in 1865.
Competing services were introduced by the Glasgow subway which opened in 1896, and the tram system from 1901. The Cluthas were withdrawn in 1903.
"Clutha" should be pronounced as "Kloo~" in English, with the stress on the first syllable and where:
"oo" is as in "noon"; and
"~" represents the very short, indeterminate, vowel sound.
With the alternative spelling, the pronunciation is, "Kloo~~".
See Gaelic Dance Names for more information on Gaelic spelling and pronunciation.
The River Clyde
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original The Clyde article on Wikipedia.
Text from this original Clutha Ferry article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Martin Le Roy.
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