The Cooper's Wife (Mitchell)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE COOPER'S WIFE (J8x40 in 10 Bar Phrases) 3C (4C set) John W Mitchell Whetherly Book 161-10 1s cast to 2nd place, dance full Fig of 8 round 2s and end facing 1st corners
11-20 1s ½ turn corners RH, corners turn LH 1½ times in middle as 1s chase clockwise to opposite corner and ½ turn corner RH, 1s turn partner LH to face 2nd corner
21-30 1s repeat with 2nd corners end facing 3rd corners (1st corner person)
31-40 1s dance ½ diagonal reel of 4 with 3rd corners, ½ diagonal reel with 4th corners and 1s turn LH to 2nd place own side. 213
2nd time 1s end in 3rd place and cast to 4th place as new 1s start
Note: original instructions state that 2s step up bars 9-10. Commonly 2s step up bars 1-2
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Cooper's Wife (Mitchell)
John W Mitchell Whetherly Book 16
Jig 8 x 40 bars 3 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
10 bar phrases.
1-2 1s cast to 2nd place WHILE 2s step up;
3-10 1s dance figures of 8 round 2s finishing facing first corners;
11-12 1s turn corners halfway by the right, finishing 1s facing clockwise;
13-16 corners turn by the left 1½ times in the centre WHILE 1s chase clockwise halfway;
17-18 1s turn corners halfway by the right;
19-20 1s turn by the left to face second corners;
21-30 repeat bars 11-20 with second corners, finishing facing first corners in partner's first corner position;
31-34 half diagonal reel of 4 with first corners, finishing facing second corners in partner's second corner position;
35-38 half diagonal reel of 4 with second corners;
39-40 1s turn by the left to finish in second place.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
The Cooper's Wife (Mitchell) - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the derivative dance The Cooper's Wife (Mitchell) by John W Mitchell, adapted for 3 couples by Reuben Freemantle.Also see the dance The Cooper's Wife (Will) by George Will.
This jig, The Cooper's Wife, by John W Mitchell was written in 10-bar phrases to accompany the well-known Scottish folk song Wee Cooper O' Fife - Song.
"The Wee Cooper O'Fife" is a Scottish folk song about a cooper who has "a braw new wife" who will not cook, clean, and sew in case she "spoil her comely hue". A town in Fife is called Cupar; this is a pun.
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden barrels.
Wee Cooper O' Fife' Song - Information Video
Barrel Making - Information Video
A Cooper At Work
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Wee Cooper O'Fife article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
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