Covid Lockdown Strathspey

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 4 1s "Covid Turn": ½ turn 2H, pull back LSh to face partner, ½ turn 2H, pull back LSh dancing out to own side
5- 8 1s+2s circle 4H round to left 1 step, pull back LSh to face partner, 1s+2s circle 4H round to left 1 step, pull back LSh to end on opposite sides. (2) (1)
9-10 1s+2s set to diagonally opposite dancer, pull back LSh to face out
11-12 All set (2M on Ladies' side, 1M across bottom, 1L on Men's side, 2L across top), pull back LSh to face anticlockwise
13-14 All advance and retire (1 step each), pull back LSh to face clockwise
15-16 All advance and retire (1 step each), pull back LSh to finish on opposite sides. (2) (1)
17-20 All Petronella turn 1 place to right, repeat to end facing diagonally in. 1 2
21-24 All set, all advance 1 step, pull back RSh and dance out to place
25-32 All circle 4H ½ round to left (2 bars), dance ½ RH across (2 bars); all ½ turn partner RH (2 bars) and circle 4H ½ round to end on own sides. 2 1

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

1-4 First couple dance Covid Turn: half turn with both hands, a loop to the left releasing hands, half turn with both hands, a loop to the left releasing hands.
5-8 First and second couples dance half Covid Circle: circle to the left, a loop to the left releasing hands, circle to the left, a loop to the left releasing hands.
9-10 First and second couples set: first man and second woman on the side, first woman and second man across the dance.
11-12 First and second couples set: first man across the dance facing down, second woman across the dance facing up, first woman and second man on the side facing out. All finish facing in, turning to the left.
13-14 First and second couples one step forward and one step backward: first man and second woman on the lines, first woman and second man across the dance.
15-16 First and second couples one step forward and one step backward: first man and second woman across the dance, first woman and second man on the lines.
17-20 First and second couples half Schiehallion Reel: all the four dancers start the Schiehallion as usually done by men. All finish in the original place.
21-24 First and second couples set on the diagonal, one step forward and cast to place by the right.
25-32 First and second couples half circle to the left (2 bar), half right hand across (2 bar), change place with the partner with right hand (2 bar) and half circle to the left (2 bar) to progress.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Samuele Graziani, May 2020)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Covid Lockdown Strathspey - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

After publishing more than 50 dance videos on Youtube, one per day, they decided it was time to devise their own dance which represents this period.

Covid Lockdown Strathspey
bar 1-8: the virus is born and spreads
bar 9-16: lockdown: no contact with others, you can't go around, you have to stay at home
bar 17-24: the lockdown decreases, there are the first openings, something can be done but still no contact
bar 25-32: returning to normal life, Covid was defeated

Music: Any good strathspey (in the video we used "12 Coates Crescent")

(Dance information by the deviser, Samuele Graziani, 2020)

It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread globally, resulting in an ongoing pandemic.

As of 17 May 2020, when this dance was first published, more than 4.63 million cases had been reported across 188 countries and territories, resulting in more than 311,000 deaths. More than 1.69 million people have recovered.

Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and loss of smell and taste. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to an unusual form of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) likely precipitated by cytokine storm, multi-organ failure, septic shock and blood clots. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days but may range from two to fourteen days.

The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing and talking. The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than travelling through air over long distances. Less commonly, people may become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread is possible before symptoms appear, and from people who do not show symptoms.

Recommended measures to prevent infection include frequent hand washing, maintaining physical distance from others (especially from those with symptoms), quarantine (especially for those with symptoms), covering coughs and keeping unwashed hands away from the face. In addition, the use of a face covering is recommended for those who suspect they have the virus and their caregivers. Recommendations for face covering use by the general public vary, with some authorities recommending for them, some recommending against them and others requiring their use. There is limited evidence for or against the use of masks (medical or other) in healthy individuals in the wider community.

Coronavirus - Information Video

Covid Lockdown

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