Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Cupar Barn Dance

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Cupar Barn Dance A forty bar Strathspey for four couples in a longwise set. On the second chord third and fourth couples cross to opposite sides. Devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 16.

1- 2 Second and third couples join hands on the sides and set.
3- 4 Second and third couples cross giving right hand.
5- 6 Second and third couples dance right hands across in a wheel half way.
7- 8 Second and third ladies change places giving right hand, whilst: third man casts off on the ladies' side to meet third lady in third ladies position; second man casts up on the men's side to meet second lady in second man's position; second and third couples take a promenade hold at the end of bar 8.
9-16 Promenade reels of three across the set: second couple with first couple, passing first lady by the right shoulder to commence; third couple with fourth couple passing fourth lady by the right to commence; second couple finish on the men's side of the set and third couple on the lady's side.
17-20 First couple dance right hands across in a wheel with second man and third lady, whilst fourth couple do the same with second lady and third man; on bar 20 second and third men leave the wheels to turn quickly three quarters with the left hand (retaining the hold). Meanwhile the other dancers complete the wheels (third couple are now in second place on own side and second couple in third place on opposite side).
21-24 Second and third couples dance left hands across in a wheel, to commence the ladies dance in behind their partners and join left hands. Meanwhile first lady followed by her partner casts off to fourth place on the ladies' side and crosses to the men's side and fourth lady followed by her partner casts up to first place on the men's side and crosses to the ladies' side.
25-32 Reels of four on the sides of the set.
33-36 First lady followed by her partner casts up on the men's side and crosses to third place on the ladies' side; fourth lady followed by her partner casts off on the ladies' side and crosses to second place on the men's side.
37-40 First lady and fourth man turn one and a half times with the left hand to change places, first man and fourth lady do the same. Finish in the order 3, 1, 4, 2.

Repeat with new top couple.

(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)

Dance Information

Recommended tune: Cupar Barn Dance.
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 16, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell; instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).

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