Dalry (Mitchell)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Dalry A thirty-two bar Jig for three couples in a longwise set. Devised by John W Mitchell. Published in Whetherly Book 1.1- 2 First couple set.
3- 4 First couple cross, dancing down below second couple as they do so, whilst second couple set (give right hand when crossing).
5- 6 First couple cast up on the opposite sides, whilst second couple cross, dancing down below third couple as they do so, and third couple set (give right hand when crossing).
7- 8 First and third couples cross, giving right hands in passing, whilst second couple cast up into second place on the opposite side.
9-16 Crossing reels: reels of three on the sides, each couple in turn crossing from second place to the top or the foot of the set. To commence, first couple cast down, second couple cross up and third couple cast up, first couple passing between second and third couples, then cross down.
17-24 Reels of three on the sides: first couple from first place remain on own side of the set; second couple cross up to first place on own side, third couple cast up on opposite side, then cross up to own side on bars 19-20.
25-26 First couple cast into third place, whilst second and third couples continue their reels on the sides.
27-28 First couple turn with the right hand, moving up into second place, whilst second couple cast off and third couple finish reels.
29-30 Second couple turn with the right hand, moving up into first place, whilst third couple cast off into third place.
31-32 Third couple turn with the right hand to finish in third place.
Repeat from second place. On the repeat, on bars 31-32, third couple turn into second place, whilst first couple step down. This can also be done as a three couple set for demonstration purposes.
Note: The dance is a fugue, the three couples dancing what is basically the same pattern at two bar intervals:
set, cross; cast up, cross; crossing reels; reel on side; cast off, turn.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 1, 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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