The Dancing Doctor
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Dancing Doctor 32-bar strathspey for four couples in a four-couple square set. Ros McKie1-8 All four women dance right hands across and left hands back to finish in the middle of the set facing their partners.
9-16 All four couples dance a double reel of four starting by giving right shoulders to partner. The four women finish in the middle of the set facing their partners.
17-20 2nd and 4th couples, giving right hand to partners, change places and set to partners. At the same time, 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands to partners, turn half way round to finish facing anti-clockwise around the set in promenade hold and dance one place anti-clockwise round the set passing through the setting couples.
21-24 2nd and 4th couples, giving both hands, dance a half turn to finish facing clockwise round the set with nearer hands joined and dance one place clockwise around the set making an arch for the couple coming the other way and finish in third and first places.
At the same time 1st and 3rd couples continue dancing anti-clockwise round the set to finish in second and fourth places.
25-32 All four couples dance eight hands round and back.
Repeat the dance from new positions, with the men leading.
1-8 All four men dance left hands across and right hands back to finish in the middle of the set facing their partners.
9-16 All four couples dance a double reel of four starting by giving left shoulders to partner. The four men finish in the middle of the set facing their partners.
17-20 2nd and 4th couples, giving right hand to partners, turn once round and set to partners.
At the same time, 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands to partners, turn once round to finish facing anti-clockwise around the set in promenade hold and dance one place anti-clockwise round the set passing through the setting couples.
21-24 2nd and 4th couples, giving both hands, dance a half turn to finish facing clockwise round the set with nearer hands joined and dance one place clockwise around the set making an arch for the couple coming the other way and finish in third and first places respectively.
At the same time 1st and 3rd couples continue dancing anti-clockwise round the set to finish in second and fourth places respectively.
25-32 All four couples dance eight hands round and back.
Repeat the dance twice more, once with the women leading and once with the men leading.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Ros McKie)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
The Dancing Doctor - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
This dance was devised by Ros McKie and dedicated to Marney Wilson on the occasion of a "significant birthday".Marney Wilson is a doctor who is both a dancer and a teacher.
(Dance information by the deviser, Ros McKie)
Published in Hunter Valley Dances Book 2, reproduced here with the kind permission of Allyn Douglass, Secretary RSCDS Hunter Valley Branch.
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