Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Dancing On The Dole

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Dancing On The Dole (R96) Sq.Set Lewis N Derrick 1987
1-8 All dance eight hands round and back
9-16 Crossing out to begin, the 1st man and 3rd woman dance a figure of eight around the 2nd couple while the 1st woman and 3rd man do likewise around the 4th couple
17-20 The 1st and 3rd couples dance right hands across one and a quarter times, ending in two lines on the sides, 1st couple with 2nd couple and 3rd couple with 4th couple (1st and 4th couples facing down, 2nd and 3rd couples facing up, all man to man and woman to woman)
21-24 Passing right shoulders to begin, the 1st and 2nd couples, likewise the 3rd and 4th couples, dance half reels of four on the sides
25-28 The 1st and 3rd couples set advancing across set and change places (both hands)
29-32 The 1st and 3rd couples dance four hands three-quarters round to the left to end on opposite sides of the set in third and first places respectively
33-36 The 2nd and 4th couples set advancing across set and change places (both hands)
37-40 The 2nd and 4th couples dance four hands once round to the left to end on opposite sides of the set in fourth and second places respectively
41-48 The 1st and 3rd couples repeat bars 9-16
49-56 Crossing out to begin, the 4th woman and 2nd man dance a figure of eight around the 3rd couple, while the 4th man and 2nd woman do likewise around the 1st couple
57-60 The 2nd and 4th couples dance right hands across one and a quarter times ending in two lines across, 4th couple with 1st couple and 2nd couple with 3rd couple (1st and 3rd couples facing anticlockwise, 2nd and 4th couples facing clockwise, all man to man and woman to woman)
61-64 Passing right shoulders to begin, the 4th and 1st couples, likewise the 2nd and 3rd couples, dance half reels of four across
65-68 The 2nd and 4th couples set advancing up and down and change places (both hands)
69-72 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 29-32 back to original places
73-76 The 1st and 3rd couples set advancing up and down and change places (both hands)
77-80 The 1st and 3rd couples repeat bars 37-40 back to original places
81-88 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 49-56
89-96 All dance eight hands round and back

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2020)


Dance Notes

The three-quarter circles (bars 29-32 and 69-72) are slow and require careful phrasing.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Information

Suggested tune: Harvest Home.

Devised June 1987; first published 1988; republished electronically 2020.

Copyright 1987, 1988, 2020 Lewis N. Derrick.

(Dance information reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)



Published in The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Books, Volume 3, Peggy Mcghie's Reel and Other Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick.

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Dancing On The Dole' page