Désirée And John

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-8 First, second and third couples dance reels of three on the sides, second couple dancing in and up, first out and down, third dance in and touch hands, casting up in the reel to begin. Hands should be given where possible.
First and third couple finish with nearer hands joined first facing UP and third DOWN. Second couple will be in original place.
9-10 First and third couple turn with two hands ¾ to finish in a line of 4 up and down the set, releasing hands at the end of bar 10 to give RH to partner and the first man and third lady in centre, the two ladies facing the ladies' side and the men facing the mens' side, ready for a Highland Schottische Balance with Turns.
All will be facing their own sides.
11-14 (Highland Schottische Balance with Turns)
 11 First and third couples dance one bar of Highland Schottische setting step. Arms should be used. (That is left arms should be raised.)
 12 First and third ladies dance under partner's RH doing a full turn pulling back RS while moving to the right releasing hands and finishing with LH joined with partner, again finishing facing the ladies' side. Men will dance bar 2 of Highland Scottische setting. All are to repeat in the opposite direction, raising right arm.
 13-14 Repeat 13-14 beginning with the left foot setting, and ladies turning under LH pulling back LS.
15-16 First and third couples dance ¾ two hand turn opening out to finish nearer hands joined first couple facing down, and third up. (The first and third couples will be on opposite sides.)
17-18 All set.
19-20 All dance 2 bars of 6 hands round.
21-22 All the men turn the ladies on their right two hands (full turn), and meld into...
23-24 All dance 6 hands round with all in original places, except that the first and third couple will be on opposite sides.
25-32 First and second couples dance a left handed ladies chain. (That is, the first and second ladies chain LH while their partners continue to dance clockwise into their places, after which the men turn ladies RH, etc.)
At this stage, 1C are at the top on opposite sides, 3C at the foot on opposite sides, and 2C in second place on own sides.
33-40 First woman chases first man half way round the set to third place (4 bars) and then two turn hands twice in third place. Similarly for the third man chasing the third woman finishing to top place. (Clockwise chase)
41-48 Second and first couples dance the Rose Progression.

Repeat with a new top couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

Dance Notes

1-2 First man and second woman set to each other while first woman and second man change places with right hands to finish facing out.
3-4 First man and second woman half turn with both hands to finish facing each other on the diagonal with hands joined while first woman dances up to first man's place and second man dances down to second woman's place.
5-6 First man and second woman cast to the right and dance out to the side-lines to finish in each other's place while first woman and second man half turn with both hands to finish facing each other on the diagonal with hands joined.
7-8 First man dances across to second man's place while second woman dances across to first woman's place while first woman and second man cast to the right and dance out to the sidelines to finish with first woman in second woman's place and second man in first man's place.

The movements should be danced in as round a shape as possible. I prefer to think of the movement on the diagonal as half turn, hesitation and cast, so there is a moment when all the dancers are aligned.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Rod Downey)

Dance Information

Désirée and John Patterson are loyal Johnsonville members, and very keen cyclists, inspiring us to try to emulate them. Recently they obtained electric bicycles enabling them to do remarkably adventurous rides. So far we resist getting the same. This was written after we did two long trips over the Easter Weekend.

Recommended music is "Sidlaw Hills" (James Watson 19th Century) played ABABAB, and a good recording is by the Sound Company as a "Set of Strathspeys Suitable for the Moray Rant" on the MC "Best Foot Forward." (Track 3)

An acceptable alternative tune is "Caerlaverock Castle" (Ian Homes) and an acceptable recording is to be found as "One for the Millennium" by Robert Whitehead the Danelaw Band in "Dancer's Choice Volume 2." (Track 6)

(Dance information from The Johnsonville Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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