The Door In The Wall

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Strathspey
1- 4 Half a grand chain for four couples, giving right hand to own partner to commence (one step to each hand).
5- 8 All turn partner with the right hand.
9-12 First man followed by his partner casts clockwise behind second couple and dances into the middle to face second man, first lady dancing between second couple to face second lady; third couple dance similarly to finish with third lady facing fourth lady and third man facing fourth man.
13-16 First and second couples dance right hands across in a wheel, third and fourth couples do the same.
17-24 Reels of four across the set: first and second ladies with third and fourth men; first and second men with third and fourth ladies.
25-26 First and second couples dance right hands across in a wheel half way, third and fourth couples do the same.
27-28 First lady followed by her partner chase clockwise into first man's place, second couple follow to finish in fourth place; third lady followed by her partner chase clockwise into third man's place, fourth couple following into second place.
29-32 Eight hands round to the left in a circle half way.
33-36 Second man followed by his partner casts behind first couple and dances into the middle to face first lady, second lady dancing between first couple to face first man; fourth couple dance similarly to finish with fourth lady facing third man and fourth man facing third lady.
37-40 First and second couples dance right hands across in a wheel, third and fourth couples do the same.
41-48 Reels of four up and down the set: third lady with fourth man, second lady and first man; first lady with second man, fourth lady and third man.
49-50 First and second couples dance right hands across in a wheel half way, third and fourth couples do the same.
51-52 Second lady followed by her partner chase clockwise into fourth man's place, first couple follow to finish in third place: fourth lady followed by her partner chases clockwise into second man's place, third couple following into first place.
53-56 All turn partner one and a half times with the right hand to change places. The order is now 3, 4, 1, 2.
57-64 Double men's chain:
57-58 the men dance left hands across in a wheel half way, whilst the ladies dance into their partner's places;
59-60 the men turn the opposite ladies with the right hand half way;
61-62 the men dance left hands across in a wheel half way, whilst the ladies dance into their partner's places;
63-64 all turn with the right hand half way. Reel

Reel
1-52 Repeat bars 1-52 of the Strathspey as above.
53-54 All face partner and set.
55-56 All turn three quarters with the right hand, at the end of bar 56 the ladies turn under the raised right arms into an allemande hold all facing anticlockwise.
57-62 All allemande anticlockwise round the set.
63-64 All turn the ladies into the centre of the set back to back for the final bow and curtsey.

Recommended tunes: Strathspey: Jock O'Hazeldean; Reel: The Doodler's Note If used as the final dance in a demonstration the dancers can allemande off led by first couple during bars 57-64.

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

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'The Door In The Wall' page