The Eightsome Reel
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE EIGHTSOME REEL (R40+8x48+40) Sq.Set RSCDS Book 2Introduction:
1- 8 All circle 8H round and back
9-16 Ladies dance RH across (partners on their left) in St Andrew's Cross formation, change to Men dancing LH across in centre back to places
17-24 All set to partners twice and turn 2H
25-40 All dance Grand Chain (2 bars per hand)
Dance:
8 times through firstly with 1L in centre, then 2L, 3L, 4L, 1M, 2M, 3M, 4M
1- 8 1L sets in centre (any suitable reel steps) while others dance 7H round and back
9-16 1L sets to partner and turns 2H, 1st Lady sets and turns 3rd Man
17-24 1L dances reel of 3 with partner and 3rd Man passing partner LSh
25-32 1L sets in centre while others circles 7H round and back
33-40 1L sets to 4th Man and turns 2H, 1st Lady sets to 2nd Man and turns 2H
41-48 1L dances a reel of 3 with 4M+2M across dance passing 4M LSh and 1L retires to place as 2L goes into centre
Finale:
1-40 Repeat Introduction
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Eightsome Reel
Anon RSCDS Book 2
Reel 464 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Square Set
1-40 Chorus:
1-8 8 hands round and back;
9-12 Ls right hands across with Mn outside;
13-16 Mn left hands across with Ls outside;
17-20 all set twice to partners;
21-24 all turn partners twice;
25-40 grand chain all round.
41-88 1L's Solo:
41-48 7 hands round and back WHILE 1L dances any solo setting step in the centre;
49-52 1L and partner set and turn by the right;
53-56 1L and opposite M set and turn by the left;
57-64 1L, partner and opposite M reel of three (1L and partner right shoulder to start);
65-72 repeat bars 41-48;
73-76 1L and first corner (M originally next on the side away from her partner) set and turn by the right;
77-80 1L and second corner (M originally next on her partner's side) set and turn by the left;
81-88 1L reel of three with these two men (1L right shoulder to first corner), finishing with 1L back in place.
89-136 2L repeat 1L's Solo.
137-184 3L repeat 1L's Solo.
185-232 4L repeat 1L's Solo.
233-280 1M repeat 1L's Solo (with M and L interchanged in the instructions).
281-328 2M repeat 1M's Solo.
329-376 3M repeat 1M's Solo.
377-424 4M repeat 1M's Solo.
425-464 All repeat Chorus (bars 1-40).
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
This is the popular informal version. Local variations are often encountered at ceilidhs in Scotland with, for example, the reels replaced by chains or turns replaced by birls.In the RSCDS version, all turns are with both hands and reels start with the left shoulder, i.e., as in the RSCDS version of The Dashing White Sergeant. The informal versions of the two dances are similarly consistent in having turns first by the right and then by the left and the reels starting with the right shoulder.
9-16 The RSCDS version specifies nearer hands joined for the hands across; it's easier for partners to hold each other around the waist.
21-24 In the RSCDS version, turn both hands (with pas-de-basque).
25-40 Slow chain, 2 bars per person.
41-48 This is an opportunity to show off one's skills in footwork but pas-de-basque repeated four times is perfectly adequate; at a ceilidh, just standing and acknowledging each passing dancer is completely acceptable.
49-56 In the RSCDS version, set and turn both hands (with pas-de-basque).
57- In the RSCDS version, 1L and partner give left shoulder to start.
73-80 In the RSCDS version, set and turn both hands (with pas-de-basque).
81- In the RSCDS version, 1L and first corner give left shoulder to start.
448-464 The slow chain is a rather uninspiring finish; if your set can make the chain quicker so that you get back to place early, birl with your partner to use up the music.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Dance Instruction Videos
The Eightsome Reel - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
The Eightsome Reel is a Scottish Country Dance possibly devised by the Earl of Dunmore in the 1870s and interpreted by the RSCDS in Book 2, published 1926.(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of George Williams)
A lengthy doctoral thesis The evolution of the "Eightsome Reel" has been written about this popular dance. It is generally considered to be a late 19th-century invention. But in fact its origins go back much further. The essence is that the introductory section (repeated at the end) can be traced back at least to the early 19th century. Dances of this sort became suddenly popular both in Scotland and England in about 1820, though most soon went out of fashion again. There were similar sorts of dances in France and Germany too. However, the middle section ("the filling in the sandwich") is specifically Scottish in flavour.
An earlier form of the dance appeared in Anderson's Ballroom Guide which went through several editions between 1885 and 1902. The modern version first appeared in J.G. Anderson's Scottish National Dances (1900) and Donald R. MacKenzie's National Dances of Scotland (1910). For the next half-century or so (say about 1900-1960), the Eightsome Reel was probably the favourite Scottish dance. It has since gone somewhat out of fashion, especially among the international SCD aficionados who claim to find it long (it is), difficult (it isn't), and boring (it certainly isn't!). However, it is still regularly performed where Scots gather to celebrate Burns Nights, Caledonian Balls, Ceilidhs, regimental events, and so forth.
(Dance information by Sir Christopher MacRae, KCMG)
An amusing variation on The Eightsome Reel - Information Video may be found in the film, Indiscreet, a 1958 Technicolor British romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
The Eightsome Reel Crib - Before Minicrib
This page uses content under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, along with original copyrighted content and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources.
Text from this original Indiscreet 1958 Film article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright L Abbott, all rights reserved, reproduced here with kind permission.
Additional search terms: Ceilidh Dance, 8 Some.
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