Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Fête Champêtre

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Fête Champêtre
Barry Priddey  
Jig 128 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Square Set

    1-4     Ls cast behind partner and dance all round his place, finishing facing out WHILE Mn advance and retire;

    5-8     Ls cast behind first corner and dance all round his place WHILE Mn advance and retire, all finishing facing partner;

    9-12   all turn partner by the right;

  13-16   all dos-ä-dos with partner, finishing in places, Mn pulling right shoulder back to face out;

  17-20   Mn cast behind first corner and dance all round her place, finishing facing out WHILE Ls advance and retire;

  21-24   Mn cast behind partner and dance all round her place, finishing facing first corner WHILE Ls advance and retire;

  25-28   all turn first corner by the right;

  29-32   all turn partner by the left.

  33-36   Ls right hands across, finishing facing out to partner;

  37-38   all turn partner by the left, finishing in balance position, Ls halfway between own and partner's place facing in, Mn halfway between his and his first corner's place facing out;

  39-40   all balance in the circle;

  41-42   Ls advance, finishing facing in WHILE Mn dance outwards to the corners of the square set, finishing facing out;

  43-44   all set, pulling right shoulder back to finish facing partners;

  45-48   all turn partner by the right, finishing in places;

  49-52   Mn left hands across, finishing facing out to partner;

  53-54   all turn partner by the right, finishing in balance position, Mn halfway between own and partner's place facing in, Ls halfway between her and her first corner's place facing out;

  55-56   all balance in the circle;

  57-58   Mn advance, finishing facing in WHILE Ls dance outwards to the corners of the square set, finishing facing out;

  59-60   all set, pulling left shoulder back;

  61-62   Mn dance out, Ls dance along own side of the square set, all finishing in partner's place, Mn facing out, Ls in.

  63-64   all turn partner halfway by the right, finishing in places, Ls facing out;

  65-80   all schiehallion reels, Ls finishing facing out;

  81-82   all turn partner ¾ by the right, retaining hold, Ls taking left hands to finish all in the form of a St George's Cross;

  83-84   all balance in a St George's Cross;

  85-88   Ls dance left hands across WHILE Mn chase clockwise around them;

  89-92   Ls dance right hands across WHILE Mn cast and chase anticlockwise;

  93-94   all turn partner ¾ by the left to finish in places, facing partner;

  95-96   all set to partner;

  97-100 all dance quarter petronella;

101-102 all turn partner ¾ by the right, finishing in partner's place;

103-104 all set to partner;

105-108 all dance quarter petronella;

109-110 all turn partner 1¼ by the right, finishing in partner's place, Ls facing clockwise, Mn anticlockwise;

111-116 grand chain, starting with the left hand, finishing in allemande hold facing anticlockwise;

117-128 all allemande round, finishing facing partners in original places.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)


Dance Notes

      -128 Retain right hands for the bow and curtsey.


Dance Instruction Videos

Fête Champêtre - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

The recommended music is The Teddy Bear's Picnic.

The title of this dance, Fête Champêtre, comes from The Fête Champêtre - Song written by Robert Burns in 1788 during his stay at Ellisland Farm, sung to the tune Killiecrankie.

Or buy a score o'lairds, man?
For worth and honour pawn their word,
Their vote shall be Glencaird's, man.
Ane gies them coin, ane gies them wine,
Anither gies them clatter:
Annbank, wha guessed the ladies' taste,
He gies a Fete Champetre.

A Fête champêtre was a popular form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. This form of entertainment was particularly popular at the French court where at Versailles areas of the park were landscaped with follies, pavilions and temples to accommodate such festivities.

While the term is derived from the French expression for a "pastoral festival" or "country feast" and in theory was a simple form of entertainment, in practice (especially in the 18th century), a fête champêtre was often a very elegant form of entertainment involving, on occasions, whole orchestras hidden in trees, with guests sometimes in fancy dress.

The Fête Champêtre Song - Information Video

About Time
18th Century Courtiers In Fancy Dress, At A Fête Champêtre In A Landscaped Park
Nicolas Lancret (1690-1743), Oil On Canvas, c. 1730


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Fête Champêtre article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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