Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Five Alive

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Five Alive
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 4: A Reel Dozen
Strathspey 5 x 32 bars 5 Couple Repeat 5 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-8   DANCING COUPLES CAST AND FIGURE OF 8: 1st and 3rd couples cast off one place (2nd and 4th couples stepping up on bars 1-2), and dance a figure of 8 around 4th and 5th couples, respectively;

  9-16 HELLO-GOODBYE SETTING: 1st and 3rd couples set to 1st corners, then 1st couple set to each other across the set, 1st couple set to 2nd corners, and active couples face each other up and down the middle and set to partner;

17-24 REEL OF 4: 1st and 3rd couples dance a reel of 4 up-and-down the middle;

25-28 TURN AND CAST: 1st and 3rd couples turn ¾ round with right hands and cast off one place (4th and 5th couples step up on bars 27-28);

29-32 ADVANCE, LADIES TURN AND RETIRE: All advance towards partner and join right hands (1 bar), women turn under the arms (1 bar) and dance back to own side AS men retire (2 bars).

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)


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