The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/RSCDS, 3-Couple Version)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/RSCDS, 3-Couple Version)Hugh Thurston (adapted by Reuben Freemantle from the version in RSCDS Medal Tests for Young Dancers)
Jig 3 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 3 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-8 1L followed by 2L3L cross, cast behind 1M, cross below 3M and dance up to places;
9-16 1M2M3M repeat bars 1-8 around Ls, all finishing in places;
17-20 1s take both hands and slip down the middle;
21-24 1s slip up to finish in 3rd place;
25-32 2s 3s 1s take both hands with partners and slip down the middle and back.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
For ceilidh dancers and for smaller children, this, like The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/RSCDS) for 4 couples, avoids the complication of the counter-intuitive, 3-couple repeat in 4-couple set format and the very quick weaving movement of the original in bars 1-16.When there would be any spare couple(s) after making up 4-couple sets, one or more of these 3-couple sets can be used to avoid having anyone sit out.
17-20 1s take large steps.
21-22 2s3s take hands on the sides and step up. However, there is no problem if this is omitted since 2s3s1s can easily slip up an extra place in bars 29-32 and so finish 2s3s1s with the set in its correct position.
21-24 1s take smaller steps to finish below 3s, especially so if 2s3s have not stepped up.
25-32 As in the 4-couple version, all take both hands with partners for the slip down and up though taking hands on the sides is an acceptable alternative.
Dance Instruction Videos
The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/RSCDS, 3-Couple Version) - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the original dance The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/Original) by Hugh A Thurston, which includes a Keith Rose crib diagram.Also see the dance The Flying Scotsman (Thurston/RSCDS) by Hugh Thurston, adapted by RSCDS.
Also see the dance 60103 by Brian Fee.
The title of this dance refers to LNER Class A3 4472, known as Flying Scotsman, a 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotive constructed in 1923 at Doncaster Works for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).
Designed by Nigel Gresley, this locomotive played a pivotal role in operating long-distance express passenger trains along the East Coast Main Line. It served under LNER and subsequently under British Railways' Eastern and North Eastern Regions, most notably on The Flying Scotsman service connecting London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, a route from which it derived its name.
During its service with LNER, 4472 earned the status of a flagship locomotive, representing the company at the British Empire Exhibition on two occasions. In 1928, it made history by hauling the inaugural non-stop Flying Scotsman service. The locomotive achieved international acclaim by setting two world records for steam traction. On November 30, 1934, it became the first locomotive to officially reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). Additionally, it established the record for the longest non-stop run, covering 422 miles (679 km) on August 8, 1989, during a tour in Australia.
After an illustrious career with British Railways spanning 2.08 million miles, Flying Scotsman retired in 1963. Subsequently, it gained widespread fame in preservation under the ownership of notable individuals such as Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington, and, since 2004, the National Railway Museum. Beyond its contributions to enthusiast specials in the United Kingdom, the locomotive embarked on extensive tours in the United States and Canada from 1969 to 1972 and in Australia in 1988 and 1989. Regarded as the world's most renowned steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman occupies a special place in railway history.
The Flying Scotsman - Information Video
The Flying Scotsman - Music Video
The Famous 'Flying Scotsman' In Full Steam
Image selection by SCDD automotive consultant, A.C. Pearson.
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Text from this original Flying Scotsman article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright jimd2007, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Additional search terms: Ceilidh Dance.