Freewheeling

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 4 1st and 3rd couples dance in towards each other for a long cast into 2nd and 4th places. 2nd and 4th couples step up on bars 3-4.
5- 8 1st and 3rd couples turn nearly one and a half times with the left hand, retain left hands in the centre and join right hands with their 1st corners.
9-16 1st and 3rd couples each dance the Spoke, cycling round from their 1st to 2nd, 3rd and 4th corners to end on the diagonal facing their 1st corners again. The corners set in place for the whole 8 bars.
17-20 1st and 3rd couples dance half a diagonal reel of four, starting right shoulder to their 1st corners. They pass their partner right shoulder to face their 2nd corner position.
21-28 1st and 3rd couples dance two more half diagonal reels with their 2nd and 3rd corners passing their partner right shoulder between each one and then pass right shoulder again. 1st man and 3rd woman end facing each other in the centre. 1st woman and 3rd man end facing their 4th corner positions.
29-32 1st woman and 3rd man loop right shoulder round their 4th corner positions, then cast down or up to end on their own sides in 4th and 2nd places respectively while all four corners advance and retire diagonally.
 Meanwhile the 4th corners (5th woman and 2nd man) advance and retire diagonally.
 Meanwhile 1st man and 3rd women turn one and a half times with the left hand to end on their own sides opposite their partners. The final order is 5,3,4,1,2.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA March 2025)

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