The Frog's Fugue

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-8 1st couple set and cast on own side, cross down to 3rd place on opposite sides (no hands) and turn 4th couple on the side half-way to finish in 4th place on opposite sides facing in and up.
 2nd couple stand for 2 bars, step up on bars 3-4, set on 5-6 and cast 7-8, finishing in original places facing in and up.
 3rd couple stand for 2 bars, set 3-4, cast up 5-6 and cross up (no hands) on 7-8, finishing in top place on opposite sides facing out and down.
 4th couple stand for 4 bars, set 5-6 and turn 1st couple (in 3rd place) half-way to finish in 3rd place facing out and down.
 Order is 3, 2, 4, 1 with 1s and 3s on opposite sides.
9-16 Reels of 4 on the side, starting left shoulder on the men's side and right shoulder on the ladies' side. On bars 9-10, 2nd couple cross up to the top to dance the reel on opposite sides.
 All are now on opposite sides except 4th couple in the order 3, 2, 4, 1, with 4th couple facing out and down.
17-22 1st and 2nd couples dance 6 bars of rights and lefts
 While 1st couple cross RH, set and cross back
 While 4th couple cast down, cross up giving RH (man in front of lady) and, retaining hands, dance a full RH turn finishing on opposite sides.
23-24 All take hands on the side and set, pulling back LS on bar 24 to face clockwise round the set. (Order 2, 3, 4, 1, all on opposite sides.)
25-28 All chase halfway clockwise. On bar 28, 1st and 3rd men, 2nd and 4th ladies pull back RS to face for a half reel of 4.
29-32 All dance half a reel of 4 on the side. Finish 2, 3, 4, 1 on own sides ready to start again.
 (First lady does not curve at the end of the reel, but dances straight into place.)

Repeat with a new top couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Neville Pope, May 2009, Revised February 2010)

Dance Information

It was devised about the time that my eldest daughter became pregnant and the couple reckoned that the baby looked more like a frog on the first ultrasound. Sadhbh was then known as "The Frog" for the next eight months.

Recommended Music: Any good 4x32 jig with some indication of 2-bar phrasing, but still suitable for reels of 4.

Recommended Recording: CD 1 track 10 (Selection of Reels) from Celtic Fire in the Music by Bobby Brown: You're Welcome Jimmy Shand - The Scotsman's Secret.

(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Neville Pope, 2010)

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