The Fyreladdie

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-8 Second and third couples dance four hands round and back, finishing in the middle second couple facing third couple, second couple and third couple having nearer hands joined. (The second couple will be facing down, and the third facing up.)
9-12 Second and third couples dance Meeting Set and Shuttle, finishing with the second couple in first place facing down, and the third couple in fourth place facing up.
Meanwhile: First couple sets (2 bars) to fourth couple and dances down on sideline (1 bar) and in (1 bar) to finish with nearer hands joined facing down in second place. Similarly the fourth couple sets (2) to first couple, dances up on sideline (1) and in (1) to finish with nearer hands joined facing up in third place. (That is, the end couples replace the active ones.)
13-16 Fourth and first couples repeat 9-12 of the second and third couples.
Meanwhile: Second couple set (2 bars) and dance down into original place (2 bars) slightly in from the sidelines finishing facing partner across the set.
Third couple set (2 bars) and dance up into original place (2 bars) slightly in from the sidelines finishing facing partner across the set.
17-24 Second couple and third couple dance a modified (symmetric) tourbillon.
 17-18 Second and third couples turn partner with both hands skip change opening after one bar, by men releasing left hand and lady right but retaining nearer hands, out to finish with second couple on the "women's" side (that is, so the second lady is still in original place) and third couple on the "men's" side (so that the third man is still in original place), perhaps slightly in. Retain nearer hands.
 19-20 Second and third couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides, facing across the set.
 21-22 Second and third couples turn partner with both hands as above, and this time men release left and women right, to finish on opposite sides (in progressed places) in the middle facing, up and down the set- second couple in third place facing up and third couple in second place facing down, both couples with nearer hands joined.
 23-24 Third and second couples set once with nearer hands joined with partner.
25-30 First couple and third couple dance ¾ of a figure of eight, beginning with the third couple casting up and the first couple crossing down. Finish on the sidelines, but third couple on opposite sides Likewise for the second and fourth couples with the second couple casting down to begin, and the fourth couple crossing up, and second finishing on opposite sides.
31-32 While first and fourth couple stand for 2 bars, third and second couples cross over giving right hands.
The order should be now 3,1,4,2.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

Dance Notes

This is a new formation and the shuttle step is drawn from some of Alec Hay's dances, such as Hay's Australian Ladies.

1-2 Men beginning on their left feet and women on their right, all set turning inwards to face partners and take both hands with partners by the end of bar 2. (The phrasing here is "set on one turning in on two.")

3-4 All shuttle step towards the end of the set (second couple to the left and third to the right), dropping hands, turning towards each other and springing out on the last bar for one bar of pas de Basque.

(That is, for the lady, slip step R, L, R then pivoting on R springing onto L pulling back RS (L foot comes through the middle) for one bar of pas de Basque; for the man, L, R, L, pivoting on L and springing round on R pulling back LS for one bar of pas de Basque (R foot comes through the center)).

(Dance notes by the deviser, Rod Downey)

Dance Information

This is an advanced dance inspired by some of Alec Hay's dances. Alec of course was the New Zealand deviser who gave us set and link, amongst other formations.

Given to Bob McMurtry, "The Fyreladdie," from Santa Cruz. Bob is a fine deviser of both dances and music with that nice collections "The Devil's Quandary", "Dragonfly", and "Le Petit Chat Celtique."

The recommended tune is "Dovecote Park" a 6/8 pipe march. There is no suitable recording that I am aware of. (This tune is usually used for a "MacDonald of Sleat" set.)

Suitable alternative music would be "Pipe Jigs" by the Sound Company on their CD "Free Spirit."

(Dance information from They Stole My Wife From Me Last Night Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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