Helen's Delight

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s and 3s turn partner RH, turn partner LH 1½ to finish BtoB between 2s/4s
9-16 All dance RSh reels of 4 across (1s+2s and 3s+4s). Bar 8: 1s and 3s ½ turn partner LH to face down nearer hands joined (Man with partner on Right) and join hands with 2s/4s (lines of 4 facing down)
17-24 All dance down 3 steps, pull back RSh and dance back up
Bar 6: 1s and 3s cross back to own sides to 1st/3rd places
Bars 7-8: 1s and 3s cast, dance in to join nearer hands with partner in 2nd/4th place facing up while 2s and 4s dance in, join nearer hands with partner in 1st/3rd place facing up
25-32 All advance and retire (2 steps each) finishing on sides (2143); All turn partner 2H (1M and 3L face out)
33-40 1s+3s dance "Selkirk Pass" (Tandem ½ Fig of 8):
 1M followed by 1L casts down to 4th place, dances up middle, casts down through 2nd place to 4th place and across to 3rd place own side while 3s dance similar, casting up to 2nd place, down middle, cast up through 4th place to 2nd place own side. 2341

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

1 - 8 Turn Partner RH and LH
 First and third couples turn partners with the RH once round for four bars back to place. They then turn their partners with the LH one and a half times to finish back to back between the second and fourth couples respectively and facing the dancer on the opposite side ready for Right shoulder Reels of Four.

9 - 16 Reels of Four
 The first and third couples now dance Right Shoulder Reels of Four across the dance with the second and fourth couples respectively. The second and fourth couples finish back where they started.
 The first and third couples give LH on bars 8 of the Reel, instead of giving left shoulder, and then half turn to face down the dance, man with his partner on his right, but facing down the dance with inside hands joined. The also join hands with the couple beside them to create a line of four facing down the dance.

17 - 24 Down the Middle and Back, Cross and Cast Off
 All four couples lead down the middle for three steps turn by the right, and dance back up.
Bar 6
 The first and third couples cross over on bar 6 back to their own sides of the dance in first and third places respectively,
Bars 7 and 8
 The first and third couples then cast off one place and dance towards their partners to take inside hands and face up in the middle of the dance in second and fourth places respectively.
 Meanwhile the second and fourth couples dance in on bar 7 to join inside hands with their partners, and then up on bar 8 to finish in first and third places in the middle of the dance facing up.

25 - 32 Advance, Retire and Turn (ART of the Dance)
 All four couples, now with their inside hands joined with their partners, advance for two steps towards the top of the dance. They then retire for two steps to finish on the side of the dance where they started.
 They then turn their partner with both hands once round for four steps.
 The first man, in second place, finishes facing out ready to cast off, and the third lady in fourth place finishes facing out ready to cast up.

33 - 40 The Selkirk Pass - Tandem, Half Figure of Eight
 The first man, in tandem with his partner following, casts off to fourth place, then dances up the middle, passing left shoulder with the third couple coming towards him, and casts off, through the second woman's place, down to fourth lady's place, and crosses over to finish in fourth palace on his own side. His partner following, finishes in fourth place on her own side.
 The third couple dance a similar figure of eight track in tandem, but with the third lady leading. They also pass left shoulder with the first couple coming towards them. They cross over at the end to finish in second place on their own side.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Ruary Laidlaw, 25th Novemebr 2024)

Dance Information

Helen's passion for dance began in childhood when her grandmother first introduced her to it at the Cambridge Club. She initially obtained a provisional teaching certificate around 2001, but it wasn't until 2016, after her three daughters had grown a little older, that she completed her full certification under the new unit system.

As an experienced teacher, Helen leads classes at two clubs in the Waikato region – Cambridge and Lochiel. She enjoys both traditional and modern dances and is dedicated to helping newcomers discover the same joy she finds in dancing. For her, dance is not just about movement but also about friendship and teamwork. While having fun is at the heart of it, she believes that dancing is even more enjoyable when everyone moves in harmony.

Beyond the dance floor, Helen has spent many years teaching mathematics at Cambridge High School.

This county contains the Parishes of Yarrow and Ettrick where the Laidlaws were tenant farmers to the Duke of Buccleuch from the 1700s until about 1820, when our branch of the family migrated over time to finish up in Edinburgh.

Recommended music: "Morecambe Strathspey" by Chris, Julie and Nicol Dewhurst, or any good 4x40 bar Strathspey.

(Dance information by the deviser Ruary Laidlaw, copyright 2024, All rights reserved)

Helen Smythe

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