Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Hey For The Hielan' Body

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Hey For The Hielan' Body
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 4: A Reel Dozen
Reel 8 x 48 bars 2 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-8   DOWN MIDDLE, TURN AND BACK: 1st couple dance down the middle nearer hands joined, then the woman going above man dance under man's arm to dance back up on opposite sides ending between 2nd couple;

  9-12 TURN: 1st man turns 2nd woman with right hand AS 1st woman turns 2nd man with left hand ending with 1st couple in the middle back-to-back between 2nd couple;

13-16 SET: 1st couple sets to 2nd couple using set and spring points (or some other Highland Setting Step);

17-24 REEL OF 4: 1st and 2nd couple dance a reel of 4 (on bar 24 1st couple pass each other by the right shoulder to end in the middle with 1st woman at the top and 1st man below);

25-32 WHEEL: 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across and back with left hands across ending with 1st couple turning an extra ΒΌ turn to end with 1st couple in the middle between 2nd couple in a line of 4 across the dance all facing down nearer hands joined;

33-40 DOWN MIDDLE AND BACK: dance down the middle, on bar 36 1st couple turn under arms AS 2nd couple dance below them, then 1st couple lead up left hands joined followed by 2nd couple lead up the middle with right hands joined (on bar 40 1st couple turn towards each other to face 2nd couple and both couples raise right hands over women's head into allemande hold);

41-48 KEPPOCH:
Bars 41-44: 1st and 2nd couples dance forward on right, hop, backward on left, hop (as in the 1st bar of the Glasgow Highlanders setting step), then travel forward diagonally to the right (1 bar), forward on left, hop, backward on right, hop (as in the 3rd bar of the Glasgow Highlanders setting step), then travel forward diagonally to the left (1 bar): couples have now changed places, men passing left shoulders, and are now back-to-back;
Bars 45-48: dropping front hands, turn once to end on own side

Repeat having passed a couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)


Dance Notes

As with all dances having the format, 2-Couple Repeat in a 4-Couple Set, if dancer numbers so dictate it can be performed in a 3-Couple or 5-Couple Set and with the number of repeats adjusted appropriately.

(Dance notes by Reuben Freemantle)


Dance Information

"Hielan" is Scots for "highland".

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