Hungarian Bride

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 First 4 couples, nearer hands joined with partner and making an arch, advance to the centre for 2 skip change of step and, dropping hands turn away from partner with 2 pas de basque to join nearer hand with corner, facing out on the diagonal. Meanwhile, Fifth woman dances to her right through the arch made by second couple while the fifth man dances through the arch made by fourth couple and they dance to their left (counter clockwise) to face in on the diagonal. Fifth woman facing first man and second woman; fifth man facing fourth woman and third man.
5-8 First four couples making an arch with corner dance out on the diagonal for 2 skip change and with 2 pas de basque dance away from corner to original places. Meanwhile fifth couple dance through the arch to the centre and turn with a Gypsy Turn to finish facing second couple, fifth man in front with his partner behind.
9-16 Fifth couple dance Flight of the Falcon Reel of three with second and fourth couples who take Promenade hold with partner, Fifth couple passing 2nd couple right shoulder to begin. Fifth couple let the following person take the lead at each end loop of the reel and finish facing first couple with fifth man in front and his partner behind him.
17-24 Fifth couple dance the same reel with first and third couples who are in Promenade hold but this time fifth couple give left shoulder to first couple. Fifth couple finish side by side facing second couple.
25-28 Fifth couple dance right hands across with second couple, fifth man leading his partner across to fourth couple, she behind him ready for:
29-32 Fifth couple dance left hands across with fourth couple fifth couple finishing in the centre facing up to first couple, fifth man with his partner on his right.
33-36 First couple (outside couple) take nearer hands with partner and make an arch and dance to the centre as fifth couple (centre couple) take nearer hands and dance under the arch to face out in first place. Fifth couple change places with partner for 2 steps the lady dancing under her left arm and the man dancing wide of his partner while first couple turn with a Gypsy turn to face second couple.
37-40 First and second couples repeat bars 33-36.
41-44 Second and third couples repeat bars 33-36.
45-48 Third and fourth couples repeat bars 33-36, fourth couple finish with man with his back to first couple and woman with her back to third couple as at the start of dance.

Repeat the dance four times more until original couple is in the centre.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Eric Finley 2007)

Dance Notes

(Dance notes by the deviser, Eric Finley 2007)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Hungarian Bride - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Performed for the first time by the bride and the groom, Agnes Borbély, David Esdaile, Pierre Martin, Annette Lotz, George Flett, Elaine Henderson, Ross and Howard Colwell to a tune played by David Hall on the grand piano in the ballroom of Hotel Tisza, where the wedding reception took place and where, 3 years later, a Scottish Country Dancing Weekend was organised in Szeged for the first time.

For that occasion, Keith Smith composed a tune for the Hungarian Bride for piano and fiddle, played by Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith during the ball. Eric Finley, one of the teachers at the weekend and 5 dancers of the original set were also there.

The Hungarian Bride was also danced to a traditional, Hungarian tune by members of the Budapest Scottish Dance Club at the 2011 International Scottish Country Dance Weekend in Budapest symbolising the merging of Scottish and Hungarian music and dance. Ladies were wearing national costumes from different regions of Hungary and gentlemen were wearing Scottish outfit.

The tune entitled 'My Lover in this Dance' was sung by Bea Palya, a famous Hungarian contemporary singer, who was awarded the title of 'The Global Ambassador of Hungarian Culture' in 2008. Anita Horváth and Mátyás Szili were dancing as bride and groom as they had become engaged just a month before the international SCD weekend. The Hungarian Bride was preceded by a Moldavian 'Csángó' dance (The Goat Dance), in which couples danced in a circle and swapped partners. It was presented by 32 Budapest Club dancers showing how the bride and groom found each other. The choreographer was Zoltán Gräff.

(Dance information from A Reel Goulash 1, Budapest Book of Scottish Country Dances (2011), reproduced here with kind permission)

Hotel Tisza, Szeged, Hungary

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