Isla's Fancy

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-2 First, second and third couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides.
3-8 First, second and third women cross over, pass their partner by left shoulders and dance a chase down behind the three men, across the set below third place and up the women's side-line to finish in the order - third, second and first women.
9-10 First, second and third couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides.
11-12 First man dances a "Petronella" turn to finish in the middle facing up
while
first woman dances a "Petronella" turn to finish in the middle facing down
while
second and third men dance "Petronella" turns 'in tandem' to finish side by side in third place facing up
while
third and second women dance "Petronella" turns 'in tandem' to finish side by side in top place facing down.
13-14 First, second and third couples set - third and second women and second and third men with nearer hands joined.
15-16 First man dances a "Petronella" turn to finish in first woman's place
while
first woman dances a "Petronella" turn to finish in third man's place
while
third and second women dance "Petronella" turns 'in tandem' to finish on the men's side-line - third woman in second man's place and second woman in first man's place
while
second and third men dance "Petronella" turns 'in tandem' to finish on the women's side-line - second man in third women's place and third man in second woman's place.
17-18 First, second and third couples set with nearer hands joined on the sides.
19-24 First, third and second men cross over, pass their partner by left shoulders and dance a chase down behind the three women, across the set below third place and up the women's side-line to finish in the order - second, third and first men.
25-28 Second, third and first couples advance and retire with nearer hands joined.
29-32 Second, third and first couples turn partner with both hands one and a half times.
33-40 Second, third and first couples dance six hands round and back.

Repeat from new positions.

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Isla's Fancy - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Information

Eric and his wife Isla are very longstanding life members of the Johnsonville Club. They have been very kind to beginners (such as to me when I started) for many, many years.

There is no recorded 3x40 strathspey that I find suitable. I would recommend either the Lover's Knot or Snow in Summer (Berkeley Players) as suitable tunes, despite the fact that they do not have the correct number or repeats.

(Dance information from The Cane Toad Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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