Lady Peak's Strathspey

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

LADY PEAK'S STRATHSPEY (S8x32) 3C (4C set) John Drewry Greenburn Book 2

1- 8 1s+2s set, 2s cast up while 1s dance down, 1s dance out behind 3s and lead up to 2nd place facing up
9-16 1s (prom hold) dance ½ diagonal reel of 3 with 2nd corners (RSh to 2L), 1s pivot inward to face out Ladies' side and dance ½ reel with 1st corners (RSh to 3L)
17-24 Pivoting inwards repeat with next corner (RSh to 3M place) and repeat with 4th corner RSh to 2M place
25-32 2s+3s set and cross RH twice while 1s lead down below 3s, cross and cast up round 3s, lead up between 2s, cross and cast to 2nd place

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Lady Peak's Strathspey Keith Rose's Diagram

Lady Peak's Strathspey - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Lady Peak's Strathspey - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

I checked on the deviser of Lady Peak's Strathspey, a lovely dance, and I should not have been surprised to find the deviser was the iconic John Drewry. Further research led me to British Columbia where, believe it or not, there exists in the Cheam Range of the Canadian Cascades, a 7000 ft mountain called Lady Peak, just a little east of Chilliwack and it's well known for its hiking trails.

It would not surprise me therefore to learn that, at some point in the 90s, John Drewry made his way out to Vancouver, and being a known rambler, found his way to Lady Peak. The dance was published in 1998 and featured in John's Greenburn Book series. Perhaps John's presence in B.C. at that time can be confirmed by someone at RSCDS Vancouver.

I cannot recall having seen Lady Peak's Strathspey on any recent RSCDS Toronto dance programmes, but those dancers who travelled recently to RSCDS Kingston for its annual workshop and dance, will have enjoyed working their way through John's lovely formations in Lady Peak's Strathspey, celebrating his likely presence on the mountain in B.C. at some point in the past. Sláinte!

Footnote:
I noticed your piece on Lady Peak's Strathspey in which Barry Pipes asks if anyone can confirm John Drewry's presence in Vancouver in the 90s. John was here twice, in 1996 and 1998, and both times he stayed with his friend Ken Crowe, also originally from England and also a hiker and a dancer. Ken lived in the Fraser Valley, below Mt Cheam (pronounced shay-am) behind which is Lady Peak. He had his own "Glenfraser" dance group which sponsored one, and sometimes two dances a year in the 90s. In 1996 his dance was a Salute to John Drewry and the entire programme consisted of Drewry dances.

As you may know, two dances in Greenburn II were dedicated to Ken Crowe: As the Crow Flies and Lady Peak's Strathspey. Unlike the easier Mt Cheam, no trails run up Lady Peak - it's a scramble, though not too difficult. Lady Peak was named for Phyllis Munday, a legendary early mountaineer in British Columbia. The only peak in the range which requires a rope is the sharp-pointed Baby Munday, named for the Mundays' only child. It's nice to think that John Drewry enjoyed our local mountains.
... Rosemary Coupe

The Barry Pipes Canon 097- November, 2017.

Lady Peak is a mountain located just southeast of Cheam Peak in the Cheam Range near Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Lady Peak Mountain, Near Chilliwack, British Columbia

Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Lady Peak article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Juraj Tatár, Creative Commons Licence 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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