Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Madcap Maggie

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Madcap Maggie (R4x32) 4C set Lewis N Derrick 1987
2 chords. On the second chord the 3rd and 4th couples cross over

1-8 Taking promenade hold, the 1st couple dance a reel of three on the men's side with the 2nd man and 3rd woman while the 4th couple dance a reel of three on the women's side with the 3rd man and 2nd woman, to begin the 1st and 4th couples pass right shoulders with the 2nd and 3rd men respectively
9-16 Taking promenade hold, the 1st couple dance a reel of three across the set with the 2nd couple while the 4th couple dance a reel of three across the set with the 3rd couple, to begin the 1st and 4th couples pass left shoulders with the 2nd and 3rd women respectively. At the end of these reels the 2nd and 3rd couples should dance towards the ends of the set while the 1st and 4th couples dance in towards the centre, to end in the order 2143 on bar 16
17-24 Without interrupting the flow of the dance, the 2nd couple (in first place) and the 3rd couple (in fourth place) dance figures of eight across the dance, the women passing in front of the men, while the 1st man and 4th woman, on the men's side, and the 1st woman and 4th man, on the women's side, dance figures of eight up and down the sides, the men passing in front of the women
25-28 The 2nd couple (in first place) and the 3rd couple (in fourth place) turn partners one and a half times round by the right hand while the 1st and 4th couples dance half a reel of four across the set (between second and third places), passing left shoulders (1st man to 4th woman; 1st woman to 4th man) to begin
29-32 The 2nd couple (in first place) and the 3rd couple (in fourth place) turn partners one and a half times round by the left hand to end in promenade hold facing down and up respectively, men with partners on their left, while the 1st man and 4th woman (on the women's side) and the 1st woman and 4th man (on the men's side) turn one and three quarter times round by the left hand to end with the 4th couple in second place (both facing the men's side) and the 1st couple in third place (both facing the women's side) ready to start again

Repeat three more times from new positions each time

(Dance Crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2020)


Dance Notes

This reel is intended to flow continuously for 128 bars, despite the longwise formation, and the final turns are organized to enable the dancers to flow from repetition to repetition without any pause.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)


Dance Information

This reel, Madcap Maggie, was devised for Maggie Maplesden, who loved reeling.

Suggested tune: Lansdowne (W. Bird).

Devised February 1987; first published 1992; republished electronically 2020.

Copyright 1987, 1992, 2020 Lewis N. Derrick.

(Dance information reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)



Published in The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Books, Volume 5, The Real McGhie and Other Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick.

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