Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Merry-Go-Round (Thompson)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE MERRY-GO-ROUND (M-(S32+R32)) Sq.Set Joan Thompson Ribble Valley 30th Anniversary

Strathspey
1- 4 All turn partner RH, all turn corner ¾ LH, Ladies into centre facing their corner (1L+4M, 2L+1M, 3L+2M and 4L+3M)
5- 8 Men chase anticlockwise to 2341 while Ladies dance RH across to finish facing original place
9-10 Ladies ¾ turn facing Man into square set, Ladies in original place, Men 1 place anticlockwise round (Ladies: 1234, Men: 2341)
11-12 Ladies ¾ turn corner RH (original partner), Men into centre facing partner on diagonal
13-16 Ladies chase clockwise 1 place to left while Men dance LH across finishing square set opposite partner (2M+4L, 3M+1L, 4M+2L, 1M+3L)
17-20 2s+4s (top/bottom couples) dance ½ Ladies' Chain
21-24 1s+3s (side couples) dance ½ Ladies' Chain. 2341
25-32 All circle 8H round and back

Repeat in Reel time

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

Dance Information

Also see the dance The Merry Go Round (McLaughlin) by Marshall McLaughlin.

A merry-go-round, sometimes called a carousel, is a familiar amusement ride with a circular platform that spins slowly.

Attached to this rotating base are seats designed for riders, often shaped like animals or vehicles. Among the most iconic are horses, but other designs can include pigs, tigers, or cars. These rides are common at fairs and amusement parks, offering entertainment for both children and adults.

Traditionally, the animals are arranged in rows and mounted on poles. Many are connected to mechanical systems that move them up and down as the platform turns, giving the illusion of galloping. This motion is usually accompanied by lively, fairground-style music.

Although horses remain the most typical feature and each usually weighs around 45 kilograms (100 pounds), the ride may include a range of other imaginative figures, such as zebras, dragons, unicorns, or aeroplanes. Some carousels also include static bench-style seating for those who prefer not to ride an animal figure.

Carousel Horse
Merry-Go-Round, Edinburgh
This page uses content under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, along with original copyrighted content and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources.
Text from this original Carousel article on Wikipedia.
Image from Karora, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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