My Golden Bear

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s and 4s cross RH and cast in 1 place (2s and 3s step up/down); 2s+1s also 4s+3s dance RH across ending 1L followed by 1M facing 2M at top, 4M followed by 4L facing 3L at bottom
9-16 1s and 4s dance "Alternating Tandem Corners Pass and Turn":
 9-12 1s and 4s in tandem pass corners RSh, change lead and dance in passing other couple RSh, 1s to face 3M (1M leading) and 4s to face 2L (4L leading) while corners turn RH return to place
 13-16 Repeat with "2nd corners". 1s and 4s end in centre in 2nd/3rd place,1s facing down, 4s facing up, (Lady on partner's right) 2143
17-24 1s+4s dance RH across, 1s face up, 4s face down; 1s and 4s dance out of ends, separate and cast down/up to 2nd/3rd place own side. 2143
25-32 1s+4s dance 'Chain Progression':
 1s+4s ¾ turn RH, 1M+4L turn LH 1½ times while partners chase clockwise ½ way, 4s+1s turn partners RH, 4s end in 2nd and 1s in 3rd place. 2413

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

1-4 1C cross right hand and cast off one place, 2C step up on 3 and 4.
Similarly 4C cross right hand and cast up one place, 3C step down on 3 and 4.
5-8 2C and 1C dances 4 hands across, finishing with 1L facing 2M, and 1M immediately behind her.
4C and 3C similarly 4 hands across finishing with 4M facing 3L, and 4L immediately behind 4M.
9-16 1C, 4C dance "corners pass and turn in (lead change) tandem". To wit:
 9-12 While 2M and 3L turn right hand and return to places, 1C dance out to first man's place, with lead change, so that 1M is in front of 1L on bars 11 and 12. Similarly for 4C so that now the 4L is leading.
 1C and 4C will pass collective right shoulder to dance into the bars 13-16, finishing 1M (with 1L behind) facing 3M who is in 4th place, and similarly 4C finishing facing first lady's place.
 13-16 Repeat this with 2L and 4M, again lead changing.
 1C and 4C will again pass right shoulder (1L and 4M leading).
 1C will be in second place in from the sidelines and 4C in third place similarly, flowing into...
17-20 1C and 4C dance 4 hands across. At the end 1C finish with nearer hands joined facing up, and 4C down.
21-24 1C dance up between second couple and cast into second place on own sides, similarly 4C dance down between 3C and cast up into third place, all on own sides.
25-32 1C and 4C dance a chain progression.
Finishing order 2, 4, 1, 3.

Repeat from new positions.

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

My Golden Bear - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Recommended music is "Dovecote Park" by James Braidwood played AABB (the dance is ABBC or ABBA, but the tune is too familiar).

Unfortunately, there is no recorded music of this tune in the correct form. Thus for recorded music, I suggest "Mrs Seller's Favourite" by Charles Grant which is the lead tune for "Off She Goes to the North", and either the recordings of David Anderson and his S.D.B. (Highlander Music Vol. 8), or Colin Dewar (Music for book 18), or (best of all) Stan Hamilton (Memory Lane) would be appropriate.

The music needs to be very steady to enable the central figure.

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

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'My Golden Bear' page