The Mystic Knot

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 All petronella turn, set to partner (star formation: ladies back to back in the center, men on the outside, all facing partner).
5-12 Double Reels of 4 (with ½ LA in the middle), to finish in star formation as on bar 4.
13-16 All set to partner, then petronella turn back to sidelines into partners' places, facing own partner again.
17-32 "Mystic Knot":
 On bars 1-4, couples in top and bottom places turn both hands half way and open up facing in; they dance one step in with nearer hands joined, and with opposite person dance one step out to side couples' places with nearer hands joined, finish facing new partner; on bars 5-8, now in side couples' places, turn both hands half way and pull right shoulder back to finish back to back and dance 1 place into partners' opposite places, facing partner; repeat that movement back to places where the "Mystic Knot" started from.
 At the same time, side couples start the movement with what is described for bars 5-8 and continue the ongoing movement from there.
33-34 Starting with own partner: chain for two hands, one place on.
35-36 Turn three quarters with the right hand.
37-40 All ladies dance half a chase clockwise round the set WHILE all men dance full left hands across in the center to new progressed places (order is now 4 1 2 3), to face own partner, ready to start the next repeat.

The first two repeats are in Strathspey time, the last two repeats in Reel time.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Viktor Lehmann, under the CCA NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, December 2019)

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Music Suggestion: "Stepping Hill" (The Colin Dewar Scottish Dance Band)

(Dance information by the deviser, Viktor Lehmann, under the CCA NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, December 2019)

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