Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Once On The Right, Once On The Left

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Once On The Right, Once On The Left Anne Dejean
32-bar jig for two couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 - 8 1st and 2nd couples dance rights and lefts.
9 - 16 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over, cast off one place and, giving left hands, turn once round to finish on the opposite sides, 1st man remaining facing out.
17 - 24 2nd and 1st couples dance a ladies' chain.
25 - 32 1st couple set, giving right hands, cross over, and giving lefts hands, turn once round.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Anne Dejean November 2021)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Once On The Right, Once On The Left - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

On 31st August 2021, I had surgery to strengthen my right leg and prevent the threat of a hip fracture due to a cancer bone lesion. On 3rd September, after a few hours back home, I fell on my left side and broke my left hip. So I went back to hospital and had my left leg operated on to insert an artificial hip.

It was quite a hard moment to experience, but when I heard I was going to have an artificial hip, I didn't get too deeply depressed because I remembered Fred DeMarse telling us, when he was teaching a class in Lyon a few years before, that he had two artificial hips. He was dancing in such a light and lively way, giving the feeling of complete ease, that you would never had known he had artificial hips. Therefore I felt quite confident that I could have a normal life and resume Scottish country dancing in the future, and it helped me to put up with what was happening.

In this dance, you give alternately right hand and left hand, referring to my two operated legs, first on the right side, then on the left side. However I must say each leg was operated on only once!

(Dance information with the kind permission of the deviser, Anne Dejean)



Published in The Remission Book collection, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Anne Dejean.

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