Over The Hill (Tavener)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
32 bar Reel for 4 Couples in a 4 Couple Set, devised by Janet Tavener, 2011, Published in From North Cape to the Bluff.Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
Over The Hill (Tavener) - YouTube Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the dance Over The Hill (Drewry) by John Drewry.Also see the dance Over The Hill (Haynes) by Derek Haynes.
This dance was devised to celebrate the 50th birthday of the RSCDS Nelson/Marlborough region, New Zealand, in May 2011. Nelson Scottish Country Dance Club is one of the oldest clubs in New Zealand.
Dancers from the Nelson Marlborough region refer to travelling between Nelson and Blenheim (or Blenheim to Nelson) as going 'over the hill'.
The first formation symbolises the winding road over the Whangamoas, the second is inspired by Pelorus Jack, the third represents a fish hook, and the fourth symbolises the sun.
The expression 'over the hill' refers to someone who is considered past their prime or peak, often in relation to age.
It suggests that the person has passed the high point of their life or career and is now in a period of decline. Originally, it compared life to climbing a hill: reaching the top symbolised one's best years, and going 'over the hill' indicated moving beyond that peak, often implying old age or diminished abilities.
It's sometimes used humorously or lightheartedly.

Sun Rise Over The Hill
Image copyright (cropped) Photo Dharma from Sadao, Thailand Creative Commons Licence 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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