Oxton Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Part A
1-12 1s followed by 2s+3s+4s+5s+6s cast behind own lines, meet partners and lead up the middle
13-16 All turn partners RH
17-24 All set to partners with simple setting steps

Part B
1-12 1s take promenade hold and followed by 2s+3s+4s+5s+6s, turn to right to dance Fig of 8 down and up the set to places
13-24 All repeat bars 13-24 of Part A

Part C
1-12 All repeat bars 1-12 of Part B but with hands joined behind their backs
13-24 All repeat bars 13-24 of Part A

Part D
1-12 1s+2s+3s also 4s+5s+6s dance Grand Chain with 2 steps to each hand (To start, 1s and 4s face across, 2 and 5s face down, 3s and 6s face up)
13-24 All repeat bars 13-24 of Part A

Part E
1-12 All dance into middle with each man behind his partner (hands on Ladies waist). 1s and 4s face down, others face up. 1s+2s+3s also 4s+5s+6s dance tandem reels of 3. To start 1s and 2s also 4s and 5s pass RSh
13-24 All repeat bars 13-24 of Part A

Part F
1-12 1s+2s+3s also 4s+5s+6s dance 6H twice to left
13-24 All repeat bars 13-24 of Part A

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Oxton Reel - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

The dance was apparently known locally as the Sixer Reel, the RSCDS publishing it under the name Oxton Reel.

It is an unusually long dance for six couples, consisting of six 24-bar sections, with each section ending with the couples turning partners and setting.

The village was known as Ugston for several centuries and was still recorded under that name in the 1841 census. Like other Scottish communities of the period, local affairs were overseen by the Kirk Session and the Heritors, local landowners who were responsible for funding such necessities as the church, school and bridges.

Main Street, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire, Scotland

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