Peter Price's Strathspey

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 4 "Flirt and Cast":
 1- 2 1L+2M and 4L+5M dance diagonally towards each other (1 step), pull back RSh, dance out again to place (1 step) and face out
 3- 4 1L+2M and 4L+5M cast one place to their right, while partners dance towards the middle and curve right (down/up) into their own sidelines. 21354
5- 8 2s+1s and 5s+4s circle 4H round to the left
9-16 Middle 3 couples (1s+3s+5s) dance LH across (4 bars) flowing into a chase up/down centre (Ladies up, Men down) casting to the right out of ends to finish on the sides. 25314
17-24 Bottom 3 couples (3s+1s+4s) set and rotate for 3 into lines across (Men facing down, Ladies facing up), cross RH with person opposite (partner) and chase clockwise to own side. 25413
25-32 5s+1s dance ½ Fig of 8 (5s up round 2s, 1s down round 3s), cross over LH, and all 5 couples set on sides. 25413

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

1-4 Flirt & Cast - 1W+2M and 4W+5M dance diagonally towards each other One Step, then pulling back RS they dance back out to the side-lines and cast to their right (1+4W down 2+5M up) as they are casting (their partners 1M+2W and 4M+5W dance to their right through the middle and curve into their own side-lines on bars 3+4, (as in Set and Link), ready to dance straight into...
5-8 2+1Cs and 5+4Cs dance 4 hands round to the left. Order now 2,1,3,5,4.
9-16 The middle 3Cs, i.e. 1+3+5 dance LH across, then flow into a chase, the Women up between 2C the Men down between 4C, then casting to their right they dance down or up the side-lines, finishing now 2,5,3,1,4.
17-24 The bottom 3Cs, 3+1+4 dance Set and Rotate. The order now is 2,5,4,1,3.
25-32 5+1Cs dance a ½ figure of 8, 1C down 5C up, then cross over LH, on bars 29&30, and everyone takes hands on the side-lines and sets.

Repeat with a new top couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Gaye Collin, 2019)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Peter Price's Strathspey - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Following on from "Joyce MacLeod", a five-couple jig, in the book "The Musicians' Wedding", this dance is also trying to be a little different than the standard five couple dance that mainly start with 1st and 3rd couples.

This dance was thought about in 2018 when Damon and I were planning an overseas trip. Our first stop was to be New York where we were hoping to meet Peter Price - a dance teacher who has a web site on which he critiques, among other things, new dances he has tried. This information is great to have on hand when searching for a dance I haven't yet tried out. We were also hoping to dance again with Xiaowen and thought that devising something for them both would be a dancing gift and a thank-you.

Peter Price's Strathspey is for Upper Intermediate dancers through to advanced and it has been tested on an advanced group.

Recommended music: Duddingston Loch, CD The Sunday Class Recorded Highlights Volume 1, by Jim Lindsay and his Band, track 11.

(Dance information by the deviser, Gaye Collin, 2019)