The Possums' Jig
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Possums' Jig 8x40 Jig, 3 couples in a 4 couple longwise set, Neville Pope1-8 1st man with 2nd woman change places RH. Also 2nd man with 3rd woman. 1st woman with 3rd woman change places LH. Also 1st man with 3rd man. 2nd woman with 3rd man change places RH. Also 1st woman with 2nd man. 3rd woman with 2nd man change places LH. Also 2nd woman with 1st man.
9-16 All take hands on the side and set, 6 hands around to the left for 4 bars and again set on the side in original places.
17-24 1st man with 2nd lady change places RH. 1st lady with 2nd man change places LH. 2nd couple cross giving RH, while 1st couple set advancing pulling back RS to finish back to back and all set in DT formation (1st couple facing opposite sides), 1st couple moving to the R on bar 24 to finish L facing up and man down, ready for...
25-32 Crown Triangles, finishing as at end of bar 22 facing opp sides.
33-40 1st couple giving RS to 1st corners, dance 6 bar reels of 3 across the dance. 1st couple finish in centre of dance, pass LS and curve into 2nd place on own side, pulling back LS.
Repeat from second place. (Note that the 1st man is already facing in and down ready to start.)
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Neville Pope, September 2010)
Dance Notes
When a new top couple start, the third time through, 1st couple should curve down to 4th place and 4th couple dance up to 3rd place, ready to begin.Alternatively, 4th lady can dance into the RH change from 4th place, leaving the previous dancing lady to step down.
(Dance notes by the deviser, Neville Pope)
Dance Information
The hall where we danced on Thursday evenings had possums in the roof regularly and the first time we tried the dance was in early Spring with the result that the possums were more rambunctious than usual.Recommended music: Any good 8x40 jig.
Suggested Recording The Scallywag (track 5) on The March Hare by Red Thistle Mikkel's Jig - The Ups and the Downs - McGarrity's Bow - Monty and the Mouse.
(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Neville Pope, September 2010)
Published in The Possums' Jig, copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Neville Pope, 2024.
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