Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Reel Cool!

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Reel Cool! (R4x32) 4C set Lewis N Derrick 2003

1-4 The 1st and 4th couples set facing in on the diagonal, then the 1st woman casts down one and a half places and the 1st man dances down one and a half places while the 4th man casts up one and a half places and the 4th woman dances up one and a half places to end in a line across the centre (see note 1). The 2nd couple step up and the 3rd couple step down on bars 3-4
5-8 The four women on the women's side, likewise the four men on the men's side, dance right hands across once round ending with the 1st and 4th couples back in a line across the dance with the 1st man and 4th woman back to back in the centre facing out and the 1st woman and 4th man facing in
9-16 Passing right shoulders to begin, man to man and woman to woman, the 1st and 4th couples dance a reel of four across the dance ending on own sidelines in order 2413 with 1st woman and 4th man facing in and the 1st man and 4th woman facing out
17-24 Passing right shoulders again (see note 2), the 1st and 4th women dance a reel of four with the 2nd and 3rd women on the women's side while the 1st and 4th men dance a reel of four with the 2nd and 3rd men on the men's side, to begin the 2nd woman dances in and down, the 3rd woman out and up, the 2nd man out and down and the 3rd man in and up, all end 2413 on own sidelines with the 1st woman and 4th man facing one another diagonally across the set and the 4th woman facing down and 1st man facing up on own sidelines
25-32 The 4th and 1st couples dance the full figure of a men's chain across the dance. To begin the 4th man and 1st woman cross over (see note 3) giving left hands in passing while the 4th woman dances down and the 1st man dances up on the sidelines. All end on own sidelines in the order 2413

Repeat three more times from new positions each time

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2024)


Dance Notes

1: [1] [4] (1) (4) 1st couple facing down, 4th couple facing up.

2: If necessary dancers can give right hands here when changing direction from reel to reel over bars 16-17.

3: As is usual with these chains, this 'cross' is effectively a three-quarter turn so the 1st woman ends in third place and the 4th man in second place, both on opposite sides facing out, while the 1st man and the 4th woman have danced (no casting) up and down own sides to second and third places respectively facing in, the 1st and 4th couples then half-turn partners on sidelines, these four bars are then repeated back to original places and own sides in order 2413

(Dance notes by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)


Dance Information

This was devised by Lewis Derrick for Jimmie Hill.

Suggested tune: The Bonnie Isle O' Whalsay.

Devised 2003, first published electronically 2024.

Copyright © 2003, 2024 Lewis N. Derrick.

(Dance information from The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Sheets #63, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)


Published in The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Sheets, Collection 7, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick.

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Reel Cool!' page