The Reel of Five
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE REEL OF FIVE (M-(S32+R32)) 5 Person Sq.Set RSCDS Book 274 Ladies in diamond formation with 1 Man in middle
Strathspey
1- 8 Man dances a reel of 3 with 1L+3L while 2L+4L dance clockwise round outside ½ way and back to places
9-16 All set with Man facing 1L and turning in centre to end facing 4L
17-24 Man dances a reel of 3 with 4L+2L while 1L+3L dance clockwise round outside ½ way and back to places
25-32 All set with Man facing 4L and turning in centre to end facing 3L
Reel
Repeat bars 1-32 but Man reels with 3L+1L and after setting faces 2L on bar 16, then reels with 2L+4L and after setting faces 1L
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Reel of Five
Atkinson's Scottish National Dances RSCDS Book 27
Medley S/R 32/32 bars 5 Dancer Repeat 5 Dancer Set Square Set - 4 Ls - M inside
The dancers are individuals, not couples, 1L2L3L4L forming a square set with 1L at the top, all facing in, and M in the centre facing up.
Strathspey:
1-4 1LM3L reel of three up and down halfway, 1LM giving right shoulder to start WHILE 2L 4L cast anticlockwise and chase halfway around the set;
5-8 1LM3L continue the reel of three up and down WHILE 2L 4L pull left shoulder back and chase clockwise back to places, all finishing facing as at bar 1;
9-10 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 2L;
11-12 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 3L;
13-14 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 4L;
15-16 all set, M finishing facing 4L;
17-24 4LM2L reel of three across, 4LM giving right shoulder to start WHILE 1L 3L cast anticlockwise and chase halfway around the set and back, all finishing as at bar 16;
25-26 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 1L;
27-28 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 2L;
29-30 all set, M pulling right shoulder back to face 3L;
31-32 all set, M finishing facing 3L.
Reel:
1-32 Repeat bars 1-32 of the strathspey from new positions, 3L dancing as 1L, 4L as 2L, 1L as 3L, 2L as 4L, all finishing as at bar 1.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
With a normal chord at the beginning and end, Ls curtsey facing inwards and M bow to 1L. If an 8-bar introduction is played, M should bow to 2L, 3L, 4L and 1L in turn.The dance can be performed to music with 64 bars of strathspey followed by 64 bars of reel; bars 33-64 of the strathspey are danced as described for bars 1-32 of the reel; the reel is a complete repeat of these 64 bars.
Note that, despite the name, this dance does not include the Figure, the Reel of 5.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
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