The Reel Of The Pinehurst Eight
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Reel Of The Pinehurst Eight (R4x32) 4C set Barbara Taylor Coast To Coast1- 4 1st and 4th couples cross giving right hands, 1st couple cast down one place as second couple step up while 4th couple casts up one place as 3rd couple step down.
5- 8 1st couple dance a half figure eight around 2nd couple while 4th couple dance a half figure eight around 3rd couple, to finish in the centre of the set facing the corner they danced around.
9-12 1st and 4th couples set to corners and turn corners giving right hands once around.
13-14 1st and 4th couples, right hands joined with corners and left hands joined in a wheel, all balance-in-Line.
15-16 1st and 4th couples dance left hands across half way to face new corners.
17-22 Repeat bars 9-14 with new corners.
23-24 1st and 4th couples, retaining left hand with partner, set, with 1st man and 4th woman turning toward partner, 1st couple to face down, 4th couple to face up.
25-28 1st and 4th couples with left hands joined lead out the end of the set, cross partner to own side and cast to 3rd and 2nd place, respectively.
29-32 All four couples turn right hand. Finish in the order 2,4,1,3.
Repeat with a new top couple.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Barbara Taylor)
The Reel of the Pinehurst Eight
Barbara Taylor Coast to Coast
Reel 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-2 1s 4s cross by the right, finishing facing out;
3-4 1s cast WHILE 4s cast up WHILE 2s step up WHILE 3s step down;
5-8 1s cross up, 4s down, into half figures of 8 across, finishing back-to-back facing the adjacent corner;
9-12 1M2M 1L2L 4L3L 4M3M set and turn by the right, 1s4s finishing by taking left hands and retaining hold with corners;
13-14 all balance-in-line on diagonals, finishing by releasing right hands;
15-16 1s4s left hands across halfway, finishing facing the new corner;
17-22 4s1s repeat bars 9-14, finishing by releasing right hand with corner, retaining left with partner, Mn facing up, Ls down;
23-24 4s 1s set, 4L 1M pulling left shoulder back and retaining hold with partner to finish 4s facing up, 1s down;
25-28 4s cross up, 1s down, into half figures of 8 across, finishing 2s4s1s3s;
29-32 all turn by the right.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
-8 Finish facing the corner just danced around, M to M, L to L.
-16 Face the corner diagonally opposite that at bar 8, M to L, L to M.
22-26 This sequence is somewhat counter-intuitive; although it flows well for 1s (going down), it is very uncomfortable for 4s (going up) who need a right hand hold to cross up into the half figures of 8.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Dance Instruction Videos
The Reel Of The Pinehurst Eight - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Devised by Barbara Taylor, Toronto, at the request of one of the eight male dancers who travel annually to Pinehurst to play golf.
Square Green At Pinehurst During The United North And South Amateur Golf Championship, 1904
Image from Golf, official USGA Bulletin, May 1904, page 312, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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