Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Ropemaker's Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE ROPEMAKER'S REEL (R4x32) 4C set Bardill/Prince

1- 2 In 2 couple groups Ladies set rotating and dance to next place clockwise as 1M/3M ¾ turn 2M/4M with 2H into 1L/3L places (1M/3M pivoting and 2M/4M turning past and rotating)
3- 4 All dance a little more than ½ RH across to end with 1s+3s in line up/down middle (Men facing up)
5- 8 1s+3s dance ½ reel of 4 with 1s and 3s ending in line up/down middle (Men face Ladies' side, Ladies face Men's side)
9-12 3s+1s Balance-in-Line as 2L and 4M set, 3L+1M (middle couple) ¾ turn LH as 2L/4M (pivoting) turn 3M/1L 2H (passing and rotating) to end in lines across
13-16 3s+1s Balance-in-Line and 3L+1M (middle couple) ¾ turn LH as 2M/4L (rotating) turn 1L/3M 2H (passing and rotating) in lines up/down
17-24 Repeat bars 9-16
25-32 3s and 1s ¾ turn RH moving down to 2nd/4th places then 2s+3s also 4s+1s dance RH across and all set. 2341

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


House Book of the Mendel Twelve Brothers Foundation, Volume 1. Nuremberg 1426–1549. Nuremberg City Library
Ropemaker, c. 1538

Published in https://www.minicrib.org.uk/Publications/Bardill-Prince/RopemakersReel.pdf
Image from AnonymousUnknown author, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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