Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Set The Table For Tea

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

SET THE TABLE FOR TEA (J8x32) 3C (4C set) Gaye Collin Creative in Lockdown

1- 8 1s+2s set, cross RH; 1s+2s dance RH across. (1)(2)3
9-16 1s+2s set, cross LH; 1s+2s dance LH across. 123
17-24 1s dance down 2 steps (2s step up 19-20), 1s turn inwards to face, retain hands and set; 1s dance down, cast up round 3s to 2nd place own side
25-32 1L+2s (at top) and 1M+3s dance RH across, pass RSh to dance LH across with other couple. 213

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


Set The Table For Tea 32 bar Jig for 3Cs in a 4C set Gaye Collin Creative in Lockdown

1- 8 1+2C set, cross over RH, dance RH across all the way round, to finish on opposite sides.
9-16 Repeat bars 1-8 crossing over with the LH and dance LH across, to finish back in original places.
17-24 1C dance down for two steps, (2C step up on 19+20) 1C turn inwards to face each other, retain hands and set, dance down again casting up round 3C to finish in 2nd place own sides.
25-32 1C dance RH across, 1W up 1M down, change ends and dance LH across, to finish in 2nd place ready to start again.

Repeat from second place.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Gaye Collin, 2022)

Dance Notes

Bars 17-24 When teaching these eight bars you may find the older more experienced dancer wants to dance back up to the top on bars 21-24, so be sure to emphasize the direction when teaching the dance.
(Well, it happened at Lower Hutt).

(Dance notes by the deviser, Gaye Collin, 2022)


Dance Information

This dance, Set The Table For Tea, was first devised and used for a beginner group starting at Lower Hutt Club back in 2019 and may be found in my book "Creative in Lockdown".

Dance name: I stopped in the process of devising this dance to, Set the Table for Tea.

When teaching newer dancers, it's often the transition between set and travel that causes difficulty. However, finding different, simple dances, to teach at club, using set and travel is sometimes hard.
Creating something new at least adds a little more interest for the seasoned dancers, while helping our new recruits practice this change from travelling to setting, or the other way round.

Recommended tunes: CD: Haste Ye Back by Muriel Johnstone track 5 "The Rover's Rant".

(Dance information by the deviser Gaye Collin, 2022)


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