The Skillet
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
The Skillet A sixty-four bar Strathspey, sixty-four bar Reel Medley for four couples in a square set. Strathspey Devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 13.1- 4 First and third couples dance right hands across in a wheel, finishing between second and fourth couples in the centre of the set.
5- 8 First man and third lady dance left hands across in a wheel with second couple whilst first lady and third man do the same with fourth couple.
9-12 Second and fourth couples cast away from own partners and dance in to meet in the centre of the set, then lead own partner out to original places. Meanwhile, first man and third lady dance out behind second couple and cast to original place. Similarly, first lady and third man dance out behind fourth couple and cast to place.
13-14 First man and third lady cross giving right hand whilst first lady and third man do the same; second and fourth couples set.
15-16 Second and fourth couples lead into the middle and turn towards own partner to finish facing own place. Meanwhile first man casts into second man's place, first lady into fourth lady's place, third man into fourth man's place and third lady into second lady's place.
17-20 First man, third lady and second couple dance four hands round to the left in a circle; first lady, third man and fourth couple do the same.
21-24 First couple cast into third place, turning half way with the left hand as they pass; third couple cast into first place and turn half way with the left hand. Meanwhile second and fourth couples lead out to their original places and set.
25-28 All turn corners with the right hand.
29-32 All turn partners with the left hand. All now back in square formation, first and third couples having changed places.
33-64 Repeat the first 32 bars, with second and fourth couples leading, supported by first and third couples. All finish back in square formation, second and fourth couples also having changed places. Reel
1-64 Repeat Strathspey section now in Reel time, to finish back in original places.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Dance Information
Recommended tunes: Strathspey: Alex Heard; Reel: Angus Campbell.Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 13, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell; instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).
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