A Souple Jade

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

A Souple Jade
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Haliburton School Of Arts SCD Book 2: Let's dance
4x32 bar strathspey
4-couple dance in longways set Pickup Tandem Reel of 3

1-8 CROSSOVER MIRROR REEL OF 3: 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a reel of 3 on the side, start with 1st couple crossing through 2nd place on opposite side;

9-16 CROSSOVER TANDEM REEL OF 3: 1st couple cross back through 2nd place on own side to dance a reel of 3 on the side, 3rd and 4th women and 3rd and 4th men in tandem switching lead at each end of the reel;

17-24 ALL DOWN MIDDLE AND BACK: 1st couple followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th couple dance down the middle nearer hands joined. nearer hands joined, and return with 4th couple leading who divide and cast on Bar 22 followed by 3rd and 2nd couples;

25-32 WHEEL AND CAST: 4-hands across on own side: as 1st couple meets in the middle they join nearer hands and dance up the middle, divide and cast off to the bottom of the set followed by the other couples (ending order is 2nd 3rd 4th 1st).

Repeat 3 times.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)

Dance Information

The title of this dance, A Souple Jade, comes from the Tam O' Shanter - Poem written by Robert Burns in 1790, while living in Dumfries, Scotland.

To sing how Nannie lap and flang,
(A souple jad she was and strang),

"A souple jade" is an expression in Scottish and Northern English dialects that may be less familiar in modern British English. "Souple" refers to flexibility, suppleness, or agility, and "jade" is a term historically used to describe a horse. In this context, the phrase "a souple jade" metaphorically conveys the idea of a nimble or agile horse.

Historically, the term "jade" was used more broadly to refer to a horse, often one that was considered worn out or tired. The word "souple" complements this by suggesting a horse that is not only agile but also energetic and able to move with ease.

Tam O' Shanter Poem - Information Video

"Tam O' Shanter And The Witches" John Faed (1819-1902), Print, c. 1892

Image from John Faed RSA. 1855., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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