Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Spindles And Whorles

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Spindles and Whorles
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 9: A Dozen in Hand
4x32 bar Strathspey
4-couple dance in 4-couple longways set

  1-8   SET, CIRCLE AND SET: all set nearer hands joined on side, 4 hands once round to the left (1st with 2nd, 3rd with 4th), nearer hands joined with partner set 1st to 2nd, and 3rd to 4th;

  9-16 HAND-IN-HAND OVAL REEL OF 4: all chase around an oval track, 1st followed by 2nd followed by 4th followed by 3rd, switching hands with partner at each end of the set ending as at the end of Bar 8: N.B. there is no left shoulder passing in the middle;

17-24 SET, CIRCLE, SET AND LINK: all set nearer hands joined with partner (1st to 2nd, 3rd to 4th), 4 hands halfway round to left, set (nearer hands joined with partner) and link (order is now 2nd, 1st, 4th, 3rd and all are on own side);

25-32 CENTRE COUPLE, ROSETTE: 1st and 4th couples set nearer hands joined on the side, turn partner halfway with right hand, twirl (dance in towards partner and then pulling right shoulder back dance out to opposite side), and chase clockwise halfway round to own side (order is now 2nd, 4th, 1st, 3rd).

Repeat from new places.

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


Dance Information

Spindles And Whorles are implements used in spinning with a distaff

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