Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Swiss Lassie

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

SWISS LASSIE (R8x32) 3C (4C set) Rosi Betsche RSCDS Book 39

1- 8 1s dance in and cast to 3rd place, 2s+1s turn partners RH 1¼ times to form a line up and down middle of set (Men facing down Ladies up)
9-16 2s+1s dance reel of 4 up and down middle of set ending with 2M facing Ladies' side and 1L facing Men's side
17-24 2s+1s chase round clockwise ½ way, 1s+3s+2s advance and retire
25-32 3s+2s (bottom 2 couples) ½ turn partners RH, dance RH across ½ way, 1s+2s (top 2 couples) ½ turn partners RH and dance RH across ½ way

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


Swiss Lassie
Rosi Betsche RSCDS Book 39
Reel 8 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-2   1s dance in and begin to cast;

  3-4   1s continue casting to 3rd place WHILE 2s 3s step up;

  5-8   2s 1s turn by the right 1¼ times, finishing on the centre line, Mn facing down, Ls up;

  9-16 2s1s reel of 4 up and down, finishing with 2M facing Ls' side, 1L facing Mn's side;

17-20 followed by partners, 2M 1L chase clockwise, 1s finishing in original places, 2s in 3rd place;

21-24 1s3s2s advance and retire;

25-26 3s 2s turn partners halfway;

27-28 3s2s right hands across halfway, finishing 1s2s3s;

29-30 1s 2s turn partners halfway;

31-32 1s2s right hands across halfway, finishing 2s1s3s.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Swiss Lassie - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

This reel, Swiss Lassie, was devised in memory of Judith Binder by her good friend Rosi Betsche who is from Germany.

Judith was a keen Scottish country dancer who danced in Zurich, Switzerland, hence the "Swiss" in Swiss Lassie.

Zurich, Switzerland - Information Video

Swiss Lassie - Habit de noce d'une Dame Suisse
Bridal Habit Of A Swiss Lady In 1577


Image from Scan by NYPL, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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