Tam Bain's Lum
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Tam Bain's Lum A one hundred and ninety-two bar Strathspey for four couples in a square set, devised by John W Mitchell, published in Whetherly Book 7.1- 8 Eight hands round in a circle to the left and back to the right.
9-16 First and third couples advance and retire twice. Meanwhile second and fourth couples set, advance and retire, and set.
17-18 First man and third lady dance round each other passing by the right, first lady and third man do the same.
19-20 First and third couples dance round own partner passing by the left.
21-24 First man and third lady dance a half figure of eight round second couple to finish in each other's place; at the same time first lady and third man dance a half figure of eight round fourth couple to finish in each other's place.
25-32 Repeat bars 17-24 back to own places.
33-40 Eight hands round in a circle to the left and back to the right.
41-44 First couple lead between third couple, the man casts to his left around third lady and the lady to her right around third man to finish facing third couple.
45-48 First and third couples dance right hands across in a wheel.
49-50 First and third couples turn partner with the right hand.
51-54 First man turns third lady with the left hand whilst first lady turns third man with the left hand.
55-56 First and third couples turn with the right hand.
57-64 First and third couples dance a reel of four, first and third men passing left shoulder to commence. Finish in original places.
65-96 Repeat bars 33-64 with second couple leading.
97-128 Repeat bars 33-64 with third couple leading.
129-160 Repeat bars 33-64 with fourth couple leading.
161-192 Repeat bars 1-32 with second and fourth couples leading: i.e. on bars 169-176 second and fourth couples advance and retire twice whilst first and third couples set, advance and retire, and set. Then second and fourth couples dance the figure previously danced by first and thirds.
Recommended tune: Tam Bain's Lum
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 7, 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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