Through The Looking Glass (Billmers)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (J8x32) 3C (4C set) Matt Billmers Northampton 20th Anniversary1- 8 1s cross down to dance mirror reels of 3 on opposite sides
9-16 1s cross down to dance mirror reels of 3 on own sides
17-24 1s dance down middle nearer hands joined (3 bars), rotate ½ way (1L dances round in front of 1M who pivots) to face up. 1s dance up (4 bars) to top place opposite sides facing out
25-28 1s turn 2s 1½ times (1M+2L RH, 1L+2M LH)
29-32 1s dance ½ Fig of 8 round 3s
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Dance Information
"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There" (also known as "Alice Through the Looking-Glass" or simply "Through the Looking-Glass") is a novel written by Lewis Carroll, the sequel to his famous work "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". It was first published in 1871. Like its predecessor, "Through the Looking-Glass" is known for its whimsical and nonsensical elements, as well as its clever wordplay and satirical commentary.The story follows Alice as she steps through a mirror into a fantastical and surreal world on the other side. The world she enters is a reflection of her own, but everything is reversed, creating a mirror image of the real world. Throughout her journey, Alice encounters a series of eccentric characters, including the Red Queen, the White Queen, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, and the Cheshire Cat, among others.
The narrative is structured around a game of chess, with Alice progressing through the different squares of the chessboard landscape. Each square presents a new set of challenges and absurdities. As in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Carroll employs wordplay, logic puzzles, and parody to create a dreamlike and illogical atmosphere.
The Mad Hatter's tea party stands out as one of the most renowned tea gatherings in history, known for its playful and carefree atmosphere that defies any conventional rules. This whimsical dining approach would have been particularly shocking during the Victorian era, known for its stringent etiquette, especially around eating. Victorians adhered to strict rules, such as children dining separately and maintaining impeccable manners.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland disrupts these norms with the Mad Hatter's tea party, where Alice boldly sits without an invitation, and the Mad Hatter nonchalantly places his elbows on the table and atop the sleeping dormouse - actions considered impolite in Victorian society.
Alice Stepping Through The Looking-Glass, John Tenniel (1820-1914)
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Text from this original Through the Looking-Glass article on Wikipedia.
Image from John Tenniel, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
