Tribute To John Drewry

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s set and cast 1 place (2s step up bars 3-4); 1s dance ½ Figs of 8 (1L down round 3s, 1M up round 2s) to finish facing 1st corners
9-16 1s dance ½ LSh diagonal reel, 1s pass LSh to face 2nd corners; 1s dance ½ RSh diagonal reel. End: 1s pass RSh to face 1st corner position
17-24 1s set to corners, pull back RSh dance round each other to face 2nd corners position; 1s set to corners. 1s pull back RSh and dance round each other to 2nd place own side
25-32 1s set pulling back RSh to face clockwise while 3s+2s cross RH, all chase ¼ way clockwise to lines across; all cross RH with partner, all chase ¼ way clockwise. 213

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Tribute To John Drewry - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Information

He encountered Scottish country dancing while living in Cumbria and became active within local Royal Scottish Country Dance Society branches, later qualifying as an RSCDS-certificated teacher. His professional career took him into biochemistry, and from the 1960s he lived in Aberdeen, where he worked at the University of Aberdeen and remained for the rest of his life.

He became one of the most prolific devisers of Scottish country dances on record. His output exceeded 800 dances, many of which circulated as leaflets or appeared in printed collections over several decades. He published a number of his own books of dances and also contributed to RSCDS publications and other compilations. His first dance to be published by the RSCDS was The Silver Tassie, which introduced a figure known as the Rondel. Several formations now widely used in Scottish country dancing first appeared in his work, including set and rotate, corners pass and turn, and Petronella in tandem.

A large number of his dances have become well established in the modern repertoire. Examples include Bratach Bàna, The Bees Of Maggieknockater, Belle Of Bon Accord, and A Trip To Tobermory (Drewry). These dances, among many others, are regularly performed by groups in the UK and in other countries, and many dance programmes still feature his compositions.

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