Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Turning A Not So Blind Eye

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Turning A Not So Blind Eye (S4x32) 32 bar Strathspey for four couples in a longwise set, Eddy West, 2004

1-8 First and second couples Half Tandem Reel and Turn:
 1-4 First and second couples dance half a reel of three up and down the centre of the dance. First and second ladies dance in tandem, second lady following first lady. Finish in a line in the centre second man at the top then second lady, first lady and first man, men facing the ladies' side, ladies facing the men's side.
 5-8 First couple with left hand, second couple with right hand turn one and three quarter times to finish on side lines having changed places.
9-16 First couple dance left shoulder reels of three across the dance, lady with second couple, man with third couple.
17-18 First couple cross giving right hands and stay facing out while third couple set.
19-24 First and third couples dance six bars of a double figure of eight, first couple cast on opposite sides to begin, third couple cross up.
25-28 Second and third men set and then turn with right hand to finish on the side, second man facing up third man facing down, at the same time second and third women turn giving right hand and then set facing on the sides. At the same time first and fourth couples dance the first 4 bars of the Espagnole.
29-32 All turn once, second and fourth couples with the right hand, third and first couples with the left hand. (For first and fourth couples this is the second half of the Espagnole.)

Repeat with a new couple leading.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Eddy West 2004)


Dance Notes

The Espagnole (from John Drewry's dance "Glayva")

1-2 1st and 2nd ladies, joining right hands, dance towards the men's side, passing between their partners - on the second step, 1st lady crosses 2nd lady over in front of her, so that 2nd lady dances out and up towards top place, while 1st lady dances out and down towards second place. Meanwhile 1st and 2nd men cross towards the ladies' side passing on either side of their partners.
3-4 1st and 2nd men, joining right hands, dance back towards their own side, passing between their partners - on the fourth step, 1st man crosses 2nd man over in front of him, so that 2nd man dances out and up towards top place, while 1st man dances out and down towards second place. Meanwhile 1st and 2nd ladies cross back towards their own side passing on either side of their partners.
5-8 2nd couple turn by the right hand, while 1st couple turn by the left hand.

John Drewry notes that there is no need to dance out to the sidelines until the end of the figure. However in this dance if possible the dancers should return to the sidelines on the fourth bar so as to cover with the other couples in the turning.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Eddy West)


Dance Information

This dance was devised for Fiona Bullivant to take to the Nelson Summer School 2004/5.

Suggested music: Miss Kate Farrell (Gray) as recorded on track 3 of Strictly Scottish Vol. 1 by Robert Whitehead and The Danelaw Country Dance Band.

(Dance information by the deviser, Eddy West)



Published in (https://eddywest.nz), Turning A Not So Blind Eye, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Eddy West.

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