Tusmore Park Canon
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Tusmore Park Canon 8x32 Strathspey, 7 couple longwise set, Neville Pope1st time through
1-4 1st and 2nd couples dance a ½ reel of 4 across the set: 1st lady casts off and 2nd man casts up to begin; 2nd lady and 1st man pass left shoulders. Finish on opposite sides having changed places with 1st lady facing out.
5-8 1st and 3rd couples dance a ½ reel of 4 across the set: the ladies cast (1st down, 3rd up) to begin and the men pass right shoulders. Finish with 3rd couple in 2nd place on opposite sides and 1st couple in 3rd place on own side. 1st lady pulls back LS as if to continue the reel to finish facing in and up. (Some find it easier to pull back RS, but it is a LS reel.)
9-16 1st couple cross up, giving LH, to dance a figure of eight on opposite sides of the dance, casting down around 3rd couple (in second place), inside 4th couple (taking nearer hands) and casting up around 4th couple, to finish facing up in 3rd place on opposite sides.
17-24 2s, 3s and 1s dance "Last of the Lairds" reels, 1s dancing in and up, 3s dancing out and up, and 2s crossing at top to begin. Each couple crosses to own side from top place to finish on own side in order 2, 3, 1.
25-32 All 7 couples set on the side.
Dancing couple(s) and the couple below them (4th couple and/or 7th couple) dance RH across half-way while other couples cross RH. All set and cross RH.
1st and 4th ladies stay facing out, ready to cast into the half-reel of four. 2nd and 5th men, likewise. 1st and 4th men and 2nd and 5th ladies must finish bar 32 facing in (like a polite turn), ready to pass left shoulders into the half-reel.
2nd - 7th times through 1st couple repeat their dance from 4th place and a new top couple begins from 1st place.
8th time through Last couple dances from 4th place. Top 3 couples stand except for last 8 bars and everyone finishes facing in for the bow and curtsey.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Neville Pope, April 2006)
Dance Information
The first class I taught without supervision was at Tusmore Park on a Thursday evening and we often seemed to have seven couples and no suitable dances except the Kelpie until the class learnt to dance 3 couple dances in a 7 couple set.This was devised to fill the gap and became a favourite with the class.
Recommended Music: Any good 8x32 Strathspey
Recommended Recording: Track 5 (Strathspey) from Scottish Dance Country by Bobby Brown: Mrs B Jolly - Kate Farrell - Dumbarton Castle - Miss Irene Fidler's Strathspey.
(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Neville Pope, 2010)
Published in Sturt Desert Pea Book 2010, copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Neville Pope, 2024.
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