The Two Roses (Downey)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 1C with 2C, 3C with 4C set and link.
5-8 1C with 2C, 3C with 4C dance 4 hands round finishing with 1C facing 2C and 3C facing 4C on the sides.
9-16 The 4 men and the 4 ladies dance a "Half Turn and Cast Reel". To wit (described for the men from the current positions, name 2M facing 1M, 4M facing 3M in order from the top, the ladies similarly):
 1-2 2M half turn 3M with two hands and face each other on the sidelines,
While 1M dances to 1M position looping (and passing 2M) right (1M is dancing the track he would follow in bars 1-2 of a normal reel of 4),
While 4M loops by the right to 4M position again as in a reel of 4. 2M and 3M should approach each other in a round fashion, like the petals of a rose.
 3-4 2M pulls back RS and casts into 4M place, 3M pulls back RS and casts into 1M place, while 1M and 4M two hand half turn and face each other on the sidelines.
 5-8 Repeat 1-4 from new positions to finish in original positions with 1M facing 4M.
17-24 1C and 4C dance an Espagnole The 1W and 4W should begin this with 1W crossing 4W in front, 1W using RL and 4W RH, so that they flow from 7-8 into the figure, and don't need to change hands.
25-32 1C with 3C; 2C with 4C dance the all round poussette. Finishing order 2,4,1,3.

Repeat from new positions.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

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Dance Information

The half turn and cast reels resemble the rose progression, and here the idea is that these celebrate the two roses, Lancaster and York, to form the Tudor rose, which is represented by the espagnole.

The tune "The Banks of Spey" as recorded by Muriel Johnston and Keith Smith as track 12 of Campbell's Birl works quite well for the dance.

(Dance information from The Piwakawaka Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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