Ullswater Way

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 1C and 4C set and cast into 2nd and 3rd places respectively. 2C step up and 3C down on bars 7 and 8.
5-8 1C and 4C left hands across and finish facing "corners"; 1M facing 2M, 1W facing 2W, 4M facing 3M, and 4W facing 3W.
9-24 Dance 4 interlocking "Mairi's Wedding" half reels of 4. To wit:
 9-12 The four corners dance half reels of 4 on the diagonal passing collective left shoulder (tightly) in the centre, initially passing active person the face right shoulder. The active people dance half a right shoulder loop around the person the face moving to the next corner anticlockwise. (Thus, for example, 1L will be ready to reel with the 2W who will be in 4M's original position.) The active people should pass collective left shoulder in the centre. (If they are really young and fit they might try collective right shoulder, so in effect a 4C Celtic Brooch.)
 13-24 Repeat 3 times, note that the corners will dance 2 consecutive reels of 4 on the diagonal. Finish with 1C in 2nd place and 4C in 3rd place all facing diagonally in, and in from the sidelines; pulling back RS on bar 24.
25-32 1C, 4C set and rotate.
33-40 8 hands round and back.

Repeat 3 times.

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

Dance Information

Ullswater is a lovely lake in the Lakes District, we visited after "Downey Day of Dance 2018".

The "Way" is a walk around the lake, of which we did the part to Howtown from Glenridding.

The recommended tune is "Barley Cakes" which is traditional, the lead tune for "Barley Bree" from Book 13, and I would recommend either the recording by The Carfuffle Ceilidh Band, or either of the society recordings for book 13 (Neil Barron and Bobby Crowe) would be excellent.

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

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