Valerie Craig's Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Valerie Craig's Reel (R8x32) 3C (4C set) Lewis N Derrick 1989

1-8 The 1st couple cross down between the 2nd couple and cast up to top place on opposite sides, then, taking nearer hands, they dance down the dance for two steps, turn inwards and, taking nearer hands again, dance up the dance to end in top place, facing out on opposite sides
9-16 The 1st man with the 2nd and 3rd women and the 1st woman with the 2nd and 3rd men dance reels of three on the sides
17-20 The 1st couple dance half diagonal rights and lefts with the 3rd man and the 2nd woman
21-24 The 1st couple dance half diagonal rights and lefts with the 3rd woman and the 2nd man
25-28 The 1st man with the 2nd couple (in third place) and the 1st woman with the 3rd couple (in second place) dance half reels of three across the dance, to begin the 1st man crosses down to give right shoulder to the 2nd woman while 1st woman crosses up to give right shoulder to the 3rd man
29-32 The 1st man with the 3rd and 2nd men and the 1st woman with the 3rd and 2nd women dance half reels of three on the sides, to begin the 1st man dances in and up to give left shoulder to 3rd man while the 1st woman dances in and down to give left shoulder to 2nd woman

Repeat having passed a couple

(Dance Crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2020)

Dance Notes

On bars 15-16 the 1st and 2nd couples pass one another again to change places, the 2nd couple making a polite turn to face in at the top of the dance; meanwhile the 3rd couple use these two bars to dance a polite turn to end facing in at the bottom of the dance. This is effectively a six-bar reel with a two-bar progression, but all three couples dance the whole eight bars.

4 On bars 17 and 21 the 1st man begins the rights and lefts by dancing diagonally down both times, while the 1st woman dances diagonally up. The 1st couple end the rights and lefts with polite turns both times.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)

Dance Information

This dance, Valerie Craig's Reel, was devised in memory of Valerie Craig.

Suggested tune: My Only Jo and Dearie, O.

Devised October 1989; first published 1992; republished electronically 2020.

(Dance information reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)

Published in The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Books, Volume 5, The Real McGhie and Other Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick.

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