Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Weel's Me On The Birl

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Weel's Me on the Birl
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 11: Three Dozen
6/8x32 bar Reel
2-couple dance in 3, 4-couple longways set

  1-8   DOWN MIDDLE AND BACK: 1st couple lead down middle and back ending by passing each other by the left shoulder to finish back-to-back between 2nd couple;

  9-16 SWIRLING REEL OF 4: 1st and 2nd couples dance a Swirling Reel of 4 ending in middle facing down;
Bar 9: pass right shoulders; Bar 10: 1st man and 2nd woman dance round the ends of the reel
AS 2nd man and 1st woman pull right shoulder back and spin around individually;
Bar 11: pass right shoulders: Bar 12: 2nd man and 1st woman dance round the ends of the reel
AS 1st man and 2nd woman pull right shoulder back and spin around individually;
Bar 13: pass right shoulders; Bar 14: 1st man and 2nd woman dance round the ends of the reel
AS 2nd man and 1st woman pull right shoulder back and spin around individually;
Bars 15-16: 1st couple omit swirl and dances into the middle on own side to meet her partner, all face down and join nearer hands in a line of 4;

17-24 DOWN MIDDLE AND UP: dance down middle and up (2nd couple end in 1st place);

25-32 FIGURE OF 8: 1st couple dances a figure of 8 on own side by casting down on own side, dance down between 3rd couple, divide and cast to 2nd place on own side.

Repeat from 2nd place.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)


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