Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Whistlin' In The Kitchen

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

WHISTLIN' IN THE KITCHEN (R8x32) 3C (4C set) Bill Forbes Craigievar Book 2

1- 8 1s+2s+3s set, 1s+2s dance RH across ½ way as 3s cross RH, 2s+1s+3s set and ½ turn partner RH ready for Allemande
9-16 2s+1s+3s dance Allemande 1s turning LH to end facing 1st corner positions
17-24 1L+3s (in 1st place) also 1M+2s (in 3rd place) dance reels of 3 across (LSh to 1st corner to start)
25-32 1s dance RH across (L with top couple and M with couple in 3rd place), 1L followed by 3s and 1M followed by 2s cross passing LSh to change ends and loop round anticlockwise. 213

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)


Whistlin' in the Kitchen
Bill Forbes Craigievar Book 2
Reel 8 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-2   1s2s3s set;

  3-4   1s2s right hands across halfway WHILE 3s cross by the right;

  5-8   2s1s3s set and turn by the right halfway into allemande position;

  9-16 2s1s3s allemande, 1s finishing by turning by the left to face first corner positions;

17-24 3s1L (at the top) 1M2s (at the bottom) reels of 3 across (starting with left shoulder);

25-28 3s1L 1M2s right hands across;

29-32 the smoke:
giving left shoulder to the approaching dancers, 1L, followed by 3L3M, chase through 3M's place and 3L's place to 2L's place WHILE 1M, followed by 2M2L, chase through 1L's place and 1M's place to 2M's place, finishing 2s1s3s.

(MAXICRIB. Scottiish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Notes

15-16 This phrasing is especially important; instead of retiring to the side lines as in the normal finish of the allemande, 1s stay in the centre of the set and turn by the left to finish facing first corner positions.

29-32 This figure is often called "The snake" (after The Snake Pass where it also appears). It is important to phrase this correctly without cutting corners:
1L must take 1 bar to reach 3M's place, 1 bar to the centre line, 1 bar to 3L's place and 1 bar to 2L's place;
1M must take 1 bar to reach 1L's place, 1 bar to the centre line, 1 bar to 1M's place and 1 bar to 2M's place;
the corners must take 2 bars to cross the set when going across and when going diagonally.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Whistlin' In The Kitchen - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

This dance was devised for Kathy Reid who practiced on her tin whistle in her parents kitchen in County Mayo (Western Ireland).
Yellow kettle of boiling water on electric stove with steam escaping through the spout
Whistlin' In The Kitchen


Image copyright User:Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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