X Marks The Scot
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
X Marks The Scot (8x40J) 40 bar jig for three couples in a four couple longwise set, Murrough Landon, 20201- 4 1st couple, giving left hands, cross over, then cast off one place as 2nd couple step up.
5- 8 1st couple dance half a figure of eight out the ends, man up, woman down, looping left shoulder round their 3rd corner and then pass each other left shoulder to end back to back on the diagonal facing their 1st corners.
9-12 1st couple and 1st corners dance four bars of set to corners and cast away: set to the facing person, then 1st couple cast away to end in the 3rd corner position behind them as their 1st corners (2nd man and 3rd woman) dance in and twirl away to end back to back facing their partner on the 2nd corner diagonal.
13-16 2nd man and 3rd woman dance corners pass and twirl with their partners: 2nd man and 3rd woman loop right shoulder round the 2nd corner positions and twirl to end back to back on the diagonal facing their 1st corner positions (1st woman and 1st man respectively) while 2nd woman and 3rd man, giving right hands, half turn and cast away to the opposite corner.
17-24 2nd man and 3rd woman (the original 1st corners) repeat bars 9-16 from new places. The corners all end back in their places as at bar 9. 1st couple end twirling to be back to back facing their 1st corners again.
25-32 1st couple, giving right hands, turn their 1st corners, pass right shoulder, turn their 2nd corners also right hand and end passing right shoulder to 2nd place own side. The corners dance for four bars.
33-40 All circle six hands round to the left for three bars (six slip steps) then pivot and chase back to end in the order 2,1,3.
(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA May October 2020 (revised 2021))
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Dance Instruction Videos
X Marks The Scot - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
The title for thia dance was shamelessly stolen from the website www.xmarksthescot.com, an online community of kilt wearers (of which I am not a member).The dance has several twirling opportunities which those wearing kilts or other swirly apparel may enjoy - within reason!
The central figures take place on both diagonals to mark the X of the Scottish saltire.
The last 16 bars are intended to echo the end of The Reel of the Royal Scots - but with pivot and chase to finish.
Recommended music: Suggested tune The Waggle O' The Kilt by Harry Lauder; suitable recording The Waggle O' The Kilt (The Glencraig Scottish Dance Band: Ah'm Askin').
(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA October 2020 (revised 2021))
Published in X Marks The Scot, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA.
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