Slip Step
In Scottish Country Dancing, Slip step is a sideways Travelling Step used for Hands round (Dancing round in a circle) and occasionally for other Figures, such as Slip down and Slip up in which a Couple Travel with Both hands joined and Facing each other.The diagram shows one complete Slip step to the left, taking one bar of music in all; these movements are repeated for the number of bars designated or implied for the Figure.
Slip Step
For movement to the right, interchange right and left in the description.
When changing from Slip step to the left to Slip step to the right, as at the halfway point in Hands round and back, while completing the closing movement of the right foot make a firm hop on the left foot (to counteract the inertia of the circling Dancers) and Start the next bar by stepping back to the right with the right foot.
See Fitting The Steps To The Music for those details covering this and the other six basic steps of Scottish Country Dancing.
Here are examples of those Scottish Country Dances for which we have instructions on this site and in which the term, Slip step, either appears explicitly or is implied; note that for a common term these will be a small selection; for a rare term, these may be all that exist:
Dhoon
Gypsy Girl's Headscarf
Gypsy Girl's Headscarf (3-Couple Version)
Hay's Australian Ladies
Kingston Jig
Oregon Rant
Puggy 1
Puggy 1 (3-Couple Version)
Puggy 2
Sally Lightfoot
Dance Video Clip Which Demonstrates Slip Step
Slip Step Travelling Step Video ClipLinks To Pages Related To 'Steps for Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes'
FootworkBack to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing 'Slip Step' page