Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

While

Actually While is not a Figure in its own right but is an important indication that some dancers are performing one Figure While others are performing a complementary Figure. The simplest example is: 1st Couple Cast While 2nd Couple Step up.

When teaching or reprising a dance which has quite complicated Figures, it is wise to rephrase the instruction with While at the beginning so that the dancers are encouraged to await the whole instruction before moving and so are more likely to walk the Figures in synchronism; for example, bars 17-20 of J.B. Milne is better expressed as: "While 1st Couple Set and Turn by the right ¾ to Finish on Opposite Sides, 2nd and 3rd Couples Cross By the right on the Sides and Set".


Here are examples of those Scottish Country Dances for which we have instructions on this site and in which the term, While, 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:

1314
Across Kildonan Hall
Carlton And Alex
Entente Florale
Glasgow Highlanders
J.B. Milne
Linkumdoddie
Nottingham Lace
Peter Hastings' Chocolate Mousse
Togetherness


Links To Pages Related To 'While'

Figures