More Formations

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Introductory Note

Here are descriptions of various formations found in Scottish Country Dances that are not explained in the Manual of Scottish Country Dancing as published by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS). This document departs from the original in a couple of minor points: The Steps and Hands subheadings have been omitted to save space, since the appropriate steps and handing should be obvious to dancers at a level where they are likely to encounter the figures explained here. I have also decided not to refer to Strathspey, Jig or Reel time in the headings, because these are sometimes wrong or misleading in the Manual. To make up for these simplifications, I have added the deviser of the formation (where known) and a number of representative dances including the formation. I also give the number of dancers involved and their starting positions if they are not standard. Finally, the progression achieved by a formation is briefly summarized as an aid to teachers and devisers of dances.

The descriptions given here are accurate to the best of my knowledge, which does not imply that they are necessarily correct :-). Please let me know about all errors that you find, as well as any additions, clarifications, comments or remarks that occur to you. Thank you very much for helping to improve this document.

Frankfurt, November 1995
Anselm Lingnau

Acknowledgments

``Thank you'' to Andrew Smith for explaining the Birl, and to Kent Smith for additional info about the Tourbillon.

La Baratte (The Churn)

This figure uses six bars of music and commonly follows setting. It occurred in the Quadrilles in Canada but is now falling into disuse.

Bars of Music: Six
Dancers: A man and woman facing each other
Progression: The dancers change places

Bars

1-2
M turns W opposite half-way round with the right hand. They retain hands but pass each other so that their arms are nearly fully extended.
3-4
W pulls her right shoulder back to dance under M's right arm, travelling back along the line covered during the first 2 steps and turning her back towards him, while M moves back towards his original place. When W is directly in front of M, they join left hands as well (M should extend his left hand to the front and left with the edge opposite the thumb pointing down, so W can bend her fingers and sort-of hook her fingertips from the outside around the edge of M's index finger. This is a lot harder to explain than to do but saves people from spraining their wrists. The thumbs are not used!) They release right hands and W dances under M's left arm, again pulling her right shoulder back, retaining left hands.
5-6
The dancers change places once more giving left hands, finishing on the sidelines in opposite place.

Source: John Drewry, from John Moss (New Brunswick)
Dances: The Sunlit Square (Strathspey), Acadian Jig

The Birl (or Bourrel)

The name of this formation is a cause of confusion, mainly because of the RSCDS' apparent attitude that people are not supposed to ``birl'' in Scottish Country Dancing. This led to the figure being called the Bourrel in RSCDS jargon. Nowadays it is not referred to by name at all in RSCDS publications; e.g., a variation of it occurs in My Friend Joe (book 38 no.2) but is not acknowledged by name.

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples
Progression: The dancing couples change places

Bars

1-4
1M and 2W set to each other advancing and turn three quarters of a turn giving both hands. At the end of bar 4 they release hands and pivot around, finishing back to back in the center with 1M facing down and 2W facing up. Meanwhile, 1W and 2M dance across the set and continue anticlockwise to finish facing their partners.
5-6
Both couples set to partners.
The final bars depend on the actual dance, but usually seem to involve turning. Campsie Glen has
7-8
Both couples turn partners giving right hands. 1C finish in promenade hold facing down (1W on the right), 2C finish on own sides in top place.
while Frae A' The Airts continues
7-8
Both couples turn partners 3/4round giving both hands, finishing on own sides in second and first places, respectively.
and My Friend Joe has the couples turning by the right to finish facing up ready for Allemande.

Source: Bob Campbell, Campsie Glen (Glasgow Assembly Book)
Dances: Frae a' the Airts (RSCDS L), My Friend Joe (XXXVIII2)

The Chain Progression

This is a progressive formation for two couples.

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples
Progression: The dancing couples change places

Bars

1-2
Both couples turn three quarters of a turn giving right hands.
3-6
Giving left hands, 1M and 2W turn one and a half times while 1W and 2M dance round the outside finishing in each other's original place.
7-8
Joining right hands, both couples turn three quarters of a turn to own sides, 1C finishing in 2nd place and 2C in top place.

Corners Pass and Turn

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Three couples: 2C in 1st place, 1C in 2nd place, 3C in 3rd place
Progression: None

Bars

1-4
1C, passing by the right, cross over and dance around 1st corner positions while 1st corners turn once round giving right hands (in quick time) or both hands (in Strathspey time).
5-8
1C, passing by the right, dance around 2nd corner positions while 2nd corners turn once round giving right hands (in quick time) or both hands (in Strathspey time).

Source: John Drewry?
Dances: Moment of Truth (XXXVII2), The Duke of Wellington (Drewry)

Dance to Each Corner and Set

Bars of Music: Twelve
Dancers: Three couples: 2C in 1st place, 3C in 3rd place, 1C in centre facing first corners
Progression: 2C and 3C change places and sides, i.e., everybody finishes up in the position diagonally opposite of where they started. 1C finish facing 1st corner person.

Bars

1-2
1C change places with 1st corners passing by the right. When they reach the centre, 1st corners pass each other by the right, turning clockwise to face 2nd corners. Meanwhile, 2nd corners set to each other.
3-4
1st corners (in the centre) change places similarly with 2nd corners, while 1C (in 1st corners' position) set to each other.
5-6
2nd corners (in the centre) change places similarly with 1C, while 1st corners (in 2nd corners' position) set to each other.
7-12
Repeat likewise for another 6 bars (3 changes).

Source: ?
Dances: Gothenburg's Welcome (XXXVII3), Foxhill Court (Drewry)

The Espagnole

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples
Progression: The dancing couples change places

Bars

1-2
The men dance across the set to the women's side while the women lead across the set to the men's side giving right hands, 2W crossing in front of 1W.
3-4
The men lead across the set back to their own side giving right hands, 2M crossing in front of 1M, while the women dance across the set to finish on their own side, having changed places.
5-8
2C turn once round giving right hands while 1C turn once round giving left hands.

Source: John Drewry
Dances: Glayva, The Hazel Tree, Foxhill Court (Drewry)

The Figure-of-Eight Grand Chain

This figure is not to be confused with Rights and Lefts for three couples (p.6.50).

Bars of Music: Twelve
Dancers: Three couples, 2C in 1st place, 1C in 2nd place on opposite sides, 3C in 3rd place
Progression: None

Bars

1-2
1C (in the middle) change places with 1st corners giving right hands, while 2nd corners cross likewise on the diagonal.
3-4
The dancers in the middle (1st corners) change places with those in 2nd corner positions, giving left hands, while those in 1st corner positions (1C) cross likewise on the diagonal.
5-12
Repeat pattern twice analogously until all dancers are in their original positions.

Source: ?, Equilibrium (SDA 95)

The Kiwi Knot

This is like the normal Knot for two couples but upside-down. John Drewry devised this figure while staying with dancers in Whangarei, New Zealand.

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples, men on women's side and vice-versa
Progression: The dancing couples change places and sides

Bars

1-2
All turn partners with the right hand half-way round to finish in allemande hold facing up.
3-4
1C (followed by 2C) dance to the men's side and down the dance, releasing right hands at the end of bar 4.
5-8
Both couples dance into the middle and turn partners with the left hand to own sides. This turn is longer than in the usual Knot.

Source: John Drewry
Dances: The Celtic Kiwi (Drewry)

Petronella in Tandem

Bars of Music: Two
Dancers: Two dancers standing side by side - a man with a woman on his right, two men or two women
Progression: Like ordinary Petronella turn

Bars

1-2
The dancer on the right does a Petronella turn as usual, but moves a bit farther on than usual. Meanwhile, the dancer on the left does a Petronella turn, dancing closely behind the other person to start and finishing on the left side of the other dancer as before.
In quick-time dances the Petronella in Tandem should be performed using skip change of step rather than pas de basque.

Source: John Drewry, also Iain Boyd and Marie Boehmer
Dances: Anna Holden's Strathspey (Drewry), The Celtic Kiwi (Drewry)

The Progressive Grand Chain

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Three couples
Progression: The couples finish in the order 2, 3, 1

Bars

1-2
1C turn once round giving right hands while 2C and 3C change places up and down the dance giving right hands.
3-4
2C turn once round giving left hands while 1C and 3C change places up and down the dance giving left hands.
5-6
3C turn once round giving right hands while 1C and 2C change places up and down the dance giving right hands.
7-8
1C turn once round giving left hands while 2C and 3C change places up and down the dance giving left hands.
(The full turns occur in top place and third place alternately.)

Source: ?
Dances: Ailsa Craig (Birmingham 1973), Dagmar's Fancy (Mainhattan Book)

The Roulette

This progression is danced by two couples. Strathspey time only.

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples
Progression: The dancing couples change places

Bars

1-2
All petronella in to face partners.
3-4
1C turn with both hands half-way round, opening up to face women's side, while 2C turn likewise to face men's side.
5
1W and 2M join right hands; all dance round clockwise for 1 step.
6-8
All drop hands with partners; 1M and 2W dance round the outside to progressed positions while 1W and 2M turn with the right hand just over once round to progressed positions. 1C finish in 2nd place, 2C finish in top place.

Source: John Drewry
Dances: The Ancient Yew, Freddy's Fancy (Drewry)

Schiehallion Reels

Bars of Music: Sixteen
Dancers: Four couples in a square set, men facing the middle, women facing out
Progression: None

Bars

1-2
Men dance diagonally across the set, finishing in the position of the woman in the couple to their right. Meanwhile, the women dance round to their partners' places.
3-4
Men cast round to the respective man's place while the women dance diagonally across the set to follow their partners.
5-16
Repeat this pattern three times to original places.

Source: Hugh Thurston, Schiehallion
Dances: 1314 (Drewry), The Dancing Master (Drewry)

Set and Link for three

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Three couples; men on women's side, women on men's side
Progression: The couples change sides; the leftmost couple finishes on the right and vice-versa

Bars

1-2
All join nearer hands and set on opposite sides.
3-4
The dancers at the left end of each line dance to the right end, the man finishing facing up and the woman finishing facing down. The dancers in the middle and at the right pull their right shoulders back and cast clockwise (middle people following right-end people), finishing in two lines across the set with the men facing up and the women facing down.
5-6
All join nearer hands and set facing up and down the dance.
7-8
Repeat bars 3-4 to finish on own sides in reverse positions.

Source: ?
Dances: Gang the Same Gate (XXXVI4), The Whiteadder Jig (Whiteadder Coll.)

The Slip Knot

This is a non-progressive version of the Knot.

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples
Progression: None

Bars

1-2
1C and 2C turn half-way giving right hands to face down in Allemande hold.
3-4
2C followed by 1C curve round and dance up on the women's side.
5-6
Releasing right hands, 2C and 1C turn half-way giving left hands.
7-8
2C and 1C dance left hands across half-way.

Source: Mel Briscoe, Ellie's Jig

The Swirl

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples. 2M on women's side, 2W on men's side.
Progression: The dancing couples change places and sides

Bars

1-2
All turn partners half-way giving right hands, finishing in Allemande hold in the centre, 1C facing down and 2C facing up.
3-4
1C and 2C dance round each other by the left (men in the centre).
5-8
Continuing this movement, 1C and 2C drop right hands and dance left hands across to finish in progressed places on opposite sides.

Source: ?
Dances: Melville Castle, Broughton Heights (Tweeddale Coll.)

The Tourbillon

This is a progression for two couples.

Bars of Music: Eight
Progression: The dancing couples change places

Bars

1-2
All turn partners half-way giving both hands. Dropping `interior' hands, 1M leads 1W clockwise to the women's side while, similarly, 2W leads 2M clockwise to the men's side.
3-4
Both couples set on the sidelines facing each other across the dance.
5-6
All turn partners half-way giving both hands. Dropping `interior' hands, 1W leads 1M clockwise to finish in 2nd place on opposite sides while, similarly, 2M leads 2W clockwise to finish in top place on opposite sides.
7-8
Both couples cross over to own sides giving right hands.

Source: Barry Priddey, Sands of Morar (Glasgow Branch Diamond Jubilee)
Dances: By Dundonald (Barbour), The Dark Mile (Priddey)

The Whirligig

(Can somebody check this? I don't know whether I've got it right in my notes.)

Bars of Music: Eight
Dancers: Two couples. 2M on women's side, 2W on men's side.
Progression: The dancing couples change places, finishing on own sides.

Bars

1-2
All turn partners 3/4 of a turn giving right hands to finish in promenade hold, 1C facing men's side, 2C facing women's side.
3-6
All promenade about 11/8times round by the left (men in the centre).
7-8
1C drop right hands and lead down, 1M crossing 1W in front of him to finish in 2nd place on own sides. Meanwhile, 2C drop right hands and lead up to curlicue into 1st place on own sides.

Source: John Drewry
Dances: Lochmaben Castle (Drewry), We'll Dance & Sing & Rejoice, Man (Drewry)