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Irish and Scottish dance descriptions
Table of contents
Irish dances
- Cor na síóg, The fairy reel
- The Galway reel
- Baint An Fhéir, Haymakers Jig
- Ionsaí na hInse, Siege of Ennis
- Ballaí Luimní, The Walls of Limerick
- An Lasair's reel
Scottish dances
- The Flowers of Edinburgh
- Lady Catherine Bruce's Reel
- Australian Ladies
- Johnnie's new jig
- Roving Robin
- Johnny Groat's House
Irish dances
This is an Irish reel for six people--usually four women and two men. Line up in trios facing trios, with the man in the middle.
| Bars
| Figure
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| 8
| Advance and retire twice using threes. On the second retire, end people take hands to form a circle.
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| 8
| Rings: circle right with sevens and threes, then back with sevens and threes
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| 8
| Repeat advance and retire
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| 8
| Repeat rings, only this time start by going left first
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| 8
| Slip sides: Center person (man) turn to his right and take right hands with the person on that side. Everyone sidestep using sevens and threes--the couples cross the set while the singles stay on the side but move into the couples' places. Everyone slips sides and back, then the center people turn around and cross with their other partner.
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| 8
| Men center and link arms: the center people (men) go into the middle and link right arms, and dance around with threes for 4 bars, then link left arms and dance back for 4 bars. The side people can optionally slip sides with each other using sevens (without threes)
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| 8
| Turns: coming out of the center, each man gives his right hand to his partner on the right for a turn, then left hand with the left hand partner, then back one more time to the partner on the right, with right hand.
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| 16
| Diamonds and squares: The center people turn at a 45 degree angle to the right. They will be moving diagonally through the "diamond"--sidestep to the right using sevens and threes, then turning their right shoulder to the middle of the next side of the square and repeating. The end people make a square. They slip sides with sevens and threes on their own side first, then across the dance, then on the opposite side of the dance, then back to place.
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| 8
| Arches: Center person raises his right hand, and the left-side partner goes under the arch, then he raises his left arm so the right partner goes under the arch (the center person should follow his partners through the arch), then the man raises his right hand one last time for his left partner to go under.
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| 8
| Advance retire, advance pass-through: just like the first figure except that on the second advance, the trio with their backs to the music (or decide beforehand if you are sideways to the music), raises their hands to form an arch. The other trio drops hands and goes under the arch, passing right shoulders with the person opposite them (one person will not go under an arch).
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Repeat having advanced one trio.
This is an Irish reel for three people. Start in a line.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Take hands and advance for 2, turn around for 2, return for 2, turn around for 2
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| 8
| Take hands, sidestep right and back with 7's and 3's.
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| 8
| End people turn with right hand for 2 to make an arch, center person dances under for 2, ends turn back for 2, center person dances back to place for 2
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| 8
| Center person faces right-hand partner for a reel of 3 (figure-eight)
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| 8
| Circles: take hands in a circle, sidestep to the right with 7's and 3's--on the 3's, right-hand partner dances under an arch made by the other two. Reform the circle, and dance back to the left with seven's and three's, throwing the other end out
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| 8
| Circles: dance 7's and 3's to the right, then throw the center person out, then back to the left with 7's and 3's to form a line and start over. The two ends will have switched places.
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This is an Irish jig for an even number of people, typically 10. Line up with the men in one line, facing their partners in another line.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Advance and retire twice
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| 4
| Jig step
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| 4
| Advance and retire once
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| 8
| Right hand turn--top man, bottom woman turn for 4 bars with the right hand, then top woman, bottom man repeat
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| 8
| Left hand turn--top man, bottom woman turn for 4 bars with the left hand, then top woman, bottom man repeat
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| 16
| Swing in center--top man, bottom woman swing for 8 bars, then top woman, bottom man repeat
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| Strip the willow--first man and woman turn by the right hand one and a half times, then give left hand to the next person on the opposite sides, then right hand to partner, left to next, right to partner, continuing down to the bottom. When they reach the bottom, top couple takes both hands and swings back to the top. The top couple now dances down the outside of their respective lines, followed by everyone. When they reach the bottom, they make an arch and all couples dance up to place, the top couple ending at the bottom. Repeat with a new top couple.
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This is an Irish jig for eight people. Line up in two lines as two couples facing two couples. The man should be on the left of his partner in each couple.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Advance and retire twice, all four on each side taking hands, using threes.
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| 8
| Center people drop hands (but keep your partner's hand). Slip sides as couples using sevens and threes (left lead, right rear). Change back.
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| 8
| Everyone drop hands. The center four people will dance a right-hand star followed by a left-hand star. (Put your right hand into the center, dance clockwise for 4 threes, then turn around, put your left hand in, and dance back). The end people do a cross-hand or around-the-waist swing for all 8 bars.
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| 8
| Advance, retire, advance, pass-through. On the pass-through, the couples with their backs to music raise their hands, making an arch. The other couples drop hands, and pass right shoulders with the person opposite them. One person doesn't get to go under the arch.
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Repeat having advanced one set--when you get to the bottom, you get to sit out one.
This is an Irish reel for sets of two couples. Line up in a square, couple facing couple, with the women on the men's right.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Advance retire twice
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| 8
| Half right and left--women change places by sidestepping to the left with sevens and threes (women face each other as they pass). Men repeat only to the right.
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| 8
| Dance with opposite--Men take the opposite women's hands right-in-right, sidestep away from the center with sevens and threes, then back
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| 8
| Dance around. Partners take both hands and dance a complete circle around the other couple to finish where they started, facing the other direction.
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This is an Irish reel for two couples. Line up couple facing couple.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| All take hands and circle to the right and back.
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| 8
| Irish knot--men's knot. The men turn right hands in the center, left hands with their partners, right hand with the other lady, finishing back in place.
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| 8
| Women's knot. The women turn left hands in the center, right hands to their partners, and left hands with the other man.
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| 8
| Right and left star. Star around to the right for 4, then back with the left for 4.
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| 8
| Bridget's cross. All four dance through the center, passing to the left of the person opposite you. This works if everyone goes together. This takes 4 bars. Turn around on bar 4. Dance 7's and 3's to the right, to the next person's spot.
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| 8
| Repeat, only this time dance the 7's and 3's to the left, back to your original place.
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| 8
| Square chain.
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| 8
| Dance around the house with your partner.
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This forms the body of the dance. The first figure is: dance a promenade around with your partner for 8 bars, finishing in a line--men facing men on the inside, with the women behind the men, facing in. Dance an 8-bar figure of eight for 4 people. Promenade back to your original place for 8 bars.
Scottish dances
This is a 32-bar Scottish reel for three couples. Line up in two lines, men in one line, women in the other, facing your partner.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| 1st woman, followed by her partner, dances down the outside of the women's line, up the outside of the men's side (man goes up the center), both finishing in partner's place and setting for 2
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| 8
| Repeat with man leading down the outside of the women's line, followed by partner
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| 8
| 1st couple lead down the middle and back
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| 8
| 1st and 2nd couples dance a pousette--"away from the center, quarter turn, up or down, quarter turn, into the center, half way around, fall back, fall back"
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This is a 32-bar Scottish reel for 2 couples. Line up in two lines, men facing women.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Top couple lead down the center and back
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| 8
| Top 2 couples do a 2 couple allemande
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| 8
| Couple 1 dances a figure-eight around couple 2
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| 8
| Couples 1 and 2 dance 4 hands round and back
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This is a 32-bar Scottish reel for 3 couples. Line up with men facing women.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| Top couple crosses with the right hand, casts down the outside of the opposite side into 3rd place (couples 2 and 3 stepping up) for 4, then dances a right hand star at the bottom with the 3rd couple for 4
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| 8
| Top couple leads up to the top, crosses and casts into 2nd place (3rd couple stepping down) for 4, then dances a left hand star at the top for 4
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| 16
| Meanwhile: the 2nd and 3rd couples (now in 1st and 3rd place) set for 2, then cross in a square pattern for 2 (i.e. cross the set the first time, then change on the side, then cross back to their own sides, then change on the side). The top couple (in second place) crosses with the right hand, dances out that side/end of the dance, goes around the person on their right, and repeats, ending up the last time in third place.
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Start again with a new top couple
This is a Scottish jig for two or more couples. Line up in two lines, men facing their partners.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| First two couples dance four hands round and back (circle), using a shuffle step.
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| 8
| First man leads his partner down for three bars, up for three bars, then they cast into second place on their own sides, second couple stepping up bars 7 and 8.
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| 8
| First man and first woman (in second place) dance a figure-of-eight around second couple (in first place).
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| 8
| Both couples dance rights and lefts.
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Repeat having advanced one couple--when you get to the bottom, you get to sit out one.
This is a Scottish reel for two or more couples. Line up in two lines, men facing their partners.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 8
| First man dances a figure-of-eight between the first and second women, starting by going between them and around the second woman, using a Scottish traveling step.
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| 8
| First man leads second woman down the center and back using a Scottish traveling step.
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| 8
| First man dances a right-hand turn with second woman (using traveling step) for four bars, then a left hand turn with his partner. While first man and second woman are dancing, second man steps into first place. While first man and first woman are dancing, second woman steps into first place.
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| 8
| Both couples dance rights and lefts.
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Repeat having advanced one couple--when you get to the bottom, you get to sit out one.
This is a Scottish reel for three or more couples. Line up in two lines, men facing their partners.
| Bars
| Figures
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| 4
| First couple with both hands joined, slips down the middle of the set for 4 steps and back up to the top for 4 steps.
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| 4
| First couple casts off to second place, meeting in the middle of the set with both hands joined.
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| 8
| First couple repeat the bars 1-8 with the third couple, finishing in third place, on the side.
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| 8
| First three couples dance six hands round and back.
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| 8
| First couple lead up to the top for 4 steps, set and cast
off into second place, third couple stepping down.
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Repeat having passed one couple.
Last updated: November 5, 1999
Comments? scott.machaffie@gte.net
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