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=Scottish Country Dances=

=Common Cèilidh Dances= The following Scottish country dances are some of the best known and loved, and are commonly danced at cèilidhs not only in Scotland, but around the world!

The Gay Gordons
At a Scottish cèilidh, the first dance is very often the Gay Gordons, as it's a simple yet fun dance that is very well known. Often the band need say nothing more than "let's begin with the Gay Gordons" for people to flood onto the dance floor and take positions ready to dance! It is possible that a person that knows the dance well can partner with someone who has never danced before, as it is easy to lead someone in this dance, so this is a good dance to get new people involved at the beginning of a ceilidh. Also the circular form of the dance allows late-comers to join after the dance has started, without interrupting the other dancers.

The name of the dance alludes to a Scottish regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, a British Army infantry regiment from 1881 until 1994. The regiment took its name from the Clan Gordon and recruited principally from Aberdeen and the North-East of Scotland (taken from The Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary).

The Gay Gordons should be danced to a march of n x 16 bars (M16), usually a 2/4 or 4/4 march like 'Scotland the Brave' or the tune 'The Gordon Highlanders' composed by James Scott Skinner in 1915 and dedicated to P.M. George S. MacLennan.

Simple Description
Couples should form a circular set facing around the room

1-8: All advance and retire twice.

Detailed Description
Couples should form four couple longwise sets. This is where four couples stand facing their partners in two parallel lines. The 'top' of the set is the end where the band (or music) is situated, and the men (or people dancing the men's position) should be on the right, from the band's perspective.

1-8: All advance and retire twice
 * The dance begins w

1-8: All advance and retire twice. GAY GORDONS (M16) Round the Room dance couples facing anticlockwise 1- 4 All in Allemande hold walk forward 4 steps, all turn about and walk backwards (same direction) 4 steps 5- 8 Repeat clockwise 9-16 All Men set as Ladies dance under Mans right arm, all polka round the room

The Gay Gordons Anon  Collins Pocket Reference Book March  n x 16 bars   1 Couple Repeat   1 Couple Set   Round the Room Set This is the ceilidh version, not strict RSCDS. Start with all couples facing anticlockwise around the room, each L on M's right.

1-2     Taking allemande hold, march forward for 3 paces and turn on the spot halfway under the raised arms on the 4th pace to face backwards, L on M's left; 3-4     march backward for 4 paces (still travelling anticlockwise); 5-6     march forward for 3 paces (travelling clockwise) and turn on the spot halfway under the raised arms on the 4th pace to face anticlockwise, L on M's right; 7-8     march backward for 4 paces (still travelling clockwise), finishing with M facing L, dropping left hands and retaining hold with right hand above L's head; 9-12   M set twice (or just stand) WHILE L set twice, turning on the spot under his right hand; 13-16 taking waltz hold, polka once round (making some progress anticlockwise around the room in this) to finish facing as at bar 1.

(MAXICRIB, Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

The Virginia Reel
The Virginia Reel is one of the best known Scottish country dances, and is commonly danced at cèilidhs not only in Scotland, but around the world! This dance is also well known as an American country dance (better known as a 'barn dance'), and although it's likely that this originates from the Scottish country dance (SCD), there are some key differences. The SCD Virginia Reel is so named after the timing of the music, and unlike the American version, does not actually include the figure known as a reel!

The Virgina Reel should be danced to a reel of 4 x 40 bars (R4x40).

Simple Description
Couples should form four couple longwise sets.

1-8: All advance and retire twice. 9-12: All turn partners by the right hand. 13-16: All turn partners by the left hand. 21-24: All dos-à-dos with partner. 25-32: First couple only; slipstep down the centre and back to the top. 33-36: 1st couple, followed by 2s, 3s & 4s, cast to 4th place. 1s join both hands to form an arch. 37-40: 2nd couple, followed by 3s & 4s, lead up under the arch and back to the top to finish in the order 2, 3, 4, 1. Repeat: 2nd couple becomes the new 1st couple, and the dance repeats until all couples have taken a turn at being first couple.

Detailed Description
Couples should form four couple longwise sets. This is where four couples stand facing their partners in two parallel lines. The 'top' of the set is the end where the band (or music) is situated, and the men (or people dancing the men's position) should be on the right, from the band's perspective.

1-8: All advance and retire twice
 * The dance begins with everybody taking hands longwise along their line, and advancing and retiring twice towards their partners. Advance for two beats, retire for two, advance for two, and retire for two. (At a cèilidh dance, it is not uncommon to see the people at the ends of the set giving a 'high-five' to their partner when meeting in the middle!)

9-12: All turn partners by the right hand
 * You have four beats to come into the middle, take your partner by the right hand and turn all the way around, and return to your original side.

13-16: All turn partners by the left hand
 * As with the last figure, take four bars to advance into the middle, turn your partner this time by the left hand, and return to the side.

17-20: All turn partners both hands
 * Advance towards your partner, take both hands and turn all the way round, then return to the sides. To turn both hands, the person in the 'man' position should offer his hands to the 'lady' with palms facing towards himself, lady placing her hands over the top of his as though doing 'bunny hands'.

21-24: All dos-à-dos with partner
 * Dance dos-à-dos (French for back-to-back, in cèilidh dancing it's commonly called do-si-do). Advance towards your partner, and without turning away at all, dance past them in the middle (you should pass your partner by the right shoulder (go to your left) to avoid any collisions!) and continue past them until you reach the point where your partner started from, in two beats. For the remaining two beats, you should return to your original place dancing backwards towards your partner, passing them on the opposite side (left shoulder), hopefully without crashing into them!

25-32: 1s slip down the centre and back to the top
 * The first couple (this is the couple at the top of the set, closest to the band or music source) advance into the middle of the set and take both hands (same grip as for turning both hands), then slipstep (move sideways facing one another) down to the bottom of the set between the lines formed by the other couples, four four beats. Upon reaching the bottom of the set, simply slipstep back up to the top again for the remaining four bars.

33-36: 1s followed by 2s, 3s & 4s cast to 4th place and make an arch
 * Upon reaching the top after slipstepping up from the bottom, first couple should release hands, and cast behind the lines on their correct sides. Casting is where you 'peel' off from the top by pulling your shoulder back to turn 270 degrees, and then move behind the person who was previously to the side of you (e.g. first man pulls back his left shoulder to cast behind second man, first lady pulls back her right shoulder to cast behind second lady). In the Virginia Reel, as you're coming up the middle from the bottom of the set, you can basically just do a U-turn around the second couple. First couple should then continue past second, third and fourth couple behind the line, until they reach the bottom of the set, and then take hands with your partner to form an arch at the bottom of the set. Meanwhile, as first couple passes behind second couple, second couple should also cast and follow behind the first, as does third and fourth couple as the line passes.

37-40: 2s, followed by 3s & 4s, lead up under the arch to finish 2s3s4s1s
 * Now we have first couple forming an arch at the bottom of the set, with second, third and fourth couples coming round behind them in two lines. Second couple should meet at the bottom of the set below the arch, take hands (nearer side, i.e. man's right hand in lady's left), and go beneath the arch together. Second couple should now be facing back towards the top of the set, after coming through the arch, with the man on the left and lady on the right. Second couple then lead back up to the top of the set hand in hand, while third and fourth come under the arch behind them, and follow second couple back up to the top of the set. Once there, couples release hands and return to places on the sides. Once everyone else has passed under the arch, first couple can release hands and return to the sides, ready to start the dance again from the beginning!


 * First couple should now be in fourth place, and everyone else has progressed forwards one place, so that second couple becomes the new first couple. The dance repeats four times through, so that each couple has the chance to shine as first couple!

Video
Watch the dance performed on YouTube: Virginia Reel Video

Cribs and Diagrams
Full cribs and diagrams can be found on the Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary, via the following link: Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary - Virginia Reel