Tartan Day Ceilidh Dances

Click on the name for a video of the dance

Gay Gordons – March

Couples facing counter-clockwise, around the room, woman on man’s right. Allemande hold (i.e. join left hand in left in front [waist level], join right hand in right above woman’s right shoulder]. Begin with outside foot.

1-4 March forward 4 steps, maintaining Allemande hold, pull RS back on the fourth step [Drop RHs in front, raise LHs above woman’s left shoulder]. March backwards for 4 steps in the line of dance.

5-8 March forward 4 steps, maintaining Allemande hold pull LS back on the fourth step [Drop LHs in front, raise RHs above woman’s right shoulder]. March backwards for 4 steps against the line of dance.

9-12 Drop LHs and face partner. As men walk forward in the line of dance, woman turns under his raised right arm.

13-16 In ballroom hold, polka round and open out ready to begin again.

Polka step: Man steps and hops on LH, then steps and hops on RF [Woman RF then LF]

Waltz Country Dance – Waltz

Danced in fours around the room. Couple facing couple, man with woman on his right.

1-2 All set to the dancers facing them, moving forward and back.

3-4 All change places with the dancers to whom they have set, passing by the right, ladies doing a “polite” turn.

5-8 Repeat as above, setting 1st to partner.

9-16 Repeat, back to original places.

17-18 All take hands and balance forward and back.

19-20 Men, dancing on the spot, turn lady on their left, to place on their right.

21-32 Repeat bars 17-20 three times.

33-40 Couples waltz to meet next couple, moving in the direction they originally faced

The Dashing White Sergeant – Reel

Dance round the room one line of three, facing another line of three.

1-8 6 hands round to the left and back again.

9-16 Person in the centre of line, sets to and turns the person on their right, then sets to and turns the person on their left.

17-24 Reels of three, the person in the centre giving left shoulder to the person on the right to begin.

25-32 With hands joined in lines of three, all advance [2] and retire [2].

Each line of three then advances through the opposite line of three, passing the opposite person by the right shoulder, to meet the next line of dancers.

Repeat until partners meet and finish side by side in original places.

Strip the Willow – Reel

Danced in a four couple set.

1-8 1st couple turn each other 1 ½ times, with running steps to face 2nd couple.

9-24 1st lady turns 2nd man with left hand, and partner in the middle with right hand. 1st lady repeats until she’s turned all the men, and at the last turning of her partner, they finish with 1st man facing the last lady in the set.

25-40 1st man turns each lady, in turn, with left hand and partner with right. At the top of the dance, he turns his partner with the right hand to finish with 1st lady facing 2nd man and 1st man facing 2nd lady.

41-52 1st couple turn the man and lady they are facing left hand, meet in the centre and turn each other right hand. They continue to the bottom of the set.

53-56 1st couple turn each other 1 ½ times to own sides. The 2nd couple begin to turn as the 1st couple are completing their last turn.

Long Live the Queen – Reel

Danced in a four couple set.

1-8 The 4 men join hands and the 4 ladies join hands. They all advance [2] towards partner and retire [2], then giving right hands, they turn partners [4] and return to place, 8 skip change of steps.

9-16 All repeat bars 1 to 8

17-24 4th couple leading, all dance down the middle, turn inwards and with 1st couple leading dance up again. 1st and 2nd couples remain in the middle facing each other. Bottom two couples return to original places

25-32 1st and 2nd couples advance [2] towards each other and retire [2], then change places with 4 skip change of step, 1st couple dance under the arch made by the 2nd couple. 2s finish in top place. 1s finish in 2nd place

The dance is repeated with 1st couple in 2nd place. A new top couple begins on the 3rd repetition

Note: When 1st couple repeats the dance from 2nd place, top and bottom couples return to place on bar 24. 1st & 3rd couples [middle couples] dance bars 25 – 32. 1st couple dance to the bottom of set as 4th couple step up on last two bars.

The new top couple repeats the dance.

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