Niols’s Collection of (Mostly Unpublished) Scottish Country Dances

Emmy & Matt's Wedding

Medley of 32-bar strathspey and 32-bar reel for four couples in a four-couple longwise set

Get the description of the dance as PDF.

See this dance in the Scottish Country Dance Database.

Strathspey
1–8
1st and 4th couples cast in four bars. 2nd couple step up and 3rd couple step down on bars 3-4. 1st and 4th couples dance a half figure of eight around 2nd and 3rd couples.
9–16
1st and 4th couples in second and third places dance set and rotate.
17–20
1st couple turn both hands one and a half times in four bars.
21–24
4th couple cross down to fourth place while 3rd couple cast up to second place.
25–32
3rd and 1st couples dance a poussette right round.
Reel
33–40
1st couple dance a figure of love around the 3rd and 4th couples:
33–36
1st couple dance a half figure of eight, woman up between 3rd couple, man down between 4th couple, finishing by meeting in the centre of the dance and briefly touching both hands.
37–40
1st couple pull back left shoulder and cast, woman down and man up; 1st woman dances up between 4th couple while 1st man dances down between 3rd couple; both finish in third place on own sides facing out.
41–48
1st, 3rd and 4th couples dance a promenade chain progression, finishing in order 2, 4, 1, 3, with 1st couple in the middle of the set, 1st man facing 3rd woman in fourth place and 1st woman facing 4th man in second place.
49–52
1st couple dance a half reel of four with 3rd woman and 4th man, passing by the right to finish with 1st man facing 4th woman in second place and 1st woman facing 3rd man in fourth place.
53–56
1st couple repeat with 4th woman and 3rd man, finishing with 1st man facing 3rd woman on the men's line and 1st woman facing 4th man on the women's line.
57–60
1st couple repeat with 3rd woman and 4th man, finishing with 1st man facing 4th woman on the men's line and 1st woman facing 3rd man on the women's line.
61–64
1st couple repeat with 4th woman and 3rd man, finishing in third place on own sides.
Repeat from new positions.
Devised by Emmy Wilkinson and Matthew Stuart Dunn.

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