Matt's Wedding

40-bar strathspey 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.

1–4

1st couple cast off one place while 4th couple cast up one place. 2nd couple step up and 3rd couple step down on bars 3-4.

5–8

1st couple dance a half figure of eight round 2nd couple while 4th couple dance a half figure of eight round 3rd couple.

9–16

1st and 4th couples set and rotate.

17–20

1st couple, giving both hands, turn one and a half times.

21–24

4th couple, without giving hands, cross down to fourth place while 3rd couple cast up to second place, to finish in the order 2, 3, 1, 4.

25–32

1st couple dance the »figure of love«: 1st woman dances up between 3rd couple and casts off round 3rd man, while 1st man dances down between 4th couple and casts up round 4th woman. 1st couple meet in the middle of the set, touch both hands, then, pulling back left shoulders, 1st woman casts off round 4th man, while 1st man casts up round 3rd woman. 1st couple finish in third place on own sides facing out.

33–40

1st, 3rd and 4th couples dance a promenade chain progression, finishing in order 2, 4, 1, 3.

Repeat from new positions.

Devised by Emmy Wilkinson and Matthew Stuart Dunn.

Recommended music: Matt's Wedding (40-bar Version), by Nicolas “Niols” Jeannerod.