Scottish country dances devised
The history of devising Scottish Country dances has a marked dichotomy. These dances have been around since at least the 18th century, and while the genesis of the “early” dances may best be termed “Traditional” (ie: no one knows where they came from), the composition of later dances are better documented. Dances were devised by dance masters to honor a variety of people and events – royalty, important dates in Scottish history, someone’s patron, weddings: these are common themes one comes across. And (as I understood it, but I could be wrong) up until the middle of the twentieth century, very few “new” dances were devised. But starting in the 1960’s or 70’s, all of a sudden lots of people were trying their hands at writing new dances. And as the number of dance devisors grew, the number of subjects being honored by them grew as well, some of which certainly would not be thought of as “traditional”. This list of dance devisors includes me, as I have brought forth ten dances (several of which whose “subject” might be considered downright weird). As far as I remember, only one of them (#3) has been actually danced … and that was only once.
1. PICKLE ME IN FORMALDEHYDE (Late 1970s)
4 x 32 bar strathspey for three couples (active couple dance only once before going to bottom of set)
This dance was inspired by a conversation I was having with Carol Hieronymus when we were having a conversation off to the side of the dance floor at All Soul’s Church. When I indicated unhappiness with something she said, she replied: “What are you going to do? Pickle me in formaldehyde?” Well, that phrase struck a chord in me, inspiring this dance. The two handed turns represent the double bond of a carbon atom with an oxygen atom, while the single turns represent the single bonds of the carbon with two hydrogen atoms (which will have to do until someone with four arms evolves).
Bars Figure
1-8 1s lead down the middle and back (2s stepping up on bar 3), ending up back-to-back facing 2s.
9-16 1s and 2s dance reel of four across the dance; 1st man cutting off last loop to end between the 3s facing up, while 1st woman ends between the 2s facing down.
17-20 1st woman holding hands with 2s, all set (1st man also sets); 1s turn both hands once round.
21-24 1st man holding hands with 3s, all set (1st woman also sets); 1s turn both hands to end on own sides facing in.
25-26 1s ¾ turn giving right hands, ending facing down, hands retained.
27-28 1s dance to bottom of set, 3s and 4s moving up one place each.
29-32 1s turn both hands twice round.
Repeat with a new top couple.
2. BARBARA RAE (June, 1979)
(Published in The San Francisco Collection. Fourteen Scottish Country Dances devised by members of the San Francisco Branch, Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, edited and published for the San Francisco Branch by Henry Thompson.)
8 x 28 bar reel for three couples
Named in honour of Barbara Rae Turner McOwen
Music: Princess Royal, from Heather & Yon (Cabbage Records #402).
Bars Figure
1-4 Nearer hands joined, 1s lead down below 3s and cast up to 2nd place, 2s stepping up.
5-8 1s turn ¾ by the right to finish woman up between the 2s (all facing down) and man down between 3s (all facing up); all set.
9-14 All three couples dance reels of three across the dance, 1s giving right shoulders to their 1st corner (on their right) to begin.
15-16 1s turn by the right once round to face 1st corners.
17-18 1s change places with their 1st corners giving left hands.
19-20 2s and 3s change places with their partners giving right hands.
21-22 1st man with 3rd man, 1st woman with 2nd woman, change places giving left hands.
23-24 Nearer hands joined, 1s lead up to 1st place on opposite sides, 2s stepping down (NOTE: all 3 couples now on opposite sides).
25-28 1s and 2s dance half rights and lefts across, while 3s cross giving right hands and set.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
3. McOUWSMA’S FANCY (1979)
(Published in The Jean Patrick Collection. Twenty-three original Scottish Country Dances celebrating the life and spirit of Jean Sanford Patrick, published by the Sacramento Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society),1 1983
8 x 32 bar strathspey for four couples
Written in honor of the marriage of Barbara Bouwsma and Robert McOwen
This was a strathspey (Barbara’s favorite type of dance) that included an 8 bar phrase for highland setting steps by the active couple (to highlight Robert’s expertise). As far as I know, it was performed exactly once, at their wedding reception, with the honored couple in 4th position. They were not given any instruction, so they had to learn the dance by watching the top three couples each do the dance … which they did flawlessly.
Bars Figure
1-4 1s advance towards each other with two setting steps and turn once round with both hands
5-8 1s cast off one place on own sides, cross giving left hands to finish back to back between 2s facing opposite sides; 2s step up on bars 5-6
9-16 1s and 2s dance Highland Scottische setting step twice (or any 8 bar Highland Fling step) (no back step, please)
17-24 1s and 2s dance a reel of four across the dance; 2s finish reel in middle of set behind 1s
25-32 1s and 2s allemande
Repeat having passed a couple.
1. Also in the same collection, one might find the dance Royal Auction … devised by my lovely bride.
4. THE IRISH POTATO (April, 1980)
8 x 24 bar jig for four couples
Co-devised by Sheena West and myself to honor Gerry & Katie Dunn (See Appendix IX).
Bars Figure
1-2 1s set to partner.
3-4 2s set to partner.
5-6 3s set to partner.
7-8 4s set to partner.
9-16 1s working with the 2s, and 3s with the 4s, all pousette to change places
17-20 1s cross above 2s and cast down to 2nd place on the opposite sides of the dance, while 3s and 4s dance half rights and lefts.
21-22 1s and 3s dance half right hands across, while 4s give right hands to cross to over
23-24 1s give left hands to dance down to 4th place as 4s step up.
Repeat until every couple has done dance twice through from top position.
N.B. S-P-U-D is the key for remembering the dance: Setting figure, Pousettes, Up and Down figure.
5. MISS CAROLYNN HARVEY (1984 … ish)
4 x 32 bar reel for four couples
Music: The Shetland Fiddler from None So Pretty (Cabbage Records #405)
I absolutely adore this tune from the third Cabbage Band album – it really makes me want to MOVE! But there were very few extant dances that the music could be used for. So, I made one up – this is one of those cases where the music told me what to write. I believe I originally envisioned this as a fugue (as in Fugal Fergus), with the working title The Shetland Fugler … but then saner minds prevailed.
Bars Figure
1-4 1s set and cast off one place; on bars 3-4, 2s step up and 3s set.
5-6 1s and 3s dance half right-hand wheel while 2s set.
7-8 1st and 3rd women join nearer hands and dance in under arch formed by 1st and 3rd men (who also dance in), ending back-to-back with partners in the middle of the dance, remaining facing out and retaining hands, while 2s and 4s cross over giving right hands, ending facing in (see Figure 1).
9-10 All set as 1s and 3s extend their other hands to the 2s and 4s (who move in slightly towards the middle to join hands with 1s and 3s) in the corner positions, forming a St. Andrew’s cross.
11-12 1s and 3s drop common hands and turn their “corner” person about ¾, ending with 1s facing up between 4s and 3s facing down between 2s.
13-14 1s join hands briefly and dance up the middle of the set and out to 2nd place, while 3s dance out to 3rd place.
15-16 All set.
17-20 With both hands joined, 1s slip-step down the set.
21-24 In allemande position, 1s dance back up the set, crossing over to end in 2nd place on the opposite sides, facing out.
25-28 1s cast off two places and cross over to their original sides giving right hands, as 3s and 4s step up one place on bars 25-26.
29-32 2s with 3s, and 1s with 4s, all circle 4 hands once round to the left.
Repeat with a new top couple.
FIGURE 1
(Top of set)
2W- -2M
-3M 3W-
-1M 1W-
4W- -4M
6. CEILIDH’S MISTRESS (Date unremembered)
112 bar strathspey and reel medley for four couples
Music: Strathspey & reel from Dances frae the North (Cabbage Records #419C)
This was composed in memory of the late Dr. Patti Hoover, of the San Gabriel Valley Branch. Patti was Carolynn’s roommate while they were in vet school at UC Davis, and one of the most likeable people I’ve ever met. And just as The Shetland Fiddler inspired me to write the previous dance, this strathspey and reel spoke to me almost as strongly, and so I thought I’d write a matching dance for Carolynn’s roomie. As to the name: the phrase “Ceilidh Master” might easily refer to a fellow who acts as an M.C. for a ceilidh, and thus a “Ceilidh Mistress” would refer to a woman who does the same. However, you’d be mistaken if you thought this dance had anything to do with that: instead it refers the name of Patti’s dog, “Ceilidh”. [Sadly, due to the length and complicated figures, I worry this may prove to be undanceable … although not nearly as bad as item #8].
INTRODUCTION
Bars Figure
1 Wait
2-3 2s & 4s cross over (no hands given)
4 Bow & curtsey
STRATHSPEY
Bars Figure
1-4 Half grand chain, 1 hand per bar, beginning with 1s & 4s crossing, 2s & 3s facing down or up.
5-8 1s facing 2s, 3s facing 4s, all set to person opposite (partners don’t take hands) and turn that person once round with right hands.
9-16 Full reel of four on sides of the dance.
17-20 Half grand chain, 1 hand per bar, beginning with 1s facing 2s, 3s facing 4s.
21-24 1s facing 2s, 3s facing 4s, all set to person opposite (partners don’t take hands) and turn that person once round with right hands.
25-32 Full reel of four on sides of the dance.
33-36 Hands joined, all set on side, then turn partners once round with both hands.
37-38 1s cast down one place, 4s cast up one place, while 2s cross up one place and 3s cross down one place giving right hands.
39-40 All turn partner once round with right hands, ending retaining hands in middle of set, 2s and 1s facing up, 4s and 3s facing down.
41-48 All allemande, 2s & 1s dancing up the set, 4s & 3s dancing down, ending in original order, with 3s & 4s on opposite sides.
REEL
Bars Figure
1-4 Hands joined on sides, all set to partners then cross giving right hands.
5-8 Hands joined on sides, all set and cross back giving right hands.
9-16 Eight hands round and back.
17-20 Hands joined on sides, all set, then 1s with 2s, and 3s with 4s, dance half right hand wheels.
21-24 Hands joined on sides, all set, then 1s with 2s, and 3s with 4s, dance half left hand wheels, merging into
25-32 All chase counter-clockwise once round set, ending with 2s and 3s on the sides of the set, and 1s & 4s in the middle facing partners, 1s slightly towards men’s side, and 4s towards women’s side.
33-36 With both hands joined, 1s slipstep down the set while 4s slipstep up, women pass back-to-back, 2s stepping up and the 3s down on bars 33-34.
37-40 1s slipstep up to end in the middle of the women’s side facing up, while 4s slipstep down to end in the middle of the men’s side facing down.
41-46 Left shoulder reels of three on the sides, 1s and 4s in promenade handhold, beginning with 1s facing 2nd woman, 4s facing 3rd woman, and ending with 1s facing 4s in the middle of the set.
47-48 1st man dances up and out to 2nd place, giving left hand to cross 4th woman in front of him to 3rd man’s place, while 4th man dances down to 3rd woman’s place giving left hand to cross 1st woman up to 2nd woman’s place, while 2s and 3s continue to dance towards partners, meeting in middle of dance, 2s slightly towards men’s side, 3s slightly towards women’s side.
49-64 Repeat bars 33-48, 2s having changed places with 1s, and 4s with 3s.
7. THE CHEERFUL MONK (Date unremembered)
4 x 32 bar reel for four couples
Music: The Shetland Fiddler from None So Pretty (Cabbage Records #405)
Frankly, I have no memory of what specific event inspired me to devise this dance (except maybe I was looking for more opportunities to dance to that great tune). But it was to honor my ex-housemate, Roy Kaitner (who played drums in the Cabbage Band), and who was investitured as Brother Seraphim in 1985 at Mt. Tabor Monastery (part of the eastern Catholic monastery of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) in Redwood Valley, CA.
Bars Figure
1-4 1s set and cast off one place; on bars 3-4, 2s stepping up on bars 3-4.
5-8 1s cross by the right and cast off one place, 3s stepping up on bars 7-8.
9-10 1s dance half right hands across with the 3s.
11-12 1s dance half left hands across with the 2s.
13-16 1s, 2s and 3s all cross by the right and set to partner
17-20 1s dance down the middle while 2s, 3s and 4s all cast up one place and cross back down giving right hands to end in their partner’s position facing down and out (3s may end facing down, while 2s and 4s may face out).
21-24 1s dance up to top of set, crossing over to end on opposite sides; 2s, 3s and 4s dance mirror half reels of three on the sides, beginning with 3rd and 4th men passing left shoulders, and 3rd and 4th women passing right shoulders.
25-28 1s with 4s, 2s with 3s, all circle four hands once round to the left, 3s and 4s dropping their partner’s hand at the end to merge into
29-32 All four couples circle eight hands half way round to the left.
Repeat with a new 1st couple
8. THE MENDOCINO MEDLEY1 (1991)
8 x 32 bar strathspey and reel medley for 3 couples2
Maybe I was tripping on some bad acid, or was otherwise impaired, but in 1991 I submitted an article (Caveat Saltator) for publication in The Reel & Strathspeyer (see Appendix V, part 2) about the San Francisco Branch’s mythical trickster, Skippy Tripfoote. The article suggested that after departing the area, he spent some time in Mendocino County, leaving behind a collection of Scottish Country dances at Mt. Tabor Monastery. Later they were unearthed during some building repairs, and Brother Seraphim brought them to the attention of Barbara McOwen and me when we visited him. This dance was supposedly one of the “better” ones, and I presented it as an abject lesson to potential dance devisors of what NOT to do.
Bars/Figure [Music tempo in brackets]
1-4 [Reel] The dance begins with straight lines advancing for 2 and retiring for 2.3
5-6 [Strathspey]4 1s cast off one place as 2s step up.
7-8 [Reel] Giving other left hands,5 1s cross up to end between the 2s facing partner’s side, ready for a reel of 4 across the dance.
9-16 [Still Reel] Instead, 1s dance mirror reels of 36 on wrong side of dance with 2s and 3s, beginning with 1s dancing down and out, ending with 1s back-to-back in 2nd place, facing wrong7 sides.
17-24 [Strathspey] Double triangles, all three couples using setting step for all 8 bars8. During last 2 bars, 1s pull back right shoulder to face partner, 3s advance to meet partner.
25-28 [Reel] 1s and 3s half poussette.9
29-30 [Optional] 10 1s and 3s take allemande hold with the lady on the gentleman’s left11, 1s dance across and up to place, 3s across and down to 3rd place.
31-32 1s and 3s dance half right hands across
Repeat, having progressed two places.12
1. Skippy had evidently considered a number of titles for this dance, but had not indicated a final choice. I chose “Mendocino Medley” as it seemed the least inappropriate, rejecting his other alternatives, including “The Scotch Jig” (rejected because it’s not a jig – at least I think it’s not a jig), “MacFrinzle’s Delight” (no way this dance could delight anybody), and “The 1812 Overture” (previously used). I feel this composition is to dance, what the “unplayable” Faerie’s Aire and Death Waltz (attributed to a John Stump and introduced to me by Brother Seraphim some years back) is to music.
2. Sort of (see Note 3).
3. Evidently, the nominally inactive (4th) couple also advance and retire.
4. Most medleys have tempo changes only halfway through the dance, but Skippy obviously considered that unnecessarily restrictive.
5. I suspect that Skippy may have composed this dance after viewing an episode of “The Twilight Zone”.
6. This is typical Tripfoote, the kind of thing that got him thrown out of the Branch for.
7. Normally, I would interpret “wrong” to mean “opposite.” However, with Skippy, one can never be too careful, and it is quite possible that he really does mean the wrong side (ie: 1s dancing on, and end up facing, their own side of the dance).
8. What can I say?
9. Ditto.
10. It is unclear to me whether the choice of reel vs. strathspey is optional, or if it is an option of music vs. no music (Personally, after what Barbara found out, I would opt for no music).
11. Don’t ask me why.
12. Apparently 1st and 3rd couple are supposed to “quietly” change places while advancing and retiring the second time through the dance.
9. THE SQUAWFISH STRATHSPEY (Circa 2004)
1 x 24 bar strathspey for 4 couples
Devised in honor of Bruce Herbold’s 50th Birthday. Bruce told us that as an ichthyologist, he was one of the few people on the planet who has ever been bitten by a squawfish (Ptychocheilus oregonensis J. Richardson, 1836; Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). This is a rare event because this species of fish has only pharyngeal teeth, and thus one needs to really shove their hands down the fish’s throat in order to get bitten. (As far as I know, this dance has never been performed).1
Bars Figure
1-8 1s cast off down the outside of the set for 4 bars and back up to place.2
9-16 All 4 couples dance right shoulder reel of fours on the sides of the dance.3
17-20 1s lead down the middle of the set, ending between 4s.4
21-22 1s turn once around as the 4s advance and retire.5
23-24 1s dance back to top place. 6
Having not progressed, do not repeat. 7
1. And for good reason.
2. Symbolizing “casting the net” the catch the squawfish
3. Symbolizing “reeling in the catch”
4. Symbolizing the slow progress of the icthyologist’s hand down the gullet of the squawfish
5. Symbolizing the biting of the squawfish’s pharyngeal teeth
6. Symbolizing the rapid withdrawal of the icthyologist’s hand
7. Symbolizing that no one would ever be fool enough to do THIS again
10. SIX FEET AWA’ (March 2001)
8 x 32 bar jig for 3 couples
In commemoration of the difficulties faced in the COVID-19 pandemic
(The virus is spread)
1-2 1st lady with 2nd lady, and 1st man with 2nd man, give left hands to change places.
3-6 1s and 3s give right hands to dance a wheel once around.
7-8 1st lady with 2nd lady, and 1st man with 2nd man, give left hands to return to original places.
(The pandemic hits and people awkwardly panic)
9-14 1s set, cross down to 2nd place (no hands), then dance down to 3rd place, while 2s cast down to 3rd place, set, and cross (no hands) over up to 2nd place, while 3s cross up to 2nd place (no hands), dance up to 1st place, and set.
15-16 All three couples cross over to own side without giving hands.
(Shelter in place)
17-20 All three couples set in place, without giving hands on the sides.
(Restrictions begin to lift)
21-22 1s cross up to 2nd place giving left hands, while 2s step down to 3rd place.
23-24 1s cross up to 1st place giving right hands, while 3s step down to 2nd place.
(Joy resounding when vaccine is found)
25-26 3s cast up to 1st place while 1s cross down giving right hands to end in double triangles.
27-28 Giving hands, all set.
29-32 Half reels of three on the side, 1s begin by passing right shoulder to 1st corner, ending by giving right hands to cross over into 2nd place on their own sides.
(OPTIONAL: All yell “Whoopee!” or some other paean of joy.)
Repeat, having passed a couple.