Scottish Dancing Group

The Group meets on Monday mornings at Woodbury Community Hall, EX13 5TL, just west of the Lyme Road, between Raymond’s Hill and Axminster. We dance between 10am and 12am with a short break midway through the morning.

Scottish Country Dancing is a subset of European folk dancing with much in common with English folk dancing; some dances are identical. In the Scottish canon, there are jigs, reels and strathspeys. Most dances are in longwise sets of 3, 4 or 5 couples but sets of other shapes are fairly common.

There is no need to come with a partner; sets are made up of all comers and we adjust the dance to the numbers present. Excellent recorded music is available mainly on CD but also in other formats. Many of our dancers started as complete beginners with Lyme u3a

Everyone is welcome, but newcomers should expect to take several weeks to get the basics, and we never stop learning. Come with light shoes and be prepared to start in a cool hall but be warm within a few dances.

Please contact David 01460 65981 for details or e-mail below
                                                                                                                                              Dances for 2023

THE FIRST RAIN OF SPRING  (J3x32)  3C                  Wouter Joubert  RSCDS Bk 49
 1- 8  1s dance down, cast up round 3s, meet, dance up to 1st place facing out.  1s+2s 1/2 turn (Men LH, Ladies RH)
 9-16 2s+1s dance double Figs 8 (1s cross up, 2s cast to start)
17-20 1s+3s 3/4 turn RH into line up/down in middle facing partner & set
21-28 1s+3s dance 1/2 Celtic Reel:-
         21-22     1s+3s pass partner RSh
         23-24     1M+3L dance clockwise while 1L+3M dance 3/4 round each other LSh to face partners in line across
         25-26     1s+3s pass partner RSh
         27-28     1L+3M dance clockwise while 1M+3L dance 3/4 round each other LSh to face partners in line up/down set
29-32 3s+1s 3/4 turn partners RH to sidelines & 2s+3s+1s set
 
MACDONALD OF KEPPOCH  (M-(S64+R64))  Sq.Set     Chris Ronald  RSCDS Bk 49
 1- 8  1s+3s dance 6 bars R&L (Men polite turns) to finish in centre B-to-B with partner facing side couples (1L+2L, 1M+4M, 3L+4L, 3M+2M). All set
 9-16 Reels of 4 across.  Finish in line up/down with Ladies (in middle) facing, 1M facing down, 3M facing up
17-24 Reel of 4 (1L+3L pass RSh) All pass LSh at ends, RSh in middle.  Finish in original places facing partners
25-32 All set, all turn partner RH 1.1/4 (4 bars) into promenade hold & dance 1 place anticlockwise.  2 3 4 1
Repeat from new positions in Strathspey then twice in Reel time back to original places
 
SCOTT MEIKLE  (R4x32)  4C set   Alice McLean  Laurieston Coll 1 & RSCDS Bk 46
 1- 8  1s cross RH & cast to 2nd place, 1s dance 1/2 Fig of 8 round 2s
 9-16 1s+3s dance RH across, LH back
17-24 1L followed by 3L dance Tandem reel of 3 across with 2s (LSh to 2M) & 1s end 3rd plwhile 3M followed by 1M dance reel of 3 with 4s (LSh to 4L) & 3s end in 2nd pl  2 3 1 4
25-32 1s+4s dance 1/2 R&L, turn partners RH 1.1/2 times  2 3 4 1
 
CHERRYBANK GARDENS  (S3x32)  3C set                  John Drewry  Bankhead Bk 1
 1- 8  1s+2s set & Petronella-in-tandem twice to end with 2s+1s on opposite sides having changed places
 9-16 2s+1s set & 2s cross RH & 1s LH, 1L dances RH across with 2s & 1M with 3s
17-24 1s+3s Set+Link & circle 4H round to left
25-32 2s+3s+1s dance Grand Chain (2s crossing to commence)
 
GANG THE SAME GATE  (S8x32)  3C (4C set)                  Milton Levy  RSCDS Bk 36
 1- 8  1s cross RH & cast down to 3rd place, cross RH & cast up to 2nd place on own sides
 9-16 1s set adv to ptnr & turn 1st crnr 2H to face 2nd crnr, 1s dance 1/2 diag reel of 4 ending M b'tw'n top cpl facing down & L b'tw'n bottom cpl facing up
17-24 1s set adv to partner & turn 4th corner (pstn) 2H to face own 1st corner (pstn), 1s dance 1/2 diag reel with 1st corners ending in 2nd place opp sides
25-32 3s+1s+2s Set+Link for 3 twice