Gay Gordons • Canadian Barn Dance • Strip the Willow • Dashing White Sergeant • Britannia Two Step • Cumberland Reel • Military Two Step • Circle Waltz • St. Bernard Waltz

The Gay Gordons

Formation: couples around the room facing anti-clockwise, ladies on the right.

Music: 2/4 or 4/4 march. E.g. " Scotland the Brave", "The Gay Gordons".

Bars: 1-2:

Right hands joined over lady's shoulder (man's arm behind her back) and left hands joined in front, walk forward for four steps, starting on the right foot.

3-4: Still moving in the same direction, and without letting go, pivot on the spot (so left hand is behind lady and right hand is in front) and take four steps backwards.

5-8: Repeat in the opposite direction.

9-12: Drop left hands, raise right hands above lady's head. Lady pivots on the spot. (The man may set).

13-16: Joining hands in ballroom hold, polka round the room.

Repeat ad lib.

For scottish country dancers, the grip in the first eight bars is allemande hold.

The Canadian Barn Dance

Formation: couples around the room facing anti-clockwise, ladies on the right.

Music: 2/4 or 4/4 pipe march (not 6/8) or scottische.

Bars:1-2:

Starting with the outside foot, walk forward for three steps and hop (or kick).

3-4: Walk backwards for three steps and hop.

5-6: Skip sideways away from your partner (men towards the centre of the room, ladies towards the edge) for two steps and clap.

7-8: Return to partner and join in ballroom (waltz) hold.

9-12: In ballroom hold, skip sideways to the man's left, lady's right for two steps then back again.

13-16: Use four step-hops to polka anti-clockwise round the room.

Strip the Willow

Formation: Longwise sets of 4 couples, men on the right and ladies on the left as viewed from the band. Couples number from nearest the band.

Music: 6/8 or 9/8 double jigs. E.g. "The Irish Washerwoman", "The Curlew", "The Jig of Slurs" for 6/8 and "Drops of Brandy" for 9/8.

Bars:

1-8: 1st couple spin RH.

9-20: 1st lady turns 2M LH, partner RH, 3M LH, partner RH, 4M LH.

21-24: Spin with partner RH to the end of the phrase.

25-36: 1st man turns 4L LH, partner RH, 3L LH, partner RH, 2L LH.

37-40: Spin with partner RH to the end of the phrase.

41-52:1st lady works down men, while 1st man works down ladies, turning 2C LH, partner RH, 3C LH, partner RH, 4C LH.

53-56: Spin with partner RH to the end of the phrase.

The Dashing White Sergeant

Formation: three facing three around the room, man between two ladies or lady between two men.

Music: The Dashing White Sergeant - 32 bar reels, starting and ending with "The Dashing White Sergeant".

Bars:

1-8: Join up in a circle of 6 and circle round to the left for 8 steps (4 bars) and back to the right.

9-12: The person in the middle turns to the person on their right and sets to them, then turns them once round right hand (variation - both hands). The other partner stands still.

13-16: Repeat with the other partner.

17-24: Using elbow grip, turn 1st partner, then 2nd partner, then 1st partner, then 2nd partner. (Variation - dance a reel of three, giving left shoulder to 1st partner to start).

25-28: In the lines of three, advance towards each other (two skip steps) and retire.

29-32: Both lines dance forwards, one line raising their hands in an arch and the other line dancing underneath, and dance on to meet the next set of three coming in the other direction.

Repeat with new three.

The Britannia Twostep

Formation: in threes around the room facing anti-clockwise, man between two ladies.

Music: 6/8 pipe march.

Bars:

1: Nearer hands joined, touch the left heel then the left toe to the floor, bouncing on the right foot with each touch.

2: All skip to the left for one step.

3-4: Repeat 1-2 with the opposite feet.

5-8: Skip forward for two steps, then backwards for two steps.

9-10: Set on the spot facing forwards.

11-12: Still setting, the man raises his arms and the ladies turn underneath.

13-16: Skip forward for two steps, then backwards for two steps.

The Military Twostep

Formation: couples around the room facing anti-clockwise, ladies on the right.

Music: 6/8 pipe march.

Bars:

1-2: Lady with hand on man's shoulder, man with arm around waist, touch heel then toe of outer foot to ground twice, bouncing on the inner foot with each touch.

3-4: Walk forward for three steps then turn towards each other to face in the opposite direction.

5-8: Repeat in the opposite direction.

9-10: Facing partner and joining both hands, bounce on both feet, then kick the right foot across the body (to the left), followed by the left foot across the body (to the right).

11-12: The man raises his left hand and the lady turns underneath (dropping the other hand).

13-16: Polka around the room.

Repeat ad lib.

The St. Bernard's Waltz

Formation: couples around the room in ballroom hold heading anti-clockwise, ladies on the outside.

Music: waltzes.

Bars:

1-4: In ballroom hold, take three steps sideways towards the lady's right, man's left, then stamp both feet.

5-6: Take two steps sideways in the opposite direction.

7-8: Take two steps towards the centre of the room (lady heading forwards with right foot then left foot, man backwards with left foot then right).

9-10: Take two steps back out (same feet).

11-12: Lady turns about on the spot under the joined hands.

13-16: Waltz onwards round the room.

Repeat ad lib.