THE BLETHERING GHILLIE

32-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1-8	1st and 2nd couples set, turn partners with both hands, and circle four hands round to the left.
9-16	1st and 2nd couples dance the knot; 1st couple finish facing first corners.
17-24	1st couple dance corners pass and turn with first corners, pass right shoulders in the center of the set, dance corners pass and turn with second corners, and pass right shoulders across the set to finish in second place on own sides, facing out. (Corners turn with both hands.)
25-32	1st couple dance figures of eight on their own sides in six bars, beginning by giving right shoulder to the person on their right, finishing with 1st woman between 2nd couple facing down and 1st man between 3rd couple facing up. On bars 31 and 32, 1st couple turn with left hands ¾ to finish in 2nd place on own sides, ready to begin again.

The Blethering Ghillie is the deviser’s pub, located in the basement of his home in Beavercreek, Ohio, USA. Much blethering has transpired there over the years, especially at afters parties following dance events.

Devised by Donald L. Fuell, Jr. (fuell [at] mindspring.com), 2008. May be reproduced for dance instruction and use.

UPDATE 9 June 2008: Corrected the last sentence of the instruction for bars 25-32.

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THE OLD BA' GAME or UPPIES AND DOONIES REDUX

32 bar Reel (or Jig?) for 4 couples in a longwise set

1-8	1C and 3C dance fig. 8 down, 1C around 2C and 3 around 4C. Finish side by side in the center of the set, facing down, 1C between 2C and 3C between 4C.
9-16	In lines across the dance, 1C with 2C and 3C with 4C dance down, pull back right shoulder and dance back up. 2C and 4C dance into their original places.
17-20	1C dance up to first place and cast off around 2C, into third place, while 3C dance up the middle and into 1st place. Can dance long or short way into place, depending on how you feel.
21-24	3C with 2C and 1C with 4C dance right hands across. All couples finish in center, in positions where they began the hands across, ready for poussette.
25-32	3C with 2C, and 1C with 4C poussette. Should finish in order 2,3,4,1.
	Repeat 3 times.

Good music: Duke of Perth encore, Terpsichore, Caledonian Muse

Devised by Ellen Ternes (ellenter [at] comcast.net), after reading a wonderful feature in the Washington Post about the Christmas Ba' game on Kirkwall, Orkney, to evoke the up and down energy of the event. I called it Uppies and Doonies until I found out there was already a dance by that name. So I stole the Post headline, The Old Ba' Game.

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SPICE IT UP

32 Bar Jig for 3 couples in a 4-couple longwise set

1-8	1s lead down the middle and up
9-16	1s, 2s and 3s dance 3 couple Allemande
17-20	3s and 2s set and link (two top couples) Finish 2, 3, 1
21-24	3s and 1s set and link (two bottom couples) Finish 2, 1, 3
25-28	2s, 1s, 3s set and cross RH.
29-32	2s, 1s, 3s chase halfway round, to finish 3, 1, 2*
	Repeat having passed a couple.

*Please Note: This dance has an unusual progression, with the 3rd couple at top place after the first turn of the dance. The original 2s are top couple on the 4th repetition of the dance.

A lively jig is recommended. I use Marianne Anderson’s Kangaroo Paw, Cut #14

Devised by: Merrill Heubach (nika [at] eastlink.ca), Lunenburg, NS

UPDATE 20 March 2008: Bars 25-32 corrected
UPDATE 24 March 2008: Explanation of progression corrected

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MARY STEWART ASHWORTH

1-4	1s set, cross down to 2nd place facing out (2s step up)
5-8	1L cast up round 2M, down the middle & pull back R Sh to face up, while 1M cast down round 3L, up the middle & pull back R Sh to face down, back to back with 1L
9-16	1s dance out through the ends, cast round to the right, dance in through 2nd place and pull back R Sh to face out, back to back in the middle, while 2s & 3s set, advance and retire (6 bars); All take hands and set as in double triangles (2 bars)
17-24	1s dance out through the sides, cast round to the right, dance in through the ends and pull back R Sh to face up and down, back to back in the middle, 1M facing up while 2s & 3s set facing up and down, advance & retire up and down the dance (6 bars); All take hands and set as in double triangles (2 bars)
25-32	1s reel of three on the side, R Sh to 2nd corner (6 bars); 1s cross over RH (2 bars)

Devised by Joyce Cochrane (jcochrane [at] jcochrane.karoo.co.uk) in memory of a fellow branch member who died recently.

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AUCHINDRAIN

A 32-bar Reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set.

1-4	First couple set, cross down one place. Second couple move up.
5-8	First couple dance down behind third couple and dance up (near hands joined) to finish back to back in the center of the dance facing corners ready for…
9-16	Double Triangles. First couple end back to back in the middle facing corners as before.
17-24	First couple turn first corners with the right hand, pass one another by the right shoulder in the middle; turn second corners with right hands and, passing one another by right shoulders, cross back to own sides and face out in second place. Corners dance for four bars.
25-32	Second, first and third couples dance right shoulder reels of three on the sides. To begin: Second couple dance in and down; first man dances out and up; first woman dances out and down; third couple dance in and up.
	Repeat from second place.

Tune: Auchindrain (© Nigel Gatherer)

Dance devised 28 November 2007and © 2007 by Peter M. Price (peter.price1672 [at] gmail.com). All rights reserved. Permission is granted for verbatim reproduction and non-profit distribution of this leaflet provided that this notice remains intact.

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