The Shepherd's Crook
A Traditional Scottish Dance for three people (one man and two ladies)
Music: 72 bars Strathspey (eg Orange and Blue)
Formation: One man between two ladies, all in a line facing the audience.
Bars Description
1st step
1-8: All turn about and dance four strathspey travelling steps away from the audience
turn about and return to places with four strathspey travelling steps. (Hands joined in a line)
2nd step
9-16: Dance Rocking Step from highland fling (Hands joined)
- with four hops on L foot - point R foot to side (2nd position), take R foot to 3rd aerial (behind calf, below knee), point R foot in 3rd position (against instep of supporting foot), extend R foot to 4th intermediate aerial (with shake?) - aka "side, behind, down, out"
- spring onto R foot pointing L foot in 3rd rear (behind heel of supporting foot), spring onto L foot pointing R foot in 3rd (against instep of supporting foot), spring onto R foot pointing L foot in 3rd rear (behind heel of supporting foot), spring onto L foot pointing R foot in 3rd (against instep of supporting foot)
- with four hops on R foot - point L foot to side (2nd position), take L foot to 3rd aerial (behind calf, below knee), point L foot in 3rd position (against instep of supporting foot), extend L foot to 4th intermediate aerial (with shake?) - aka "side, behind, down, out"
- spring onto L foot pointing R foot in 3rd rear (behind heel of supporting foot), spring onto R foot pointing L foot in 3rd (against instep of supporting foot), spring onto L foot pointing R foot in 3rd rear (behind heel of supporting foot), spring onto R foot pointing L foot in 3rd (against instep of supporting foot)
Repeat
3rd step
17-20: Man/centre person and Lady on his Left dance two common schottische/strathspey setting steps, raising their joined hands to form an arch as RH lady dances under this arch (front to back). RH Lady dances back to place as Man and LH lady pass through arch after her.
21-24: Repeat with LH lady dancing under the arch made by man and RH lady.
4th step (i)
25-32: Man and RH lady dance two highland schottische steps - towards the audience and back again. (ballroom hold). Man and RH lady turn once round by the right hand using four travelling steps.
4th step (ii)
33-40: Man and LH lady repeat. They can either dance away from or towards the audience, and if dancing towards the audience, sometimes take reverse ballroom hold.
5th step
41-48: All dance a reel of three, man giving LS to RH lady to begin.
6th step
49-56: Still with hands joined, all dance the "Crossover" step from the Highland Fling (hands joined)
7th step
57-64: All join hands and circle three hands round and back.
8th step
65-72: Dropping hands, all dance the final step of the Highland Fling.
Sometimes the ladies take four slow walking steps on the last 2 bars to walk away from the man and curve back round to face him (and this can be either walking away to his right and left, then curving round towards the audience, or can be walking towards the audience and then curving away to right and left). (man uses fling arms, 2nd position)
Bow/curtsey
Broadswords (based on Argyll Broadswords)
The Shepherd's Crook
Dances to learn in the future
others to be added on request (email mail@hdcs.fsnet.co.uk )
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