The Palindrome

A Medley for 4 couples in a 4-couple square set

This dance is 2x32 Strathspey followed by 2x32 Reel.

Strathspey
Bars	1-8:	All circle eight hands round to the left and back.
	9-10:	1C and 3C set.
	11-12:	1M and 3L, and 1L and 3M cross giving RH and retain hands.
	13-14:	3C and 1C dance right hands across half way.
	15-16:	1C and 3C pull back right shoulder and chase 1 further place clockwise, to finish 1C facing 2C and 3C facing 4C, all facing someone of the opposite sex.
	17-18:	1C and 3C pass facing person LS and loop round ACW to face back the other way while 2C and 4C pass facing person LS and do a reverse petronella turn to pass the opposite person RS.
	19-20:	Repeat 17-18 from new positions.
	21-24:	Repeat 17-20. Finish back in the position at the end of bar 16.
	25-26:	Joining nearer hands, all set.
	27-28:	1C & 2C, and 3C & 4C dance LH across half way.
	29-30:	Joining nearer hands, all set.
	31-32:	1C and 3C pull back LS and chase ACW round the set back to original positions while 2C and 4C pull back LS and chase ACW round the small square back to original positions.
	33-64:	Repeat bars 1-32 with 2C and 4C as the dancing couples.
Reel
Repeat bars 64-1 in reverse (note 2C and 4C are dancing couples first):
	65-66:	1C and 3C pull back RS and chase CW around a small square to finish in the middle facing their partner's place while 2C and 4C pull back RS and chase CW around the set to finish 2C facing 3C and 4C facing 1C.
	67-68:	Joining nearer hands, all set.
	69-70:	4C and 1C, and 2C and 3C dance RH across half way.
	71-72:	Joining nearer hands, all set.
	73-80:	4M, 1L, 3M & 2L, and 4L, 1M, 3L & 2M dance a reel of four, "twiddling" in the middle.
	81-82:	4C and 2C pull back LS and chase 1 place clockwise around the small square in the middle.
	83-84:	4C and 2C dance LH across half way.
	85-86:	4M and 2L, and 4L and 2M cross over LH to return to original place.
	87-88:	Joining nearer hands, 2C and 4C set.
	89-96:	All circle 8 hands round to the left and back.
	97-128:	Repeat bars 65-96 with 1C and 3C as dancing couples.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Note: bars 17-24 are effectively a left shoulder reel of four with "twiddles" as dancers pass in the middle.

Devised by Ian Brockbank. Copyright Autumn 1998.

This dance was devised as part of a demonstration containing dances which are roughly palindromic (the same backwards as forwards). I decided to see whether I could write a dance which was completely palindromic, and this was the result.

For those who are really interested, the demonstration was by Edinburgh University New Scotland Country Dance Society at SUSCDF (Scottish Universities' Scottish Country Dance Festival) in December 1998. The dances were The White Heather Jig, The Purple Heather Jig, The Palindrome, The Belle of Bon Accord and Ray Milbourne.

If you try this dance, please let me know how you get on.

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Page last modified 8-10-02 .

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This page is maintained by Ian Brockbank
ian@scottishdance.net
Edinburgh, Scotland