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Dance The Gentle Shepherd 2436

Jig · 32 bars · 4 couples · Longwise - 4   (Progression: 2341)

Devised by
Unknown
Intensity
8060 8480 8880 8000 = 51% (1 turn), 52% (whole dance)
Formations
Steps
  • Pas-de-Basque, Skip-Change
Published in
Recommended Music
Extra Info
The RSCDS publication “Scottish Country Dances Books 13–18” states that this dances originates from an old book of Scottish-Irish dances …

The RSCDS publication “Scottish Country Dances Books 13–18” states that this dances originates from an old book of Scottish-Irish dances (title page lost). [Thus, if somebody knows more of the whereabouts of this book, please let us know by hitting the “Submit Correction/Addition” button.]

The above mentioned RSCDS publication adds the following note: in bars 11–12, 3rd man may find it easier to lead partner with the left hand.

The dance is danced as a Slow Jig.

The Gentle Shepherd

The rebirth of the use of the Scottish vernacular in the poetry of the 18th century owed its success to the work of three men: Robert Burns (1759–1796), Robert Fergusson (1750–1774), and Allan Ramsay (1686–1758).

Wigmaker, author, editor, publisher and printer, Allan Ramsay was also a prolific writer whose work made a great impression on Burns.

Ramsay was born in Leadhills, a mining town in Lanarkshire, where his father was superintendent of Lord Hopetoun’s mines. In 1701 he was apprenticed to a wigmaker in Edinburgh and in 1710 he set up his own wigmaking establishment. Perhaps because of his association with the Easy Club, of which he was an original member and poet laureate, he abandoned wigmaking in 1718 and as the proprietor of a bookshop he was able to involve himself deeply in the literary life of Edinburgh, a pursuit more to his taste. Ramsay yearned for social status and it was with the hope of attaining such recognition that he began to publish his Tea Table Miscellany between 1724 and 1740 in which he presented traditional Scottish songs and songs wrtten by himself and others, all set to old melodies. Many of his poems and songs also appeared in William Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius and in James Johnson’s The Scots Musical Museum, the latter after his death.

Ramsay made both financial and managerial contributions to the theatre in Edinburgh, but his most important effort in that direction was his pastoral ballad opera, “The Gentle Shepherd”, which was produced in 1725. The successful opera was performed in London from 1750 to 1775 and, also, in America, in Philadelphia and New York.

Through his many literary efforts, Ramsay found the fame and social acceptance he craved when he came as a lonely and lowly apprentice to Edinburgh. In 1740 he retired to “Ramsay Lodge”, an octagonal “goose-pie” of a house that he built on the edge of Castle Hill. it was there that he died on 7 January, 1758, just a decade too early to see his eldest son, a second Allan Ramsay, appointed principal painter to George III.

The Gentle Shepherd 4/4L · J32
1–
1c cross down, set to 3c ; 1M+3W lead up behind 2W to face down between 2c while{4} 1W+3M lead down behind 4M to face up between 4c
9–
1M+3W and 1W+3M advance down/up | lead partners (3c use LH) back to (1,2,3,4) ; 1c+2c+3c turn LH into promhold facing up
17–
1c+2c+3c Promenade
25–
1c cast off two, lead up to the top and cast to the bottom (2c+3c+4c up)
The Gentle Shepherd 4/4L · J32
1-8
1s cross down, set to 3s, 1M+3L lead up behind 2L & into centre as 1L+3M lead down behind 4M into centre
9-16
1M+3L also 3M+1L advance 2 steps down/up & Men lead own partner to original places (by facing out turning round to left), 1s+2s+3s turn LH ready for …
17-24
1s+2s+3s Promenade
25-32
1s cast 2 places, lead up the middle to top & cast to bottom

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1996 RSCDS teaching video

Added on: 2020-07-26 (Murrough Landon)
Quality: Demonstration quality

NameDateOwnerLast changed
Ron Nedderman's Memorial Tea Dance 2022-04-30 Jacqui Brocker April 2, 2022, 8:10 p.m.
Ron Nedderman's Memorial Tea Dance 2022-04-30 Saskia Frisby March 6, 2022, 7:26 p.m.
RSCDS Book 17 2015-09-20 Angelika Schmidkonz Sept. 20, 2015, 12:46 p.m.
panto part 4 George Hobson Nov. 27, 2020, 12:59 p.m.
Vienna AGM 2022-09-19 Beatrix Wepner Sept. 14, 2022, 8 p.m.
Vienna AGM 19_09_2022 2022-09-19 Beatrix Wepner Sept. 15, 2022, 5:46 p.m.
Budapest Weekend 2023 Classes 2023-09-23 Murrough Landon Oct. 2, 2023, 4:52 p.m.
Dances taught 20220725-27 St Andrews Week 1 TSLI Class 2022-07-25 Andrew Timmins June 11, 2023, 6:28 p.m.
2018-07 TAC taught antoine rousseau Aug. 8, 2018, 3:13 p.m.
SA_2017Week3 2017-09-01 Roland Telle Sept. 2, 2017, 5:51 p.m.
Silvesterkurs 2016/17 Gemünd 2017-01-07 Eva-Maria Beckmann Jan. 7, 2017, 9:10 p.m.

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IdSubjectDateSubmitterAssigned toPriorityDisposition
937 The Gentle Shepherd - Keith Rose's Diagram Header April 29, 2016, 1:53 p.m. David Acland Keith Rose Normal Fixed