Dance The McCulloch Strathspey 4256

Dance notes from RSCDS Manual, 3rd edition, 2013:

Bars 9 – 12 1st and 3rd couples change places (1st couple dancing between 3rd couple), then both couples, giving left hands to their partners, dance a half turn, women finishing on the right of their partners.

Bars 13 – 16 2nd and 4th couples change places (2nd couple dancing between 4th couple), then both couples, giving left hands to their partners, dance a half turn, women finishing on the right of their partners.

Bars 65 – 72 This follows the path of a reel of four.

Comment on McCulloch Strathspey from RSCDS Teachers Advisory Panel:

I wonder if you can help with the interpretation of bars 65 - 72 of the McCulloch Strathspey from the RSCDS leaflets. The dance is a square strathspey and at the end of bar 64, everyone is back in their original places. My 1981 copy of the leaflet and also my 1987 edition of the pocket book for the leaflets has the following description of bars 65 - 72: “1st and 4th men dance a figure of eight round 1st and 4th women while 2nd and 3rd men dance a figure of eight round 2nd and 3rd women. Men pass left shoulders in the middle and dance round the women passing right shoulders.” The 2005 edition of the Manual has no guidance on these bars. The 2008 TAC notes contains the following note: “1st and 3rd men (passing in front of partners) begin by passing 4th and 2nd men L shoulder & round women by R shoulder. Men finish by dancing round partners by R shoulder to finish facing c/clockwise, with partners on their right, ready for allemande.” It seems to me that if 4th man is going to pass 1st man by the left and then dance round 1st lady by the right, that will be a very twisting route for him to take. Also, the pattern the men take is more a reel of four than a figure of eight and will be quite a stretch in 8 bars.

It is like a reel of four with only two dancers, starting with 1st and 4th men, and 2nd and 3rd men, passing by the left. It is quite a tight pass by the left for the men and then by the right round a lady, and also a long way to travel, but providing the men are ready (prompt them in plenty time) there should be no problem.