Bubble Sort
by Sue McKinnell 4X32 Reel or Strathspey 4 couple set dance
Bars
1-8	1W & 2M, 3W & 4M cross RH and cast behind partners and across the set to original places. 1C & 2C, 3C & 4C right hands across.
9-16	1M & 2W, 3M & 4W cross LH and cast behind partners and across the set to original places. 1C & 2C, 3C & 4C left hands across.
17-24	Interlocking double figures of eight: 1C & 3C, 2C & 4C dance double figures of eight, 1C & 2C crossing down as 3C & 4C cast up to begin. Each couple dance as if dancing a regular figure of eight.
25-28	1C, 2C, 3C, & 4C dance a ½ reel of four on the sides, ending in the order 4, 3, 2, 1.
29-32	Top three people on the women’s side (4W, 3W, 2W) and bottom three people on the men’s side (3M, 2M, 1M) dance a ½ reel of three. End 2, 3, 4, 1 on the women’s side and 4, 1, 2, 3 on the men’s side. All now have new partners.
Repeat 4 times.
Suggested music for a strathspey version is Fill the Fetters from Celebrate 50 Years with the Boston Branch; suggested music for a reel version is A Reel for Jennie from Book 40 or The Highlandman’s Umbrella from The March Hare.
My original goal was to create a dance named Chaos Reigns that seemed to be complicated, but from which order formed at bar 32 with everyone changing partners, ala Caddam Wood; however in this dance people are back with partners after the second time through and, thus, don’t dance with everyone else. When this dance occurred to me, the ending figure seemed so much like a computer bubble sort that I renamed the dance. It isn’t clear to me whether the figure in bars 17-24 can be danced in reel time; if it can, this dance is actually a better reel than a strathspey. If the figure doesn’t work in reel time, then Fill the Fetters is strong strathspey music that easily carries the dance.
	08/05