A Reel for the Strathspey 10th
by Sue McKinnell 5x32 Reel for 5C (Square Set)
Bars
1-4	The dance begins with fifth couple facing first couple. Fifth couple is the active couple in the dance. Fifth woman with second couple and fifth man with fourth couple dance left hands across once round. On the fourth bar, fifth couple pass left shoulders into ...
5-8	Fifth woman with fourth couple and fifth man with second couple dance right hands across. At the end of the figure, fifth woman is facing fourth man and fifth man is facing second woman.
9-12	Fifth couple, second woman, and fourth man dance a half reel of four, ending with fifth couple passing right shoulders to face the next "appropriate" person counterclockwise around the square, i.e. fifth woman ends facing third man and fifth man ends facing first woman.
13-24	Repeat bars 9-12 three more times. Fifth couple dances with first woman and third man, then fourth woman and second man, and finally with third woman and first man. Fifth couple ends back where they started the dance. The other couples end in the order 3, 4, 1, 2 with the women to the left of their partners.
25-28	Fifth couple and third couple set and dance right hands across half way while the fourth, first, and second couples set and link.
29-32	Third couple (now in the center) turn one and half times by the right while the other couples turn once round by the right then chase one position clockwise around the set. The ending order is 2, 5, 4, 1, 3 with third couple in the center ready to begin.
Repeat 5 times.
This dance should be danced to a lively five-times through reel. Hoedown Reel Set from The Music Makars works well.
The dance was created for the tenth anniversary of the Strathspey mailing list and server. In honor of the celebration, it is written with 10 people (5 couples) dancing.
Some notes on the dance: bars 9-24 are essentially Mairi’s Wedding reels for the fifth couple and regular reels of 4 for the other dancers. The dance was originally written to pass left shoulders in these reels as it seemed dancers would not have time to pass right shoulders; however my local group proved (and preferred) otherwise.
	02/03