Tandem Reel
Also known as: Shadow Hey, Shetland Hey.
An online definition may be found here.
Bars: 8.
The Fletts give several different versions of Shetland Reels, I'm only showing one. In all the 3 couple reels, each couple acts as a unit with the woman leading her partner. They follow the normal figure eight pattern of three person reels, except that each unit in the dance is a woman followed by her man.
History
The Fletts, in their Traditional Dancing in Scotland, 1964, say that this Shetland Reel seems to have been current as far back as living memory extends in the Sandwick and Cunningsburgh districts, which would be about the 1880s?.
Pat Shaw devised a few dances containing Shetland Reels in 1977 (see The American Husband).
John Drewry is the first I know of who only had one couple in tandem during the reels, see his dance Ferla Mor, 1981
Some dances which (probably) use this figure
- Dances for which I have animations
- Dances in (R)SCDS Books
Note: This list may be incorrect or incomplete.
See Also
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