Alice M. Allen

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Any Which Way		Alice M. Allen ~2016		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413
Any Which Way ~ 3 Couple		Alice M. Allen ~2016		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231

Anonymous

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Inveraray		Anonymous (date unknown) RSCDS ~1977		Triple Minor

Iain Boyd

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Auld Grey Cat ~ Boyd		Iain Boyd 1992		Triple Minor

Bride

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Push about the Jorum ~ RSCDS		Bride 1775 RSCDS 1947		Triple Minor

Longman & Broderip

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Duchess of Atholl's Slipper ~ RSCDS		Longman & Broderip 1790 RSCDS 1934		Duple Minor

Sue Burridge

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Tap the Barrel		Sue Burridge 2014		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231

William Campbell

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Delvine Side		William Campbell ~1800 RSCDS 1925		Triple Minor
Light and Airy		William Campbell ~1804 RSCDS 1927		Triple Minor
Marchioness of Blandford's Reel ~ RSCDS		William Campbell ~1795 RSCDS 1961		Duple Minor

Jacques and Liliane Chamoin

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Auld Alliance		Jacques and Liliane Chamoin 1967		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341

John A. Charles

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Balmoral Strathspey		John A. Charles ~1963		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341

Joseph Dale

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The De'il Amang the Tailors		Joseph Dale ~1799 RSCDS 1947		Triple Minor

Roy Goldring

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Bruce's Men		Roy Goldring 2002		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Collie Law		Roy Goldring ~1990		Duple Minor
The Rover's Rant		Roy Goldring 1994		Triple Minor

Alex Gray

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Mathematicians		Alex Gray 1996		4 Couple Longways
Rovin' Robin		Alex Gray 1972		Duple Minor

Liza Halpenny

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Fair Enough		Liza Halpenny 2014		4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142

Maggie & Duncan Keppie

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Spark o' Water		Maggie & Duncan Keppie ~2007		Duple Minor

Deb Lees

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Thank You Patricia		Deb Lees ~2025		Triple Minor

Irene van Maarseveen

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Joie de Vivre		Irene van Maarseveen 1996		Triple Minor

D. Mackenzie

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Miss Devon's Reel		D. Mackenzie 1795 RSCDS 1959		Duple Minor

Robert McOwen

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Burns Night		Robert McOwen 1998		Duple Minor

Kenneth J Reid

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Library of Birmingham		Kenneth J Reid 2015		4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142

RSCDS

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Lady Catherine Bruce's Reel		RSCDS 1960		Duple Minor

Chris Sackett/Brooke Friendly (website)

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Solution		Chris Sackett/Brooke Friendly 2006		4 Couple Longways

Jenna Simpson

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
De'il Take the Wars - Simpson		Jenna Simpson 2015		Triple Minor

Barry Skelton

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Bridge of Allan		Barry Skelton 1996		Triple Minor

Thomas Skillern

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Sandy o'er the Lea		Thomas Skillern ~1776 RSCDS ~1977		Duple Minor

Ruth Taylor

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Flower of Glasgow		Ruth Taylor 2010		3 Couple Longways permutation: 312

Torfason

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Corn Dawgs		Torfason 1997		Duple Minor
Crummy Reel		Torfason 1997		Duple Minor

Marilyn Watson

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
A Diamond for Belfast		Marilyn Watson 2006		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231

Thomas Wilson

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Adieu Mon Ami		Thomas Wilson 1814 RSCDS 1968		Triple Minor
Captain Mackintosh ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS ~1977		Triple Minor
Dumbarton Drums ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1929		Triple Minor
Jenny's Bawbee ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1929		Duple Minor
Lord Hume's Reel ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1951		Triple Minor
None So Pretty - Wilson ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1957		Triple Minor
Peggy's Love ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1932		Triple Minor
Rakish Highlandman ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1957		Triple Minor

Number of dances	Number of versions	Number with music
42	42	0

Warning: The figures for each dance is generated programmatically by regular expression matching and may be in error. Also, for old dances, they reflect the figures used by the interpreter which may not match those of the deviser.

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Scottish Allemande

An online definition may be found here.

Bars: 8.

This is a figure for two couples (later extended to more) who start on the center line, beside partner, facing up, in either allemande or promenade hold. On the first bar they step out toward the woman's line and up and change from promenade to allemande hold if they need to. The first couple pivots about the man to face the men's line, and dance to it, then again pivot about the man to face down, then move down. The 2nd couple follows the first. By the end of bar 4 both couples should be facing down, the 1s in 2nd place, and the 2s in first. On bar 5 the couples pivot to face in (so now everyone is on the men's line M2 at top, W1 at bottom). On the sixth bar everyone dances in and the women move to stand across from and facing their partners, raising arms above the woman's head. Then release hands and fall back over the next two bars.

History

None of the books (I've found) printed by 19th Scottish dancing masters use the term "allemande". So I don't think there was any history of an "allemande" figure in Scotland prior to the (R)SCDS". The first use of "allemande" is in the interpretation of William Campbell's Delvine Side, interpreted in (R)SCDS Book 2 in 1925. Campbell was a London publisher, and at that time an "Allemande" probably meant the Linked Arm Allemande which took four bars, involved one couple, and was not progressive.

The (R)SCDS replaced this with something that involved at least two couples, took eight bars, and was progressive.

Murrough Landon has pointed out to me that Miss Milligan had more books of old dances than she did of old figures, and probably didn't know what an allemande was. She may have seen a description in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide, ~1831, where they define a Spanish figure called allemanda:

Allemanda, (allemande,) the same figure as promenade, only the hands joined behind backs.

Which has some resemblance to the Scottish version, except that a promenade is not progressive.

(Note the Lowe's define this figure, but none of their dances actually uses it. It doesn't seem to have been a Scottish figure at that time.)

The original (R)SCDS allemande was for two couples. The first dance I know of to use a three couple version is Balmoral Strathspey, devised by John A. Charles and published in RSCDS Book 22 in 1963.

See Also

• Allemande (disambiguation)
• Three Couple Promenade

This website is copyright © 2021-2026 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.