Table of Contents

• English Country Dance
• Old Scottish Country Dance
• American Country Dance
• Scottish Country Dance
• Contra Dance
• Square Dance

English Country Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Amorous Goddess		Ellen Taylor 1977	Bare Necessities	3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Ben the Sailor		George McFarren 1808 Regency Dances		Triple Minor
The Carle came o're the Craft ~ Williams		Thomas Wilson 1816 George Williams 2024		Triple Minor
Dartford Camp #1 ~ 3 Couple		Thomas Skillern 1781 A. Simons 1961		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Dartford Camp #1 ~ Triple		Thomas Skillern 1781 A. Simons 1961		Triple Minor
Delia		Ellen Taylor 1977	Bare Necessities	3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
The Doubtful Shepherd ~ Williams		Thompson 1780 George Williams 2023		Triple Minor
Fête Champêtre		Thompson 1776 Philippe Callens 1999		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
First of September		Thomas Kilvington ~1785 Green Ginger 2019		Triple Minor
The Graces		Thompson 1778 Colin Hume ~2025	Colin Hume	Triple Minor
Hame Came Our Gude Man ~ Williams		Thomas Wilson 1816 George Williams 2024		Triple Minor
Lady Baird's Reel ~ Williams		Thomas Wilson 1816 George Williams 2024		Triple Minor
Morpeth Rant		Thomas Wilson 1816 Pat Shaw ~1965	Colin Hume	Triple Minor
Morpeth Rant ~ 3 Couple		Thomas Wilson 1816 Pat Shaw ~1965	Colin Hume	3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
My Only Joe & Deary O ~ Williams		Thomas Wilson 1816 George Williams 2024		Triple Minor
The New Man		Colin Hume 1987	The Rampions	3 Couple Longways
The Pleasures of the Town		Thompson 1777 ?John Garden		Triple Minor
The Pleasures of the Town ~ Apted		Thompson 1777 W. S. Porter, M. Heffer, A. Heffer 1931	Colin Hume	3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
The Pleasures of the Town ~ Hume		Thompson 1777 Colin Hume 2025	Colin Hume	3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Queen of Hearts - Cahusac/3 Couple		William Cahusac 1785 Roland Suhr ~2022		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Queen of Hearts - Cahusac/Triple		William Cahusac 1785 Roland Suhr ~2022		Triple Minor
A School for Scandal ~ Apted		Thompson 1778 W. S. Porter, M. Heffer, A. Heffer 1931	Colin Hume	Triple Minor
A School for Scandal ~ Hume		Thompson 1778 Colin Hume ~2025	Colin Hume	Triple Minor
Sicilian		G.M.S. Chivers 1821 George Williams 2021		Triple Minor
Stowe Hall		Preston 1791 Pat Woods ~1960		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Tunbridge Castle		Thompson 1786 A. Simons ~1990		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Woo'd & Married & A'		Thomas Wilson 1816		Triple Minor

Old Scottish Country Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Let Glasgow Flourish ~ Williams		J. F. Wallace 1872 George Williams 2024		Triple Minor

American Country Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
The Devil's Dream - Burchenal		Elias Howe 1858 Elizabeth Burchenal 1918		Duple Minor

Scottish Country Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
26 Years in 32 Bars		Rachel McDonald 2026		Triple Minor
1314		John Drewry 1967		Square
Alltshellach		Elizabeth D Gilroy 1967		Duple Minor
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
Autumn in Appin		John Drewry 1982		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413
The Ayr Promenade		Roy Goldring ~1990		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341
The Ayr Promenade ~ Gilbert		Roy Goldring ~1990 Ilse Gilbert 2022		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Balmoral Strathspey		John A. Charles ~1963		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341
The Bees of Maggieknockater		John Drewry 1977	Colin Hume	4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341
The Birks of Endermay		Thomas Skillern 1776 RSCDS 1951		Triple Minor
The Birks of Invermay		Thomas Skillern 1776 RSCDS 1951		Triple Minor
Bratach Bàna		John Drewry 1964		Triple Minor
Bruce's Men		Roy Goldring 2002		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Butterscotch and Honey		Jean Alexander (date unknown)		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341
The Carl cam' ower the Croft ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS ~1977		Triple Minor
Catalina Express		Doris Fisher ~2016		Square
Celtic Cross		Derek Haynes 1991		Square
Chuck's Strathspey		Frank Wu 2013		Triple Minor
Clutha ~ RSCDS		Kate Hughes ~1867 RSCDS 1983		Square
The College Hornpipe - RSCDS		William Boag 1797 RSCDS 1959		Triple Minor
Collie Law		Roy Goldring ~1990		Duple Minor
Come under my Plaidie		Anonymous 1981		Duple Minor
The Countess of Dunmore's Reel		Deirdre MacCuish Bark 2012		Triple Minor
The Dancing Bees		Roy Goldring ~1990		Triple Minor
The Dancing Master		John Drewry 1989		J4×96 Square
Delvine Side		William Campbell ~1800 RSCDS 1925		Triple Minor
The Devil's Sinister Elbow		Craig Tovey 1995		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
A Diamond for Belfast		Marilyn Watson 2006		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
Dumbarton Drums ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1929		Triple Minor
Dunedin Quadrille		John Bowie Dickson ~1999		R4×32 Square
EH3 7AF		Roy Goldring 1999		Triple Minor
Farewell to Auchterarder		Bill Hamilton 1967		6 Couple Circle permutation: 561234
Farewell to Auchterarder		Bill Hamilton 1967		Square
Flight to Melbourne		Shirley Campbell ~2002		Square permutation: 2341
The Flower of Glasgow		Ruth Taylor 2010		3 Couple Longways permutation: 312
The Four Branches		Bill Hartung ~2016		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2341
The Golden Dogwood		Susan Tumlin 2024		Square
Gypsy Dreams		Terry Glasspool 2000		Duple Minor
Hame Came Our Gude Man ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1981		Triple Minor
Ian Powrie's Farewell to Auchterarder		Bill Hamilton 1967		Square
Ian Powrie's Farewell to Auchterarder ~ 2 Couple		Bill Hamilton 1967		Square
Ian Powrie's Farewell to Auchterarder ~ Hex		Bill Hamilton 1967		6 Couple Circle permutation: 561234
Joined at the Hip		Catherine Shaw ~2026		Triple Minor
Lady Baird's Reel		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1955		Triple Minor
Lady Glasgow		Anonymous (date unknown) RSCDS ~1977		Triple Minor
The Lady Wynd		Roy Goldring 1996		Triple Minor
Laggan Bay		Bill Forbes 1988		Triple Minor
The Lantern of the North		John Drewry 1977		Triple Minor
The Legacy		Iain Goddard ~2005		Triple Minor
Leith Country Dance		Anonymous (date unknown) RSCDS 1955		Duple Minor
The Library of Birmingham		Kenneth J Reid 2015		4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142
The Lochalsh Reel		Pat Burnett 2001		Triple Minor
Lord Hume's Reel ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1951		Triple Minor
The Luckenbooth Brooch		John Bowie Dickson 1968		Triple Minor
MacDonald of Keppoch		Chris Ronald 2015		Square permutation: 4123
The Micmac Rotary		John Drewry 1983		R96 Square
My Only Jo and Dearie, O ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1961		Triple Minor
A Non-Binary Nonet		Murrough Landon 2008		Custom
On the Oregon Trail		Deanna St. Amand 1995		Triple Minor
Le Palindrome		Anonymous ~2022		Circle as many as will
Promino Nine		Murrough Landon 2008		Custom
Rakish Highlandman ~ RSCDS		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1957		Triple Minor
Ready Aye Ready		Sarah Horne and Judy Grimsey ~2020		Custom permutation: 53412
Redwood Arbor		Bob McMurtry 2005		Triple Minor
The Robertson Rant		Mrs. Douglas Winchester 1949		Square
Rovin' Robin		Alex Gray 1972		Duple Minor
Run for the Roses		Sarah Craighead ~2026		Square permutation: 4123
Santa Monica Rag		Los Angeles Branch Demonstraion Team ~2016		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413
Sparkling Sixty		Jennifer Kelly 2007		Triple Minor
Stone Mountain Golden Gala Reel		Holly Boyd 2022		Square permutation: 4123
Tap the Barrel		Sue Burridge 2014		3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
The Tea Pottery		Duncan Brown ~2020		Square
Tournée du Chat Noir		Jenna Simpson 2018		Triple Minor
A Tribute to West Renfrewshire		Vera McKechnie ~2025		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413
Tuolumne Tournée		Shirley Saturensky 1994		4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413
Twa Rogueish E'en		John Drewry 1967		Triple Minor
Whigmaleeries		Derek Ivory 1968		Triple Minor
Winding Walks		Rosemary Legge ~2025		Circle as many as will
Woo'd and Married and A'		Thomas Wilson 1816 RSCDS 1951		Triple Minor

Contra Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Jack's Own Circle		Cathy Stephens ~1993		Duple Minor
The New Wood Floor		Gary Roodman 1992		Lines of Four
Walkaway		Pat Skelton 1980	Kafoozalum	Duple Minor

Square Dance

Dance Title	Type	Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter	Music Performers	Formation
Peter's Maze		Colin Hume 1985	Wild Thyme	Square

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.

Three Couple Promenade Round

Bars: 8.

In Scottish Country dance the dancers start the figure in the center of the set, in promenade hold with partner, facing up. While in English dance you tend to start from the sidelines and quickly move into that position. Dancers move up, pivot round to face the men's line, move across, pivot to face down, move down to the bottom, pivot to face the women's line, move into the center, pivot to face up, and dance up to original places, and retire to the sidelines.

Variants

The (R)SCDS introduced both two and four couple longways promenades in Book 18. Leith Country Dance, and Longwise Eightsome Reel.

History

Sharp uses a three couple promenade in his interpretation of Adson's Saraband, Playford, 1651. But I'm not sure he is right to do so. Playford says:

First cu. lead down between the rest, come with a compass to your places, the rest following

Which sounds rather different to me.

The concept of "promenading" came over from France with Cotillions.

Thomas Hurst, in his The Cotillons Made PLAIN and EASY, 1769, (page 9), defines promenading:

TWELFTH CHANGE, The Promenade, or Walk.

Every Gentleman takes his Partner by the Left-Hand; and putting his Right-Hand round her Waist; in this Manner they follow each other all round in a great Ring, and finish in their proper Places.

Note, this is not the modern skaters' hold promenade

I think Wilson may be the first to suggest joining hands in front, in his The Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama:

6.—PROMENADE, THE GREAT

All the four couples cross hands with their partners, and move round in a circle to places.

But these are all in a square set. The first examples (that I can find) in a longways set occurred in 1776, and both Thompson and Skillern published dances which used this figure.

In the US, Saltator, 1802, specifies a three couple promenade in his dance College Hornpipe: each promenade their own partners round. While Howe, 1862, uses a 2 couple promenade in Whipple's Hornpipe.

In (R)SCDS Book 11, both the source descriptions of Glasgow Flourish (one by Anderson, and one by Wallace) contain three couple promenades, but the (R)SCDS replaced it with a lead down and up. However the next time the figure occurred (in Fidget, Book 16) it is translated unchanged.

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.