A dance for couples, collected by Mona Douglas.
Begin facing each other sideways on; the taller ‘man’ is at stage right.
Manx Arms are used throughout the dance unless indicated otherwise.
All balances step with R first and swing with L then vice versa
MRS – Manx Reel Step
When arms are raised they are Manx arms
A1 16 bars
Forward/back, sets and spins
Dance 2 MRS forwards and 2 back, 8 bars.
With L hand on hip and R raised, set R and L and turn to R with 4 running steps. Change hands for set L and R and turn to L as before, girl turning one and a quarter to face front for next figure, 8bars.
B1 16 bars
Girl heel and toe, Man circles girl
‘Girl’, facing front, with hands on hips, dances heel/toe R foot twice, then L foot twice; balances R & L and turn while ‘Man’ dances in c/w circle around partner in 4 MRS. ‘Girl’ repeats heel/toe with L foot first and balances R & L and turn, while ‘Man’ reverses to return to place in another 4 MRS.
A2 16 bars
Side steps and back-to-back
Dance 4 side steps right (side behind, side behind, side behind, side tap with L foot then repeat with 4 steps to left.
Half back to back in 4 MRS (2 forward and 2 back) passing rt shoulders with arms down by the side
B2 16 bars
Meet, balances and turns under arm
Partners dance 1 MRS to meet and then 1 on the spot; balance R & L and turn.
Partners take rt hands, and girl turns c/w under raised hands twice while man dances heel/toe on each foot once, before honour (bow), rt hands held and left hands in small of back. (Music slows up here)
(Dancers then pull each other into the next figure)
A3 16 bars
Arming and balances
With left arm raised and right arms linked, partners arm in 2 MRS and each balances R & L and turn.
Repeat linking left arms, balances R & L and turn.
B3 16 bars
High reel steps with turn
Joining R hands, L arms raised, partners dance 2 high reel steps, (starting with stamps on R foot), 1 to meet and 1 on the spot, plus two more to turn c/w around each other.
Then change hands to L, stamp L foot first and repeat move, turning c/c/w
A4 16 bars
Waist turns and spins out
Partners dance 1 MRS to meet and then 1 on the spot. Take each other at waists with R arm (L high) to turn with 1 MRS c/w; then pull each other to spin out 180 c/w.
Repeated move on L with L arms at waist and R high, followed by c/c/w/ spinning.
B4 16 bars
Meet, Manx ‘waltz’ and turn under
Dance 1 MRS to meet then taking waltz hold dance 4 MRS turning. On the 5th step man takes girl’s right hand in his and turns girl under, then facing front, step right and honour (curtsey), step left and point to finish.