The Corporation
Country Dances, Ancient and Modern

Early Sources of RSCDS dances

None of the dances published by the RSCDS before book 13 were devised by the RSCDS, instead they were considered "traditional" dances. Many dances published in subsequent books fall into that category as well. I have tried to track down the sources of these dances and display here the earliest published versions of the dance's figure which I've been able to find.

Note: this is often different from the earliest dance with that name. The dance's name was often the name of the tune to which it was danced, and many tunes had multiple figures attached to them, so care must be taken.
Note also: there may very well be earlier sources than "the earliest published version ... which I've been able to find". Many early sources have been lost to the ravages of time, and others have simply escaped my notice. And in other cases the publication dates are uncertain, and which is earliest may be indeterminate.

In some cases the RSCDS mentions a source. Often I have found earlier examples of the dance. Sometimes I have been unable to find the RSCDS source and will present the earliest source I have found.

When I know the deviser, I mark the name in italics. In most cases for these old dances I only know the publisher.

When a dance source is marked with "†" it means I have been unable to verify the source of the dance, when it is marked with "‡" it means I have been unable to find any Scottish dance manual containing this dance (prior to 1924).

Hovering the mouse over a dance's devisor/publisher will (often) produce a popup containing the text of the original.

By default the list below shows only traditional dances interpreted by the (R)SCDS. I believe that Book 34 (1986) was the last book to contain any traditional dances. Before Book 13 all (R)SCDS dances were traditional, but Book 13 contains The Reel of the 51st Division, the first published modern dance. No further modern dances were published until Book 22 (1963), and after that some books contained modern and some traditional dances until Books 31&34, which contains both.

At the end I have several tables of statistics.

Order by:
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Containing figure:

(R)SCDS dances devised by William Boag

(R)SCDS Book 1, 1924

Duke of Perth ~ RSCDS
William Boag, London, ~1797
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

In 1790 Longman & Broderip published a dance named Duke of Perth's Reel, but it has a different figure.

Rutherford published a dance named "Keep the Country, Bonny Lassie" in 1775, but with a different figure.

Pease Straw has an even longer history with Johnson publishing a dance of that name in 1744, but again with a different figure.

According to the Fletts (Traditional Dancing in Scotland, 1964, p. 247) William Boag was the first to publish this figure under the title "Keep the Country, Bonny Lassie".

First Cu Swing the Right hand and cast off one Cu: Swing the Left hand round Swing the Corners and your Partner each time Set Corners and turn lead outsides.

The Fletts also quote the Blantyre MS. (~1805), titled "Duke of Perth":

Hook right hand with partner — turn round — throw off a couple. Hook with partner with left turn round downmost Ladies with right partner with left uppermost Lady with right partner with left twice round, Sett cross pr reels.

The (R)SCDS claims this dance comes from J. P. Boulogne's The Ball-Room, or the Juvenile Pupil's Assistant; Containing the Most Fashionable Quadrilles, with Les Lanciers of Sixteen, As Danced in the Public & Private Assemblies in Paris, Glasgow, 1827, titled "Duke of Perth" or "Keep the Country, Bonnie Lassie".

  1. The first couple turn by the right hand and pass one couple, they turn left hands, the lady turns the second gentleman, and the gentleman the third lady; the first couple turn again with the left hand, the gentleman the second lady, and the lady the third gentleman, they turn half round. (16)
  2. Set at corners and turn. (8)
  3. Reel of three. (8)

Kate Hughes (in Ireland) recorded a slightly different version in 1867:

  1. The top couple turn by the right hand and pass one couple turn with the left hand
  2. The lady turns the seceaond gent and the top gent turn the seceaond ladie
  3. The first couple turn agin with the left hand
    The gent turns the seceaond ladie and the top ladie turns third gent
  4. Set to corners and turn
  5. Reell of three

J. F. Wallace, in ~1872, published:

  1. The first couple turn by the right hand and pass one couple; they turn with left hand, the lady turns the second gentleman, and the gentleman the third lady. The first couple turn again with the left hand, the gentleman the second lady, and the lady the third gentleman, turn half round, (16)
  2. Set at corners and turn, (8)
  3. Reel of three, (8)

D. Anderson, 1897 published something almost word for word from Wallace:

  1. The first couple turn by the right hand and pass one couple; they turn with left hands, the lady turns the second gentleman, and the gentleman the third lady. The first couple turn again with the left hand, the gentleman the second lady, and the lady the third gentleman—turn half round. (16)
  2. Set at corners and turn. (8)
  3. Reel of three. (8)

Note that by Blantyre's time the "lead out sides" has become a reel.

1-41s right hand turn and cast down as 2s move up
5-81s left hand turn to face 1st corners
9-121s turn 1st corners right, partner left, end facing 2nd corners
13-161s turn 2nd corners right, partner left, end facing 1st corners
17-201s+1st corners set and two hand turn, 1s end facing 2nd corners
21-241s+1st corners set and two hand turn, 1s end 2nd place opposite side
25-301s pass 1st corner left, finishing reels of three on the sides
31-321s change by right hand

(R)SCDS Book 2, 1925

Greig's Pipes ~ RSCDS
William Boag, London, 1797†
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

I can't track down Boag's publication, but I have found it in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide in ~1830 published by the Messrs. Lowe who write:

First couple turn by the right hand, and the Gentleman passes one couple down the middle; then turn quite round by the left hand, and set, three and three, in lines across the dance; turn round with both hands; then the Lady goes between the second and third Gentlemen, and the Gentleman between the second and third Ladies; set, holding the hands; set corners, and reel.

The Lowes title it Greig's Pipes, or the Cameronian Rant.

1-21s right turn three quarters...
3-4...and left turn once around, as 2s move up (leave L1 between 2s, M1 3s)
5-8Lines of three across set twice
9-121s two hand turn once and three quarters (ending on opposite sides)
13-16Lines of three on the sides set twice, 1s end facing 1st corners
17-201s+1st corners set and two hand turn
21-241s+2nd corners set and two hand turn, end L1 between 2s, M1 between 3s
25-301s pass 1st corners left for finishing reels on opposite sides
31-321s cross by right hand

(R)SCDS Book 6, 1930

I'll Mak' Ye Fain to Follow Me
William Boag, London, 1797†
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

I can't track down Boag's publication, but I have found it in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide in ~1830 published by the Messrs. Lowe who write:

The first Gentleman follows his partner round two couples; the first Lady goes down backs two couples, while the Gentlemaan goes down the middle; The Lady then goes up the middle; and the Gentleman up behind the back, passing in between the second and third couples; six hands round; swing corners.
1-4L1, followed by partner, cast below 3s
5-8M1, followed by partner, cast up to original places
9-161s cross by right hand, cast down, cross by left hand, cast down, and lead up to face 1st corners
17-201s+1st corners set and two hand turn
21-241s+2nd corners set and two hand turn
25-301s pass 1st corners left to start finishing reels of three on opposite sides
31-321s cross by right hand to their own sides

(R)SCDS Book 11, 1936

Johnny McGill
William Boag, London, 1797†‡
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

RSCDS Book 18, 1955

Lady Louisa MacDonald's Strathspey
William Boag, London, 1797†‡
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

RSCDS Book 20, 1959

The College Hornpipe - RSCDS
William Boag, London, 1797
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers
Up in the Air
William Boag, London, 1797†‡
A Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers

Statistics

Number of dances published by city (or region)

London7

Number of dances published by semi century

1750-17997

Number of dances by early publisher/devisor

William Boag7

References

William BoagA Collection of Favourite Reels and Strathspeys by the most Eminent Composers, London, about 1797. I don't know where to find it.

Scans of old dance manuals are scattered about the internet. The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, International Music Score Library Project, Scott Pfitzinger's Playford site, Richard Powers' website, Library of Congress, and The Library of Dance all provide primary sources. A number of other sites provide indeces of these sources: The Regency Dance site, The Library of Dance again, and my own site have all proven useful for finding old sources. Finally there is Robert Keller's index which does not provide sources directly but lists thousands of dances, the publications containing them, dates and a brief coded description of the figures. This last has proven invaluable for tracking down dances for which I had no complete sources.

And, of course, both the Scottish Country Dance Database and the Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary provide online descriptions of all the RSCDS books and often hint at early sources.

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Creative Commons License 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.