The Virginia reel was a popular dance, and in each area there would be slight differences. This has given rise to a large number of dances called the Virginia reel. All of the versions have certain similarities, such as the reel figure.
*** We don't divide up our dance group into boys and girls -- we refer to them as "Left" and "Right"
Virginia Reel Instructions:
Formation: A long ways set of six couples…two
parallel, facing lines. Girls on the
left and boys on the right.
Counts Pattern
Part 1
8 Forward and
back…both lines take 4 steps to centre, bow/curtsy to partner and 4 steps back
to place.
8 Right hand
around…partners meet, join right hands and walk once around each other
clockwise and return to place.
8 Left
hand around…repeat using left hand going counter clockwise.
8 Both
hands around…as above with both hands
8 Do-Si-Do…lines
walk forward, pass partners by the right shoulder, slide back to back and
return to place.
8 Right elbow
swing…partners meet for a right elbow swing and return to place
8 Left
elbow swing.
Part II
16 Head couple down
and back…head couple joins both hands and sashays down the set and back to head
position (sashay-quick, smooth, sliding step)
48 Reel the
set…head couple hooks right elbows, turns once and a half around, then
separates and goes to opposite line.
Head boy turns the second girl around once with a left elbow, as the
head girl does the same with the second boy.
The head couple meets in the centre for a right elbow turn and continues
to the third girl and boy. Repeat all the way down the line.
8 At the foot of
the set, head couple swings halfway around so that the boy and the girl are on
the correct side, join hands and sashay back to place.
Part III
8 Cast off to
the foot…at the change of music, head couple leads to the outside (boys to the
left and girls to the right and follow the lines marching to the foot of the
set).
16 Form an
arch…upon reaching the foot of the set, head couple joins hands to form an
arch. The other couples join hands and
sashay through the arch. Second couple
is now the lead.
This video has great instructions! ( But it doesn't use the same music as we use). Watch this video to learn all of the steps that we do.
This video uses the same music that we use, but has slightly different moves. Listen to this one while you practise your steps. :
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