Ceilidh dances, explained.

Usually the first dance of the night — the one that gets everybody up.

1. Right hands joined over the lady's shoulder (man's arm behind her back) and left hands joined in front. Walk forward four steps, starting on the right foot.
2. Still moving the same way and without letting go, pivot on the spot so the left hand is behind and the right in front, then take four steps backwards.
3. Repeat both of the above in the opposite direction.
4. Drop left hands and raise right hands above the lady's head. The lady pivots on the spot; the man may set.
5. Join hands in ballroom hold and polka round the room.

More on The Gay Gordons → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

The one everyone has heard of. Fast, and forgiving — the caller keeps you right.

1. The first couple swing each other around, two hands crossed (right in right, left in left).
2. The first lady turns the next man down by the left hand or arm, then turns her partner by the right, then the next man down by the left, and so on to the bottom of the set.
3. Progressing back up: the first man turns the next woman up by the left, then his partner by the right, then the next woman by the left, and so on to the top.
4. The first couple works back down the set, the man turning each woman by the left as the lady turns each man by the left, the couple turning each other by the right in between.
5. The first couple swing each other around again to finish.
6. The new top couple can start once the old first couple has moved down a few places — no need to wait for them to reach the bottom.

More on Strip the Willow → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

The Orkney version — couples set off one after another, so the whole room is moving at once.

1. The first couple spin for 16 beats.
2. The first couple work down the opposite line, turning the side person by the left hand, their partner by the right, the next side person by the left, and so on.
3. The second couple spin for 16 beats, then work their way down the lines the same way.
4. A new couple starts every 16 bars.
5. When the first couple reach the bottom, they spin to the end of the phrase, then join the side lines.

More on The Orcadian Strip the Willow → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

Threes rather than couples, so nobody is left standing at the side.

1. Groups of three form an oval around the floor, lines of three facing each other — one man between two ladies, or one lady between two men.
2. All six hold hands in a circle. Four travelling steps to the left, and four back again.
3. The centre dancer sets to the person on the right: set, clap, two-hand turn.
4. Then sets to the person on the left the same way.
5. Figure of eight on each line of three. The middle person starts by walking to the person on the right, passing shoulder to shoulder, until everyone is back in place.
6. Each line joins hands and advances towards the other, stamps three times, retreats and claps three times.
7. Both lines advance again, one raising hands to let the other pass through to face a new line. Repeat with the next line.

More on The Dashing White Sergeant → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

A single circle of the whole room — good for a crowd that has not danced before.

1. All join hands, into the middle for four steps and out for four. Twice.
2. Women into the middle, clap, and back out. Men do the same, turning to face their partner as they come out.
3. All swing their partner, finishing facing round the dance.
4. Promenade 16 steps anticlockwise.

More on The Circassian Circle → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

More footwork than most. The hops can be dropped without spoiling it.

1. Hop on the inside foot and point the outside foot in the line of dance, hop again and bring the outside foot behind the inside calf. Hop and point the outside foot forward again, hop and bring it in front of the inside shin.
2. Still facing your partner: step the outside foot in the line of dance, close the inside foot to it, step the outside foot again, then hop on it bringing the inside foot behind the calf.
3. Repeat both of the above with opposite footwork and direction.
4. Repeat the second bar, then repeat it again with opposite footwork and direction.
5. Moving forward in the line of dance and turning clockwise, take four step-hops turning around each other. Repeat the dance from the beginning.

More on The Highland Schottische → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

Plenty of galloping. Warn the room before the side-slips.

1. The first lady, followed by the second and third, dances across the top of the set, behind the first man, in front of the second, behind the third, across the bottom and back to place.
2. The first three men repeat the figure around the ladies.
3. The first couple join both hands and side-slip (gallop) down the room for eight slip-steps, then back up again to the bottom of the set — fourth place.
4. All join hands on the sides and side-slip down the room and back up again.
5. Finish in the order 2, 3, 4, 1, ready to start again.

More on The Flying Scotsman → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

Heel, toe and a salute. Always gets a laugh.

1. Lady with a hand on the man's shoulder, man with an arm around her waist. Touch heel then toe of the outer foot to the ground twice, bouncing. March three steps and turn.
2. Repeat in the opposite direction.
3. Join hands and bounce on both feet, then kick the right foot across the body to the left, and the left foot across to the right.
4. The man raises his left hand and the lady turns underneath, dropping the other hand. The man can salute with his right.
5. Polka around the room.

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The basket is the bit people remember. Hold on.

1. Heads gallop across in ballroom hold, men back-to-back, and return with the women back-to-back.
2. Sides do the same.
3. Heads right-hand star, then left-hand star.
4. Sides do the same.
5. Heads basket. Then sides basket.
6. All circle left for 16 steps.
7. All promenade partners anticlockwise back to place.

More on The Cumberland Square Eight → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.

A good second dance once the room has warmed up.

1. Starting with the outside foot, walk forward three steps and hop or kick.
2. Walk backwards three steps and hop.
3. Skip sideways away from your partner — men towards the centre, ladies towards the edge — for two steps, and clap.
4. Return to your partner and join in ballroom hold.
5. In ballroom hold, skip sideways to the man's left and lady's right for two steps, then back again.
6. Four step-hops to polka anticlockwise round the room.

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The slow one. Often saved for later in the night.

1. In ballroom hold, three steps sideways towards the lady's right and man's left, then stamp both feet.
2. Two steps sideways in the opposite direction.
3. Two steps towards the centre of the room — the lady forwards with right then left, the man backwards with left then right.
4. Two steps back out on the same feet.
5. The lady turns under the man's left arm.
6. Back into ballroom hold and waltz onwards for four bars. Repeat.

More on St Bernard's Waltz → Formation, timing, what the room needs and what usually goes wrong.