RSCDS Book 1 No. 7 "Strip the Willow"

RSCDS Book 1

No. 7 "Strip the Willow"

Date of Publication:

Origins/Composer:
1. Collected locally
Ref. RSCDS

 2. Strip the Willow is an old Hebridean weaving dance.
Ref. MaxiCrib Reuben Freemantle

Stories:

 The movements of the dance represent stripping the leaves off the willow wands to ready them for weaving.

Basketry:
Traditionally every farm in Europe and in the early years of North America, maintained a willow plantation that served as a wind break, a shelter belt for livestock, a hedge-row where medicinal plants were found, and a place to find materials for fencing, furniture making, and basket weaving.  These were not accidental and wild, but were planted intentionally with special varieties of willow, hazel, fruit and nut trees, herbs, and berries.  If you have an old homestead, you may have one of these areas, grown over and just waiting for managed harvesting to bring it back into production.



Colin Manthorpe sitting on the plank making a herring cran at the 2003 Basketry and Beyond Basket Fair and Water Gala. The lapboard is raised up on a wooden box.




Instructions:
STRIP THE WILLOW (Drops Of Brandy) (J4x40) 4C set RSCDS Book 1 
Running step
1- 8 1s turn RH 2½ times (4 bars), 1L turns 2M LH then turns partner RH
9-16 1L turns 3M LH, turns partner RH, 1L turns 4M LH and turns partner RH
17-24 1M turns 4L LH, turns partner RH, 1M turns 3L LH and turns partner RH
25-32 1M turns 2L LH, turns partner RH, 1L turns 2M LH as 1M turns 2L LH, 1s turn RH in centre
33-40 1s similarly turn 3s LH, turn partners RH, turn 4s LH and turn partners RH to 4th place own sides (last turn uses the next first 2 bars of music)

(MINICRIB, Dance Crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)


Video:
https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/video/strip-the-willow.html

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