Quote Originally Posted by McMurdo View Post
The connection is the X shape, or so I thought, well it would be a dolphin reel starting with your first corner.
I think a more obvious "X" shape would be the figure known as "dance to corner and set" - also known as Courage Reels from the John Drewry dance of that name. In this 12 bar figure the dancing couple starts facing 1st corners, takes 2 bars to change places with corners who pass each other in the middle and turn right, then, while the dancing couple turns inwards and sets for 2 bars, their first corners change places with the dancing couples' 2nd corners who also pass each other and turn right in the middle to face the dancing couple. These movements continue for a further eight bars until the dancing couple are again in the middle facing their 1st corner person in 3rd corner position. (This is a lot more complicated to describe than to dance but I hope you can see that the dancers repeatedly dance along "V" shapes that make up an "X".

So if we want to add a kind of "S" shape for "Scot" (it is actually a figure of eight) to this you could have the following dance: An XS Reel

Bars 1-4 1st couple set and cast off one place to face 1st corners
Bars 5-16 Dance to corners and set, 1st couple end facing 1st corners in 3rd corner position
Bars 17-20 1M pick up 3L in promenade hold and dance a figure of eight round 3M and 2L giving RS to begin, while 1L picks up 2M and dances a figure of eight round the same two standing couples (1M&3L pass 1L&2M RS in the middle) so that both 3L and 2M are returned to their original positions
Bars 21-24 1C dances half a reel of 4 with 3M & 2L ending in 2nd place on their own side (1M gives RS to 3M and 1L gives RS to 2L to begin)
Bars 25 - 32 6 hands round to the left and back


Not much of a dance but with maybe just a shade of coherence to it.