Mrs MacLeod of Raasay

This dance was danced by The Hampshire Regency Dancers and is shown here with their kind permission.
To learn the steps and figures of the dances of the English Regency period (about 1775-1830), go to RegencyDances.org See the notations, animations, videos and available music CDs for this and other dances.

[@theresasmith3775]

My favourite dance of all times, a total buzz to do. Thank you Hampshire Regency Dancers.

[@dm7ify]

If this was on Raasay, everyone would be up dancing, even old Mrs McLeod. :)

[@elsalisa146]

I like the ladies dances.this one in particular.

[@Fiofiorina]

Yes, SCD is a good alternative to keep in shape if one doesn't have a historical dance group near by :-)

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

Yes, Scottish music and dance forms were creeping into English country dances by about 1800

[@MediaExtro]

dancing to a scottish tune :)

[@thomaskurth8335]

From which year is this dance? From 1809?

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

1808, by Nathaniel Gow - here is a useful link: www.regencydances.org/index.php?wL=194

[@thomaskurth8335]

@@RegencyDancesOrg Thanks!!

[@sailonby]

Who performs the music, please? I'm trying to find for my dance group. Thank you!

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

+sailonby There is a CD by The Dolmesch Historic Dance Society called The First Refinement / The Scottish Connection. The music is by my friend Ian Cutts (violin) and Sarah Barton (cello)

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

+RegencyDancesOrg The dance is animated here: regencydances.org/index.php?wL=194

[@sailonby]

+RegencyDancesOrg Thank you very much!

[@1950accordionman]

It's a reel so it should be faster

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

This is not a Scottish dance - it's an English dance of 1808 to a Scottish tune. The step is chasse step.

[@1950accordionman]

@@RegencyDancesOrg It is a Scottish dance

[@RegencyDancesOrg]

Many Scottish Dances were 'borrowed' by the English and more or less adapted, including pace and steps, to be suitable for the London ballroom - You might enjoy reading the works of Nathaniel Gow and Thomas Wilson

[@paulcooper8156]

FWIW, I've written about the early history of this particular tune here: www.regencydances.org/paper036.php#mcleod .
This particular tune has Scottish origins, it became popular in London at around the same date that it was being danced in Edinburgh. At least eight versions of the country dance were published in London between about 1812 and 1814 (with various sequences of figures attached to it).
There are many ways to dance this, then and now, vive la différence.