Virginia Reel (L*) – England, Scotland, Australia, Finland, USA, etc

Wikipedia says: The Virginia reel is a folk dance that dates from the 17th century. Though the reel may have its origins in Scottish country dance and the Highland reel, it is generally considered to be an English country dance. The dance was most popular in America from 1830–1890. 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.

Don says: The most obvious ancestor of the Virginia Reel is the English dance Sir Roger de Coverley (click for history and description). The main difference between the two is that in Sir Roger the preliminary figures are done diagonally by only the head man and foot woman, then head woman and foot man. In Virginia Reel the early figures are usually, (but not always,) done by everyone simultaneously, paired with the partner facing you in the opposite line. The number of figures varies considerably – below I show dances of between 8 and 22 8-count figures. Almost all versions end with the head couple sashaying down center and back, peeling off up the outside followed by the rest of the line, forming an arch at the bottom, and all other couples passing under the arch, ending with a new head couple.

Britannica says: Brought to Virginia by English colonists, the Sir Roger de Coverley in time became the Virginia reel, the several versions of which range from the polished form danced in the ballrooms of 18th-century Virginia to the livelier present-day version…..In the characteristic “reel” figure, [also called Strip the Willow] the partners at the head of the set alternately swing each other and the other dancers as they move to the bottom of the set. The dance concludes after each couple has progressed to the head of the set.