Reel, Six Hand

Dance for six (or in the Lake District apparently sometimes12), recorded from oral tradition in many parts of England, Scotland and Wales.

In the Lake District it featured in the repertoire of several dancing masters and was danced in shoes. A similar dance is recorded from oral tradition in Yorkshire.

The format of the dance in this case is not a true reel where phases of stepping alternating with phases of running  a figure, but rather a country dance.

The dance was taught by:

Dizzy Bryden of Workington
Tommy Cannon of Underbarrow and Crosthwaite
Oliver Cowper of Workington
Roland Cowper of Whitehaven
Mr Garnett operating in Whicham, 1825
Jack Iveson of Penrith
Bobby Miller of Penrith
Joseph William Robinson (“Old Jos”)
Stainton Robinson of Windermere

Notations for the dance were collected from Lucy Short (with Clara Boyle), Mr and Mrs John Whittle, Fred Coward.and Roland Cowper

Information derived from correspondence/interviews by Tom Flett with: