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The Strathspey Poussette is a two couple figure based on a diamond shape with the couples moving round the diamond in an anticlockwise direction. Two points of the diamond are in the centre of the set between the 1st and 2nd Cpl’s positions. The other two points of the diamond lie on the sides of the dance, one half way between the first two ladies’ positions and the other half way between the first two men’s positions. The figure takes eight bars to complete; one to move into formation, six to move round the diamond and one to drop back to original place. There is a progressive version, ‘The Half Poussette’, but that will be described later.
On the first bar both the couples step in to meet their partner. The 1st couple at the top of the set use the leg nearer the top of the set for this first step and the 2nd couple, who are closer to the bottom than the 1st couple, use the leg nearer the bottom of the set for this first step. That is all dancers move in to the centre using their outside legs. The 1st couple meet slightly towards the men’s side of the dance and the 2nd couple towards the ladies’ side. On meeting each couple take both hands and turn to form a diagonal line between the 1st Man’s and 2nd Lady’s places facing partners and with the 1st Lady and the 2nd Man standing back to back. The couples, fairly close to their partners, stretch their arms to the side with their elbows slightly relaxed and their arms at about shoulder height.
On the second bar of the figure the movement round the diamond commences with the couples dancing sideways in a diagonal direction towards the points of the diamond on the sides of the dance, and once there they do a quarter clockwise turn keeping their arms extended. The 1st couple have moved to the point of the diamond on the men’s side and the 2nd couple to the point on the Ladies’ side.
On the third bar the couples, again moving sideways travel along the next edge of the diamond to the other couple’s original central position. On reaching the central point the couples draw their arms in and dance a tight 1¼ clockwise turn for one bar finishing ready to continue to dance round the diamond.
On bars five to seven each couple follows the tracks taken by the other couple in bars two to four to arrive in their original place but in the centre of the dance facing each other and with their backs to their own sides of the dance.
On bar eight the couples fall back to their original place on the side lines.
The Strathspey Half Poussette commences with the dancing couples already in the position reached by the dancing couples in the full Strathspey Poussette at the end of the first bar. This position is reached either by remaining in the centre at the end of the previous figure, such as a ‘Promenade’, or by stepping in with the outside leg on the last bar of the previous figure.
The first three bars of the Half Poussette are the same as bars two to four in the full Poussette finishing having progressed in the centre of the dance facing each other and with their backs to their own sides of the dance.
On bar four the couples fall back to their original sides having progressed.
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