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Taught/practised on:

THE COOPER'S WIFE (J8x40 in 10 Bar Phrases) John W Mitchell  Whetherly Book 16   1-10 1s   cast   to   2 nd    place   while    2s   step   up,   dance   full   Fig   of   8   round   2s   & end facing 1 st  corners 11-20 1s   ½   turn   corners   RH,   corners   turn   LH   1½   times   in   middle    as   1s   chase clockwise   to   opposite   corner   &   ½   turn   corner   RH,   1s   turn   partner   LH to face 2 nd  corner 21-30 1s repeat with 2 nd  corners end facing 3 rd  corners (1 st  corner person) 31-40 1s   dance   ½   diagonal   reel   of   4   with   3 rd    corners,   ½   diagonal   reel   with 4 th    corners   &   1s   turn   LH   to   2 nd    place   own   side   (or,   if   danced   in   3 couple    set,    1s    take    nearer    hands    and    dance    down    to    3 rd     place while    3s   step   up   -   having   just   stepped   up,   3s   must   be   ready,   as   the new 2s, to step up again on the next two bars)

2010 April 25 th June 6 th August 8 th August 22 nd September 5 th 2013 October 13 th 

Another   John   Mitchell   dance   written   for   a   tune   -   this   time   “ The   Wee   Cooper   of   Fife ”,   which   has   10-bar   phrasing and   Hugh   Foss   had   already   devised   a   dance   of   that   name.   This   is   a   well-known   Scottish   folk   song   about   a   cooper who   wants   to   beat   his   ‘gentle’   wife   because   she   will   not   cook,   clean   and   sew,   but   he   obviously   feels   quilty   about it as he wraps her in a sheepskin first and then beats (or threatens to beat) the sheepskin. She relents!