Information: A dance.

Translation: Gay Gordons

Pronunciation: gay GOHR-dohns

Other names: Gaie Gordons, Gay Gordons, Geie Gordons

Region: Northern England and the Lowlands of Scotland.

Non-partner-changing version

• SCOTTISH: Not a mixer. Couples in varsouvienne hold, marching forward and backward.
• Released left hands and the woman turned several time under the man's raised R arm while the man steps more or less in place. Assume a closed ballroom hold and two-step in the CCW around the room, turning CW as a couple.
• Known in Scotland for well over a hundred years; danced at village ceilidhs throughout Scotland and the north of England in the counties of Northumberland, Cumbria, and Durham. Less commonly danced in the South of England.
• Collected in the village of Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire, by Sibyl Clark of the EFDSS in the early 1960s as English Gay Gordon's or Pine's Parade.
• Possibly taught at Berea College, Kentucky by Sibyl while she was resident there in the 1970s.

As a mixer

• ENGLISH: This version does involve a change of partners similar to the Old Time Barn Dance.
• Promenade CCW around the room, man to woman's L, man's R hand holding woman's L hand.
• Done to Marches in 2/4 and 6/8 and swapping between the two. A standard set includes Scotland the Brave, Muckin O' Geordies Byre, Mairi's Wedding, and Cock O' the North.
       Walk forward 4 steps.
       Turn individually, rejoin new inside hands, and walk 4 steps backward and still CCW around the room.
       Without turning, walk 4 steps forward and CW around the room.
       Turn individually and rejoin original inside hands. Walk backward 4 steps and CW around the room.
       Balance toward your partner and then away.
       Man pulls woman to inside of circle, woman turning once CCW to do so.
       Balance toward your partner and then away.
       Man turns the woman under his L arm and guides her to the man in front of him.

As a waltz mixer

• Called by Becky Hill as a waltz mixer with 6 steps instead of 4 on each walking segment.

Other versions

• Allemans Marche, Norway.
• Blue Bird Schottish, (mid-1800s). Instead of the forward and backward progression, dance a heel-toe figure.
• White Silver Sands, in Dance A While.
• The Humpaa Promenade, called a Swedish style folkdance. Changes partners and has a 16 count swing.