reel

The word reel in the sense of a dance appears in Scottish English by the sixteenth century. Its origin is debated. It may come from the Old English hrēol, the revolving device for winding thread or yarn — the dance, with its weaving, interlocking patterns, does resemble thread being wound. Some scholars propose a Gaelic origin. The word is old enough and Scottish enough that certainty is impossible.

The reel is danced by sets of dancers — typically two, three, or four — who weave in and out of each other's paths in figure-eight patterns. The footwork is quick, the tempo is fast, and the patterns are geometric. Scottish reels include the Highland Reel, the Eightsome Reel, and the Foursome Reel, each with specific configurations. The music is in 4/4 time, played on fiddle, accordion, or pipes. The connection between the dancers and the musicians is tight: a reel is a conversation between feet and strings.

Scottish reels crossed the Atlantic with Scottish emigrants. In Appalachia, they merged with English and Irish dance traditions to produce American square dancing and contra dancing. The Virginia Reel, one of the most widely known American folk dances, is a direct descendant. The reel's figure-eight weaving survived the ocean and the mountains and the cultural blending of the American frontier.

The Highland Games and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society maintain the reel tradition with a formality that would surprise the village dancers who first performed it. Steps are codified, formations are precise, and examinations are taken. A dance that originated in Scottish villages is now taught according to published manuals and international syllabi. The reel that may have been named after winding thread has itself been wound into institutional structure.