Virginia reel

Virginia reel, spirited American country dance for couples. It stems from the rinnce fadha, a pre-Christian Irish dance that evolved into the English dance called the Sir Roger de Coverley. Brought to Virginia by English colonists, the Sir Roger de Coverley in time became the Virginia reel, the several versions of which range from the polished form danced in the ballrooms of 18th-century Virginia to the livelier present-day version.

The Virginia reel is a progressive dance for couples in longways formation—i.e., a double line, partners facing. To violin accompaniment and the calls of the fiddler, the dancers execute several figures. In the characteristic “reel” figure, the partners at the head of the set alternately swing each other and the other dancers as they move to the bottom of the set. The dance concludes after each couple has progressed to the head of the set.