Be a Bush Dance Pro: Jubilee Jig & Kings Waltz dance instructions

Bush music is the testimonial of life and survival in Australian wilderness and bush by the everyday ordinary people living there. These songs record and testify about both the hardships and colorful slangs of Australian bush life. Accompanying the Bush music is Bush dance, a social dance form native to Australia, with external influences. There are many 0Bush dance bands, providing bush music for private functions, school dance workshops etc.

Mentioned below are two popular bush dance instructions. Follow them and you will be dancing like a pro in no time.

Glossary and Abbreviations

Sicilian Circle = One couple facing another couple in a circle around the room.

Double Sicilian = Two couples in a line, facing two couples in a line, arranged in a circle around room.

Abbreviations used:

R = right L = left F = foot H = hand

M = man W = woman L.O.D. = line of dance (anticlockwise) ACW = anticlockwise

CW = clockwise Fwd = forward Sh = shoulder

Jubilee Jig

Author: David Johnson 1979 for the BMC’s Silver Jubilee

Formation: Large Single Circle, man’s partner on right, all holding hands

Bars Description

4 Circle left — (8 slip steps to the left)

4 Circle right — (8 slip steps)

2 Men to centre — (starting with the right foot, take 4 steps in joining hands on the way in)

2 Men out, ladies in — (ladies, starting with right foot take 4 steps in under raised arm of men then ladies join hands)

2 Ladies out, men in — (men in under ladies raised arms, clapping on the 4th step in)

2 Men out

8 Grand chain — (for 7 persons, partner is no. 1)

8 Swing — (your new partner using a longarm hold. Finish with lady on man’s right ready to start again) 

Alternative: Caller can vary number of persons in the grand chain and use the swing to take up time until the end of the tune. (The maximum number of people in the grand chain is 15 with no swing.) 

32 Bars

Music: 32 bar 6/8 tunes. From BMC “Bush Dance Instructions” by Lance Gree

Kings Waltz

Formation: Couples in open waltz hold, facing L.O.D

Bars Description

4 Walk forward four slow steps — on last step lady moves across in front of man to ballroom hold (facing clockwise).

4 Rock forward & back twice — man LF, lady RF.

4 Chassé in & out — two slide steps each way, moving to man’s left.

4 Waltz — two turns. 

16 Bars

Music: 16-bar waltz 

Source: Maria Zann and Mark Schuster, Toowoomba Qld from A Queensland Selection.