People used to entertain themselves by holding community dances in the days before television, the Internet, and even radio. This event brought the towns together and was usually a fantastic social gathering. Most people knew the most popular dances, such as the waltz, and the Virginia reel was one of the most popular group dances, especially in the Southeastern United States.
The Virginia reel is a Scottish country dance that was brought to the United States in the late 1600s. Sir Roger de Coverly popularized it in the United Kingdom. Some variations were added, and the Virginia reel became well-known throughout the Southeast.
This is a contra dance, meaning it is performed in a line with partners facing each other. About six couples form a line in the Virginia reel, men in one line and ladies in the other, about six feet apart. As with a square dance, the Virginia reel frequently has a caller. When the caller signals, the couples take three steps forward and bow to their partners. Partners do elbow swings before doing a do-si-do, and the head couple (the couple closest to the band) joins hands and sashays (chasees) down the line and back.
The head couple then “reels down” by joining elbows and turning fully with each person in their line (men with ladies and vice versa), before joining hands and sashaying back to their original position. The head couple then leads their respective lines in the “cast off,” walking to the end of the line and forming an arch with their joined hands. The second couple then leads their lines back to the front under the arch, becoming the head couple.
The Virginia reel is a fast-paced dance that needs to be accompanied by fast-paced music. The best of all reel tunes, according to Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone with the Wind,” is “Dixie,” which gives a good idea of how spirited the dance is. The scenes at the bazaar in the film Gone with the Wind include an abbreviated version of the Virginia reel. It’s worth watching just to get a sense of how the dance was done.