THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR
as danced by Stonnington Scottish Country Dancers, Melbourne, Australia 2022.
32 bar reel for four dancers in a square set numbered clockwise with a fifth dancer in the middle
Suggested Music:
'Folksy Fivesome', from 'Dancers' Choice 2', played by Robert Whitehead and the Danelaw Band.
BARS DESCRIPTION
1 – 8 Dancers 5, 1 and 3 dance a reel of three; dancers 5 and 1 passing right shoulder.
Dancer 5 finishes in the middle facing out between dancers 1 and 4.
9 - 16 All dance crown triangles as follows.
Dancers 5, 1 and 4 join nearer hands. All set; on second setting step
dancer 5 moves in an anticlockwise direction;
Dancers 5,4 and 3 repeat;
Dancers 5, 3 and 2 repeat;
Dancers 5, 2 and 1 repeat.
Dancer 5 finishes facing dancer 4.
17 - 24 Dancers 5, 4 and 2 dance a reel of three; dancers 5 and 4 passing left shoulder.
Dancer 5 finishes facing dancer 1.
25 – 26 Dancers 5 and 1 change places giving right hand.
27 – 28 Dancers 1 and 3 change places giving left hand.
29 - 30 Dancers 3 and 4 change places giving left hand.
31 – 32 Dancers 4 and 2 change places giving right hand.
Repeat from new positions.
Devised by Frances Wallace and dedicated to Patsy and lan Marks on their return from a Rotary trip to Japan, March 2012.
The most famous example of a 'nightingale' floor is in the Nijo Castle, Kyoto. Japanese 'nightingale' floors (uguisubari) were designed to make a 'chirping' sound when walked on. In ancient times, these floors were used in the hallways of Japanese temples and palaces as a security device, because no one could sneak through the corridors undetected! Dry boards creak naturally under pressure, but these floors were designed so that the flooring nails rubbed against a jacket or clamp, causing birdlike noises.

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