Setting Steps for Reels: the Lematrást

The Lematrást is another step suitable for setting (footing) in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Scotch reels.  It was described by Scottish dancing master Francis Peacock in Sketches relative to the history and theory, but more especially to the practice of dancing (Aberdeen, 1805).  Peacock explains its Gaelic etymology as "From Lèum, a leap, a spring, and Trasd, across."  It is subtitled "Cross Springs".

Peacock's description of the Lematrást:

These are a series of Sissonnes.  You spring forward with the right foot to the third or fifth position, making a hop upon the left foot; then spring backward with the right, and hop upon it. You do the same with the left foot, and so on, for two, four, or as many bars as the second part of the tune contains. This is a single step; to double it, you do the Springs, forward and backward, four times, before you change the foot.

The Lematrást reappears in lists of Scotch reel steps in a few English dance manuals from later in the century, including The Ball Room Annual (London, c1844) and Rudolph Radestock's The Royal Ball-Room Guide (London, c1877).   It is misspelled in the former as Lematrost and in the latter as Lamatrast.  The description is:

Bound forward with the right foot to the fifth, and hop on the left; spring back and hop on the right till the second part of the tune is finished.

I would describe the Lematrást as a series of alternating assemblé and sissone desssus.  Spring into the air and land in an assemblé, right in front in third or fifth.  Hop on the back (left) foot, raising the right foot in front, toe pointed down.  Spring into an assemblé with the right foot behind in third or fifth.  Hop on the back (right) foot, raising the left foot in front, toe pointed down.  For the second Lematrást, spring into an assemblé with left in front, hop on the right foot and raise the left, spring into an assemblé with the right in front, and hop on the left foot raising the right.  Each Lematrást takes one measure of music and is counted "1&2&" for each assemblé-sissone-assemblé-sissone.

The later English descriptions ("bound forward"/"spring back") might suggest that the spring backward is not into an assemblé but is more of a jeté backwards, landing in a sissone dessus with the left foot pointed down in front and then for the final hop maintaining the same position.  This better matches Peacock's "series of Sissones" description, but Peacock's description of the extended step implies to me that he thinks of the "spring forward" and "spring backward" as the same movement: "you do the Springs, forward and backward, four times."  I think that "into third or fifth position" is strongly implied.  Repeated springs backward will also result in substantial travel, which is unlikely in a setting step and could be quite inconvenient if standing back-to-back with another dancer, as the center dancers do in the reel of four.

The extended version of the Lematrást would take two measures for each step as follows:

1    Assemblé (right foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise right foot in front)
2    Assemblé (right foot behind)
&   Sissone dessous (raise right foot behind)
1    Assemblé (right foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise right foot in front)
2    Assemblé (right foot behind)
&   Sissone dessus (raise left foot in front)

The repeat would be:

1    Assemblé (left foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise left foot in front)
2    Assemblé (left foot behind)
&   Sissone dessous (raise left foot behind)
1    Assemblé (left foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise left foot in front)
2    Assemblé (left foot behind)
&   Sissone dessus (raise right foot in front)

Peacock also offers an interesting combination utilizing a sort of reversed version of the Lematrást combined with the Single Kemkóssy.  In his words:

Another variety, much practiced, is to spring backward with the right foot instead of forward, as in the fifth step [the Lematrást], and hop upon the left; then spring forward, and again hop upon the same foot, and add to these two springs, one single Kemkóssy, passing the right foot behind the left.  You do the same step, beginning it with the left foot.

This is a good example of Peacock's willingness to "change, divide, add to, or invert" the steps he describes.  The sequence as described would be:

1    Assemblé (right foot behind)
&   Sissone dessous (raise right foot behind)
2    Assemblé (right foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise right foot in front)

This is followed by a Single Kemkóssy (1&2&) starting by bringing the right foot behind the left, after which the left foot is free and the entire sequence repeats to the other side:

1    Assemblé (left foot behind)
&   Sissone dessous (raise left foot behind)
2    Assemblé (left foot in front)
&   Sissone dessus (raise left foot in front)
and the Single Kemkóssy.