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Enjoy this curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Feb 3
February's Birthstone
The Amethyst (Charlton)
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Dear February, month of amethyst old,
The ancients swore purple kept revels controlled—
Not banning the dance, just steadying feet,
So strathspey gracefully, but carefully on the beat."
Happy February birthdays, dancers! Celebrate with this elegant February birthstone namesake strathspey!
The Amethyst dance was inspired during the 24th Australian Winter School in Perth in 1999, where the devisor, Brian Charlton, encountered the Allemande Right and Allemande Left figure while dancing in the Nullagine Class. Having enjoyed this figure in several well-known dances, it became clear that it was rarely—if ever—used in a strathspey.
This realization sparked the creation of a new strathspey built around the Allemande, complemented by other not so common movements movements such as turning the lady under right and left!
The dance’s title is closely tied to its place of inspiration. Nullagine, a town in Western Australia, is famous for its amethyst production, making the stone a natural namesake.
The amethyst has long been associated with clarity, balance, and even protection from intoxication—an association that delighted the dancers who first debuted this dance.
As February’s birthstone, purple amethyst carries other symbolic meanings. Though the stone naturally occurs in other colors, its purple variety has long been linked to devotion and romance, making it especially fitting for the month of St. Valentine. According to later legend, St. Valentine was said to wear a purple amethyst ring engraved with Cupid, a symbol by which Roman soldiers could recognize him when seeking his help to perform clandestine marriages during the reign of Emperor Claudius II—who, according to tradition, forbade soldiers from marrying.
The belief of ancient Greeks and Romans that the stone could ward off drunkenness and excess, led to it being embedded into drinking vessels for that purpose. The stone’s name comes from the Greek amethystos, meaning “not intoxicated"! Who knew? Cheers and Sláinte, Dancers! 💜 💜 💜 🥃 💎 🎂 😊
The Amethyst (Charlton)
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. Once worn only by royalty, Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February.
St. Valentine is said to have worn a purple amethyst ring which was usually worn by Christian bishops (as it thought to help enable restraint) with an image of cupid engraved on it. Roman soldiers would see the ring and ask him to marry them. It may have been this association which led to the stone being chosen as the birthstone for the month of February and invested amethyst with special powers to attract love.
In his poem "L'Amethyste, ou les Amours de Bacchus et d'Amethyste" (Amethyst or the loves of Bacchus and Amethyste), the French poet Remy Belleau (1528–1577) invented a myth about the creation of amethyst. In the story, Bacchus, the god of intoxication, of wine, and grapes was pursuing a maiden named Amethyste, who refused his affections.
Amethyste prayed to the gods to remain chaste, a prayer which the goddess Diana answered, transforming her into a white stone. Humbled by Amethyste's steadfast desire to remain chaste, Bacchus poured wine over the stone as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple.
For more about St. Valentine and his amethyst ring, click the painting below.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
