Althea
Althea is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1657 in The Dancing Master, 3rd ed.. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). It is a Facing Couples Becket dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 112 bars. It is in the key: D Major.
Lead up all a D. and back Set thus, step upon your right foot and hold up the left, then upon the left and hold up the right, then jump across three times That again First man and second wo. meet and fall back, the other two change places, set The other as much All this again Sides with your own Set Then with the Co. set First man cast off his wo. following to her place, set The other Cu. do as much Arms with your own, set Then with the Co. set First man and second wo. meet and turn back to back, the other going about them to their places at the same time The other do as much
Sharp has the men set, but not the women. Playford just says "set", so I think it is perfectly reasonable to have everyone setting. The description of setting (the hopping and jumping with crossed legs) is taken almost directly from Playford.
The tune was published by Playford in 1657 with a dance of the same name. The music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.
The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
| I.A1 | 1-4 | In a double and fall back |
| 5-8 | Partner set thus: Spring onto right foot and hold up left foot, repeating with reverse feet; then jump thrice with crossed feet | |
| I.A2 | 1-8 | That again |
| I.B1 | 1-2 | In a double |
| 3-4 | M1+W2 fall back, W1+M2 change | |
| 5-8 | Set to opposite (as above) | |
| I.B2 | 1-2 | In a double |
| 3-4 | M1+W2 change, W1+M2 fall back | |
| 5-8 | Partner set | |
| I.B3 | 1-2 | In a double |
| 3-4 | M1+W2 fall back, W1+M2 change | |
| 5-8 | Set to opposite (as above) | |
| I.B4 | 1-2 | In a double |
| 3-4 | M1+W2 change, W1+M2 fall back | |
| 5-8 | Partner set | |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Partner right shoulder side |
| 5-8 | Partner set | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Opposite left shoulder side |
| 5-8 | Set to opposite | |
| II.B1 | 1-4 | M1, followed by partner, casts left to loop back to places |
| 5-8 | 1s set | |
| II.B2 | 1-8 | 2s, the same (cast then set) |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Partner arm right |
| 5-8 | Partner set | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | Opposite arm left |
| 5-8 | Set to opposite | |
| III.B1 | 1-2 | M1+W2 meet, turn back to back |
| 3-6 | Other two join hands and circle counter-clockwise, as center two turn clockwise | |
| 7-8 | All back to places | |
| III.B2 | 1-2 | W1+M2 meet, turn back to back |
| 3-6 | Other two join hands and circle counter-clockwise, as center two turn clockwise | |
| 7-8 | All back to places |
If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.
If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=Althea
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2021 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This website is copyright © 2021-2025 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.