The Fine Companion

The Fine Companion is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1911 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 2). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a Square dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 96 bars. It is in the key: D Minor.

Playford writes:

Hands all, and meet a D. back again, set and turn S. That again Men meet and go back, we. as much men meet, hands and go round we. meet and go back, men as much, we. hands and go round

Sides all, set and turn S. That again The 2. Cu. against each other meet and back, the other four as much. The first four hands and go round That again, the last four beginning

Arms all, set and turn S. That again Men meet, turn back to back, the wo. go round about the men to their places we. meet, turn back to back, men go about the we.

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.A11-4Take hands, balance circle in, out
5-6Face Partner, Set
7-8Turn single right
I.A21-4Take hands, balance circle in, out
5-6Face Partner, Set
7-8Turn single
I.B11-2Men in
3-4Women in (men out)
5-6Men in (women out)
7-8Men circle left
I.B21-2Women in (men out)
3-4Men in (women out)
5-6Women in (men out)
7-8Women circle left
II.A11-4Face Partner, Right Siding
5-6Set
7-8Turn single
II.A21-4Left Siding
5-6Set
7-8Turn single
II.B11-2Heads in
3-4Sides in (heads out)
5-6Heads in (sides out)
7-8Heads circle
II.B21-2Sides in (heads out)
3-4Heads in (sides out)
5-6Sides in (heads out)
7-8Sides circle
III.A11-4Face Partner, Right Arming
5-6Set
7-8Turn single
III.A21-4Left Arming
5-6Set
7-8Turn single
III.B11-2Men in
3-8Men turn backs to center, circle right, while women (outside) circle right (no hands)
III.B21-2Women in (men out)
3-8Women turn backs circle right, while men (outside) circle right

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=FineCompanion

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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 © 2019 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
Creative Commons License 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.