Kind and Easey ~ A. Shaw
Leander and Hero
Kind and Easey ~ A. Shaw or Leander and Hero is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Nathaniel Kynaston in 1716 and published in Twenty Four New Country Dances for the Year 1716. It was interpreted by Andrew Shaw in 2006 and published in Emperor of the Moon. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 36 bars. The tune is a jig.
Kynaston writes:
The 1st. and 2d. man figure through the 1st. and 2d. wo. cast off and turn single in ther places the we. do the same all four go half round, and turn single. the 1st. cu. lead down the middle below the 3d. cu. and back again, then take hands with 2d. cu. and go half round 1st. cu. set, cut clean two steps forward, and cast off
Republished by John Young in 1718 as Kind and Easy:
Note: The first Strain twice, and the last but once.
The two first Men Figure thro' the first and 2d We. cast off and turn single in their Places The We. do the same All four go half round and turn single; the first Cu. lead down the Middle below the 3d Cu. and back again; then take Hands with the 2d Cu. and go half round, first Cu. Sett, cut clean two Steps forward, and cast offRepublished by Walsh in 1731 as Leander and Hero.
The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.
The dance contains the following figures: turn single, turn single cloverleaf, circle, cast, lead, figure eight, down the middle and back (and probably others).
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.
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The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is copyright © 2006 by Andrew Shaw. 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.
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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.