The Boatman ~ Sharp
The Boatman ~ Sharp 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 1916 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 4). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 96 bars. It is in the key: C major.
Lead up a D. forwards and back, set and turn S That again First cu. and 2. man the S. Hey, while the other three do the like, come to your places and turn your own All that again, the 2. cu. changing their ends Sides all, set and turn S. That again The 2. man and the 1. cu. hands and go half round, while the other do the like, fall all back, then turn your own That again, the 2. cu. changing their ends Arms all, set and turn S. That again First and last man and 2. wo. hands and go round, the 2 man turn his own wo First and last wo. and 2. man hands and go round the 2. man turn his wo.
The tune, also called The Boatman, was published by Playford with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album A Playford Ball. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.
The animation plays at 116 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
| I.A1 | 1-4 | Up a Double, back |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| I.A2 | 1-4 | Up a Double, back (repeat) |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Swirly Siding |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Swirly Siding |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Right Arming |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | Left Arming |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| I.B1 | 1-6 | 2s hey for three with the ends, man up woman down, end couples stop half-way through (improper) and starting a two hand turn |
| 7-8 | 2s two hand turn half, end couples finish their turns | |
| I.B2 | 1-6 | 2s hey for three with the ends, man down woman up, end couples stop half-way through (proper) |
| 7-8 | 2s two hand turn half, end couples finish their turns | |
| II.B1 | 1-2 | 2s circle three half with ends, man up woman down, finish as a line facing in |
| 3-4 | Lines balance back and forward | |
| 5-8 | 2s two hand turn once and a quarter, other couples turn once | |
| II.B2 | 1-2 | 2s, man down woman up, circle 3 half with ends, finish as a line facing in |
| 3-4 | Lines balance back and forward | |
| 5-8 | 2s two hand turn once and a quarter, other couples turn once | |
| III.B1 | 1-4 | M2 move to center, other men and W2 circle three |
| 5-8 | 2s two hand turn | |
| III.B2 | 1-4 | W2 move to center, other women and M2 circle three |
| 5-8 | All two hand turn |
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=TheBoatman
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 © 2020 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
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.