The Tempest
The Tempest is a New England Contra Dance. It was devised by Washburn in 1855 and published in The Ball Room Manual, Belfast, Me. Found in Cracking Chestnuts. It is a Tempest dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.
This "Tempest" formation appears unique to contra-dance.
The earliest version (that I've found) of a dance named "Tempest" with four couples in the minor set was published in New York in 1851: Mr. Whale & Daughter published La Tempète, as danced at the Queen's Last Ball
This popular Dance is danced by any number of double couples standing as above at commencement. All begin together, — Advance and retire twice, — Partners together gallop across eight steps each way, — Advance and retire twice, — Hand four round in the centre, (as above) Sides the same turning with both hands, — Hands across, (as above) Sides the same, — Advance and retire once, — Go forward to dance with next vis a vis.
However, in Maine, by 1855 a rather different version of the dance appeared, again with 4 couples in the minor set but this time using a precursor of the tempest formation. Washburn's The Ball Room Manual
[In taking places for this dance the dancers form in two lines, facing each other, the lady on the same side as her partner at his right. There should be an even number of couples on each side.]
The first and second couple (the couple directly opposite) down the middle four abreast, and break to the right and left; the first couple right and left with the third, and the second couple the same with the fourth; first and thrid ladies chain, and second and fourth the same; then the first and second couple balance to each other, swing four. The same four dance together down the whole set
To get people into the formation for the dance have everyone line up as if for a four face four contra, and then have the couples facing up move out to the nearest side.
The progression requires the side couples to move up twice as far as they expect to do in a normal dance (otherwise the set drifts down and everyone is crushed together at the bottom of the hall.
When side couples reach the top they come together in a line facing down, when head couples reach the bottom they spread out to the sides facing in.
Contra has evolved and what this dance considers as half right and left through we would now say just right and left through.
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.
| A1 | 1-8 | Lines of four go down the hall, turn as a couple, come back, face nearest side couple |
| A2 | 1-4 | Circle four |
| 5-8 | ... and back | |
| B1 | 1-4 | Ladies chain |
| 5-8 | ... and back | |
| B2 | 1-3 | Half promenade (around small circles) |
| 4-8 | Half right and left through, actives move down as inactives move up |
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=TheTempest
The dance itself 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.