The Corporation
Country Dances, Ancient and Modern

Arming

Bars: 4.

Arming is very like a hand turn, except that you lock elbows, or grasp further up the forearm, or put the top of your hand under your partner’s elbow.

History

Arming appears in the Lovelace MS, and later in Playford’s Dancing Master. It died out early in the 18th century.

I’m told there is a picture of a couple arming while dancing with the top of the hand under partner’s elbow, but I don’t know where to find this picture, nor when it was painted.

Some dances which (probably) use this figure

See Also

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