Up a double, Siding, Arming
Country Dances, Ancient and Modern

Hello Goodbye Setting

Also known as: Set to Corners and Partner.

An online definition may be found here.

Bars: 6,8.

Hello Good-bye Setting In this figure the 1s start back to back near 2nd place facing one of their corners, usually their first corners. They then perform one bar of setting to that corner, and on the next bar dance to 2nd place opposite side facing their partners. During this the 1st corners set back to them. Then the 1s set one bar to their partner, and use the next bar to dance to their second corner. They then set one bar to their 2nd corners, and on the next bar dance to the center line (either at top or bottom of the set) facing their partner, while the 2nd corner sets back.

Initially this was an eight bar figure and the final 2 bars were a petronella turn into home places, but may other ways of using those last two bars are also possible.

History

This figure was invented by the (R)SCDS for the dance Lady Susan Stewart's Reel (Book 5). The source of this dance has been lost, but I assume the figure is based on the old figure "set contrary corners" which does not have the 1s setting to their partners (other dances containing that figure were later given hello goodbye setting by the (R)SCDS).

Johnson, in his dance Highland Man kiss'd his Mother (which is not the same as the (R)SCDS dance of the same name) names a figure set contrary Corners and not turn but set Partners. It isn't clear to me exactly what this means, but it might be similar (the "and not turn" seems a reference to "set to and turn corners", I think Johnson was so used to this figure that if he only wanted people to set, he felt he needed to tell them not to turn). I don't think the (R)SCDS had access to Johnson in its early days, but maybe the figure pops up elsewhere.

Some dances which (probably) use this figure

See Also

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