

| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliara petiolata | ![]() | Jan Dale ~2000 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Another Nancy's Fancy | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1976 | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Any Which Way | ![]() | Alice M. Allen ~2016 | ![]() | 4 Couple Longways permutation: 2413 |
| Any Which Way ~ 3 Couple | ![]() | Alice M. Allen ~2016 | ![]() | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Bar-a-Bar | ![]() | John Young 1710 Fried de Metz Herman 1986 Playford Assembly | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Barbarini's Tambourine | ![]() | Walsh 1745 Jacqueline Schwab 1987 Playford Assembly | Colin Hume | Duple Minor |
| Barr a Barr | ![]() | John Young 1710 Fried de Metz Herman 1986 Playford Assembly | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Le Carillon D'Oxfort | ![]() | Feuillet 1706 Pat Shaw ~1964 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Dandelion in the Green | ![]() | Jenna Simpson 2024 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| The Female Saylor | ![]() | Feuillet 1706 Pat Shaw 1960 Playford Ball | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| The Female Saylor ~ Roe | ![]() | Feuillet 1706 Peggy Roe | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Foxfire | ![]() | Steve Sargent 2008 | Frank Hoppe | Duple Minor |
| Halsway Manners | ![]() | Mary Devlin 2001 | Frank Hoppe | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Hamburger Special | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1974 Marjorie Fennessy 1983 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Hamburger Special ~ Verbil | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1974 Lindsay Verbil 1983 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Heartland | ![]() | Orly Krasner 1999 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Henry's Hornpipe ~ revised | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2003 | MGM and Reunion | Duple Minor |
| Henry's Other Hornpipe | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2003 | MGM and Reunion | Duple Minor |
| Jack by the Hedge | ![]() | Jan Dale ~2000 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Jack's Health ~ Bolton | ![]() | John Playford 1679 Charles Bolton ~2004 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Jack's Health ~ Hume | ![]() | John Playford 1679 Colin Hume 2024 | Colin Hume | Duple Minor |
| Jack's Health ~ Morrison | ![]() | John Young 1721 James Morrison 1973 Playford Assembly | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Jack's Health ~ Neal | ![]() | John Young 1721 John & William Neal 1726 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Jack's Health ~ Pat Shaw | ![]() | John Young 1721 Pat Shaw ~1965 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| King's Maggot | ![]() | John Young 1718 Andrew Shaw 2017 | Dave Bartley, Ruthie Dornfeld and Terry Wergeland | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| The Lang Staff | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1976 | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Levi Jackson Rag | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1974 | ![]() | Custom |
| The Lissome Lass | ![]() | Sharon Green 2016 | Odd Sundays Garage Band | Duple Minor |
| Love's Triumph ~ Bentley | ![]() | John Young 1710 Bernard Bentley 1962 Playford Ball | Colin Hume | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Love's Triumph ~ Fried | ![]() | John Young 1710 Fried de Metz Herman ~1999 | Colin Hume | Triple Minor |
| Love's Triumph ~ Higgs | ![]() | John Young 1710 Scott Higgs 2019 | Colin Hume | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| The Maid's Last Wish ~ Cook | ![]() | Henry Playford 1695 Tom Cook (mod) 1979 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| The Maid's Last Wish ~ Playford Assembly | ![]() | Henry Playford 1695 Tom Cook (mod) 1979 Playford Assembly | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| La Matelotte | ![]() | Feuillet 1706 Pat Shaw 1960 Playford Ball | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| La Matelotte ~ Roe | ![]() | Feuillet 1706 Peggy Roe | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Mignonette | ![]() | Jan Dale ~2003 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Miss de Jersey's Memorial | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1971 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| The Molly Andrew | ![]() | Chris Sackett/Brooke Friendly 1998 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Moonflower | ![]() | Susan Kevra 2017 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Mount Hills | ![]() | Henry Playford 1701 Bernard Bentley 1965 | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Mount Hills ~ Playford Assembly | ![]() | Henry Playford 1701 Bernard Bentley (mod) 1965 Playford Assembly | Bare Necessities | Duple Minor |
| Mrs. Pomeroy's Pavane | ![]() | Charles Bolton 1986 | Bare Necessities | 3 Couple Longways |
| New York | ![]() | John Young 1718 Andrew Shaw 2017 | Dave Bartley, Ruthie Dornfeld and Terry Wergeland | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| A Night to Remember | ![]() | Jeff Spero 2025 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Le Palindrome | ![]() | Anonymous ~2022 | ![]() | Circle as many as will |
| Pluck Me a Fig | ![]() | Anna Rain 2011 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Reseda odorata | ![]() | Jan Dale ~2003 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Row Well, Ye Mariners ~ Bolton | ![]() | John Playford 1651 Charles Bolton 1992 Playford Assembly | Strong Roots Bare Necessities | Circle as many as will |
| The Royal Navy | ![]() | Henry Playford 1703 Andrew Shaw 2009 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Summersweet | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2023 | Anna Patton, Eric Martin, Karen Axelrod, and Kate Barnes | Duple Minor |
| Under the Influence | ![]() | Jenna Simpson 2013 | ![]() | 4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142 |
| The Unknown Buccaneer | ![]() | Sharon Green 2009 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dancing Across the Atlantic | ![]() | Loretta Holz 2005 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| The Leading Man | ![]() | Loretta Holz 2005 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | ![]() | Colin Hume 1991 | Masquerade | Duple Minor |
| Little Grey Cat | ![]() | Renée Camus 2023 | Choreograffiti Shira Kammen, Chip Prince, Christopher Jacoby, and Del Eckels | Duple Minor |
| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Astonished Archaeologist | ![]() | Philippe Callens 1992 | Bare Necessities | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| The Astonished Archeologist | ![]() | Philippe Callens 1992 | Bare Necessities | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| California Sunshine | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2018 | Cilantrio | Duple Minor |
| Emma Turns Three | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2003 | MGM, Reunion | Three Face Three |
| From Bud to Bloom | ![]() | Brooke Friendly/Chris Sackett 2024 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Love's Triumph ~ Callens | ![]() | John Young 1710 Philippe Callens 2004 | Colin Hume | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Love's Triumph ~ Hume | ![]() | John Young 1710 Colin Hume 2007 | Colin Hume | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Love's Triumph ~ Triple | ![]() | John Young 1710 Colin Hume 2007 | Colin Hume | Triple Minor |
| Sweet Cream | ![]() | Jenna Simpson 2011 | ![]() | Duple Minor |
| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As You Were | ![]() | Renée Camus 2020 | Colin Hume | 3 Couple Longways |
| Joan Transported | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1976 | Bare Necessities | Triple Minor |
| Quite Carr-ied Away | ![]() | Pat Shaw 1976 | Bare Necessities | Triple Minor |
| Whiskey Before Dinner | ![]() | Gary Roodman 2008 | Doug Creighton, Karen Axelrod, lydia ivans, Naomi Morse and Peter Barnes | Duple Minor |
| Dance Title | Type | Deviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date, Interpreter | Music Performers | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dream Catcher | ![]() | Eileen Orr 2001 | ![]() | Square |
| White Wheat | ![]() | Hazel Moir 2005 | Bare Necessities | 3 Couple Longways permutation: 231 |
| Number of dances | Number of versions | Number with music |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 61 | 31 |
Warning: The figures for each dance is generated programmatically by regular expression matching and may be in error. Also, for old dances, they reflect the figures used by the interpreter which may not match those of the deviser.
Also known as: Do-Si-Do, Do-Sa-Do, Docey-doe, Dos à Dos.
Bars: 4.
In a back to back you start facing the person you are doing the back to back with and you continue facing that same way throughout the figure. Do not turn around. You walk forward, passing the other person by the right shoulder, go a little further, cross behind their back, and then back up (passing left shoulders this time) until you are back where you started.
Left back to backs by themselves are rare but do happen. Mirror back to backs also pop up from time to time. In the example the 1s are doing a right back to back and the 2s are mirroring this and doing a left back to back at the same time. The call for this would be something like “Partner mirror back to back women in the middle at start”.
In 1651, Playford says in Cuckolds all a Row: goe about the Co. We. not turning your faces, which seems a reasonable description of the figure.
In the Lovelace MS's description of the same dance, things are not quite so clear: each man shall goe round about his owne woeman but it certainly could be describing a back to back. Neither says what the woman does, that's normal for this period. It could be just the man doing the figure, or both.
The first use of "back to back" for this figure may be in Mulberry Garden, Playford, 1670: Go back to back with your own wo. the 2. cu. doing the same.
In 1752, Nicholas Dukes defines back to back with Feuillet diagrams.
When this call was translated into French it became “dos à dos” and when that came back into English it was “do-si-do”.
In Western Square Dancing of the 1940s the term "do-si-do" was reserved for what I call "do-si", while "do-sa-do" meant the standard back to back figure.
This website is copyright © 2021-2026 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.