The Corporation
My Interpretations

Arkansas Traveller Athol Brays Auld Lang Syne The Bath La Belle Anglaise La Belle Anglaise La Belle Frêne Blac Dans Black Dance Black Dance The Bleu Ribbon Blew Cap for Me Blue Bonnets over the Border Blue Breeches The Bonniest Lass in all the World Bonny Kate of Aberdeen Boys and Girls Come Out To Play, The New Way Ca' the Ewes Cadgers in the Canongate The Caledonian Rant Campbel's Frolick Campbel's Frolick Capt. MacBean's Reel Capt. MacBean's Reel Careless Sally The Carnival of Venice Cast a Bell The Cherping of the Lark The Cherping of the Nightingall - Lovelace Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #2 Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1 Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1 The Christmas Tale Circassian Circle Crief Fair The Crocked Horn'd Ewe Cromartie's Rant Cuckolds all a Row Culford Heath Camp Cumberland Reel Dainty Davy Ding Dong Bell The Disbanded Officer The Disbanded Officer Donald Bane The Doubtful Shepherd The Duchess's Slipper Dumbarton Drums Dunrobin Castle Ecossoise #2 Edinburgh Castle Epie McNabb Every Lad His Lass The Fair Emigrant Fairy Queen - Young The Festival Fiddle Faddle The Firr Tree The First of December The First of January The First of January The French Ambassador The French Ambassador French Four The Gates of Edinburgh George's Maggot #1 George's Maggot #2 George's Maggot #2 Glasgow Lasses The Gloucester - Chivers Gordian Knot - Saltator Grant's Rant Grant's Rant Grant's Reel Green Grow the Rushes O? Green Grow the Rushes O? The Guaracha Guardian Angels The Hamiltonian The Hamiltonian Hamstead Heath #2 Hamstead Heath #2 Hamstead Heath #2 Haste to the Wedding The Haughs of Cromdale Have at thy Coat, Old Woman He'll Aye Be Welcome Back Again Hooper's Jigg Hooper's Jigg Hunt the Squirrel The Infare The Isle of Skye Jack Pudding Jackey Tarr Jemmey's Fancy Jenny's Bawbee John Black's Daughter Keppel's Delight Keppoch's Rant Kiss Quick Mother's A'Coming The Knot L'Organiste Lady Baird's Reel Lady George Murray's Reel Lady George Murray's Reel Lady Harriet Hope's Reel Lady Jane Murray's Rant Lady Jean Murray's Dance Lady Lye near Me Lady Mary Douglas Lady McIntosh's Rant The Lady's Triumph Lamb Skinnet The Lasses of Dunse The Lassie in the Yellow Coatie Leister House Let Glasgow Flourish Linnen Hall Linnen Hall Lochiel's Rant Lord Dalkeith's Reel Lord Hume's Reel The Machine without Horses The Maid in the Mill Mall Peatly Marchioness of Blandford's Reel Margravine's Waltz The Marlborough - Playford Masquerade Royal Masquerade Royal Maxwill's Rant Maxwill's Rant Menzies Rant The Merry Haymakers The Milk-maid's Bob Millison's Jigg Miss Clemy Stewart's Reel - Williams Miss Devon's Reel Miss Dolland's Delight Miss Nancy Frowns The Monckton The Monckton Money in Both Pockets - Preston Montgomerie's Rant Mountain Hornpipe Mrs. Lt. Colonel Johnson's Reel Mrs. Wilson's Hornpipe Mungo's Delight Mungo's Delight My Only Joe & Deary O None So Pretty - Campbell None So Pretty - Wilson Nonesuch The Nut Off She Goes Old Dan Tucker An Old Man, a Bed Full of Bones Open the Door to Three - Menzies Paddy Whack Paston's Maggot Peace and Plenty Peggy's Love Pop Goes The Weasel Portland Fancy Pretty Nun The Princess 1721 Push about the Jorum Quiet and Snug Rachel Rae The Rainbow Rakish Highlandman The Reel of Glamis Roger de Coverley Roger of Coverly - Playford Roger of Coverly - Thompson The Scotch Ramble Scotland She's Over Young to Marry Yet Sicilian The Siege of Belgrade Siege of Buda The Silver Faulken Softly Robin Soldier Ladie A Soldier's Life Stock-Jobbers The Sword Dance, 1702 Tea for Two The Tempest The Thatch'd House There's Nae Luck About the House - Williams Thomas You Cannot A Trip to Aberdeen A Trip to Bengall A Trip to Pancridge A Trip to Pancridge The Triumph The Walton Well's Humour Well's Humour What a Beau Your Granny Was What You Please - Skillern What You Please - Skillern/Duple White Cockade - Saltator Willie with his Tartan Trews Ye Social Powers Young Roger - Playford The Young Widow - Fentum Zorinsky

Why are interpretations needed?

Playford (Young, Walsh, Thompson, etc.) did not write for modern readers, he wrote for his contemporaries and he used technical dance terms which made sense to them but whose meanings are lost in the mists of time to us.

What, for instance, does All Sides mean? When Cecil Sharp came across the term he had no idea. So he made a guess. Later he made a different guess. Is either one right? We have no idea. Dances work with either interpretation of the phrase, but what Restoration era dancers actually were dancing will remain a mystery.

Even worse than that Playford seems to have assumed that his readers just needed hints. In the dance Row Well Ye Mariners he describes the dance thusly:

Lead up a D. forwards and back · That again : First man two slips cross the Room one way, the woman the other · Back again to your places : Fall back both · Meet again : Clap both your own hands, then clap each other's right-hands against one another's; clap both your own hands again, then clap left-hands, then clap both hands again, then clap your breasts, then meet both your hands against one-another · The same again, only clap left-hands first :

First man sides with the next wo. and his wo. with the next man, doing the like till you come to your own places, the rest following and doing the same.

The dance consists of two 16 bar parts. The first is well defined, but for the second we have only that people should "side" (whatever that is) with their neighbors and then (somehow) progress. Now siding is a move which takes 4 bars and leaves one where one started. It does not progress and it leaves 12 bars of music unaccounted for.

So anyone attempting to interpret this dance will have to make up 12 bars of filler including some sort of progression.

Playford does not seem to have employed a proof reader. He makes errors. Some of his descriptions simply don't make sense. If you follow his directions you end in the wrong place, or get there too late, or too early. Sometimes someone will look at what seems like nonsense and realize that there is a valid interpretation we just haven't understood it, but frequently Playford is just wrong and the interpreter must figure out what to throw out and what to retain and what to change.

Why do I make interpretations?

Colin Hume points out that there are thousands of uninterpreted dances from the past and most aren't worth dancing.

I do not claim to be a particularly good interpreter, and it is perhaps presumptuous to try. So feel free to ignore this page and go on to better things.

I have chosen to interpret dances for several reasons:

I should add that, as I write, none of these interpretations has actually been danced by a living person (I am doing this during COVID). The fact that I can animate the dance is no proof that a person could actually dance it, nor that they would want to.

Copyrights and such

The originals for these dances are out of copyright. My interpretations are under copyright, but I release them under a Creative Commons License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which means that you are free to use them, but should mention my name if you do so.


Athol Brays ~ Williams

Athol Brays ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1731 in The Compleat Country Dancing Master vol 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Walsh writes:

The 1st Cu. foots it and cast off The 1st Cu. foots it again, 1st Man casts down and the 1st Wo. cast up The 1st Man Heys with the 2d and 3d Wo. 1st Wo. Heys at the same Time with the 2d and 3d Men First Man Heys with the 2d and 3d Men, 1st Wo at the same Time Heys with the 2d and 3d We. The 1st Man foots it with the 3d Wo. and turns her, the 1st Wo. does the same at the same Time with the 2d Man Then the 1st Man foots it with the 2d Wo. and turns her, the 1st Wo. does the same at the same Time with the 3d Man The 1st Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d Men, and turn in the 2d Cu. Place Then the 1st Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d We. and turn in the 2d Cu. Place.

The music consists of four 4 bar strains, each repeated.

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.


Auld Lang Syne ~ Williams

Auld Lang Syne ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Wilson spells the title "Auld Langsyne".

Wilson writes (page 113):
SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
The 3 ladies join hands & the 3 gent: join hands set & lead thro' set & back again set & change places with the 2d. Cu: set & allemande
OR THUS Set & half right & left with 2d. Cu: set & back again & whole poussette
DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' with repeats)
Cross over 2 Cu: set half figure on your own sides allemande at top whole poussette set contrary corners

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, I am following the DOUBLE FIGURE.

The music is two 4 bar strains. Wilson says each is repeated, and then the whole tune repeated. The description of the dance has 4 phrase markers with two dots under them ( ) which Wilson uses to mean two repetitions of that strain (see page x).

Unfortunately the music I have is played at 4 counts per bar rather than the intended two so I am rearranged things so that each phrase marker represents one time through the strain.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Cross over 2 Cu: may be found on page 22 and means "cross go below 2s, cross again, go below 3s".
half figure on your own sides may be found on page 67 and means "weave around the dancers on your own side, move between the couple above, then outside the next couple, finishing at top." Wilson does not make it clear whether the active dancers pass by right or left. The modern convention seems to be by right on the first cross, left on the second.
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean a gypsy (or perhaps a back-to-back). This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
poussette may be found on page 53 and means "top two couples join hands with partner, circle, counter-clockwise, one and a half times around the other couple to change places with them.
set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back, but I expect modern dancers would want to.

The tune is a traditional one, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

The animation plays at 113 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


The Bath

The Bath is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars. It is in the key: G Major.

Playford writes:

Lead up all forwards and back, set and turn S. That again First cu. back a D. slip into the 2. place on the outside, hands all four, and go round Do thus to the last.
Sides all, set and turn S. That again The first four meet and cross over, go half round to the right hand into each others places ·: Do thus to the last.
Arms all, set and turn S. That again The two first men meet and change places, the we. as much, then the second slip down and the first up, then the first down and the second up ·: Do thus to the last.

In Playford's day each of these sub-dances would run until everyone was back in their original place. I shall simply do them in succession.

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.


Black Dance ~ Rutherford

Black Dance ~ Rutherford is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Rutherford in 1772 in Twelve Selected Country Dances for the Year 1772, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Rutherford writes:

Turn right hands and then left lead your Partner down and bring up the third Wo. then the first and third Cu. turn right hands & then left lead the third Wo. down and your Partner up & cast off.

While Straight & Skillern (and Bride, and Longman & Broderip) published a different figure.

Straight & Skillernwrite:

1st. & 2d. hands across half round the same back again 1st. Man leads his Part: down the middle & brings up the 3d. Wo. & leaves his Part: in her place then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left & the 1st. Man lead the 3d. Wo. down to her own place & bring his Part: up to the top & cast off into the 2d. Cus. place

This dance even crossed the Channel and Landrin published it in Recueil Danglaise: Arrangees Avec Leurs Traits Telle Quel Se Danse che' la REINE. Most things change as they cross that water, and this was no exception:

Landrin writes:

  1. Lors que l'air Commance, le premie Cus. Croisse les mains avec sa dames, il décende d'un Couple, dans le millieu
  2. Le Cus. en quittant sa dames, Croisse les mains avec la 3me. dame remonte a sa place, et de suite la remênent a la siene
  3. il reprend sa dames, et vient faire un rond de 4 entier, avec Ceux qui sont remontré a sa place et il se trouve - avoir gagnez une place

L'on Continue la même Figures alternative

Or, as I translate it...

  1. 1st couple cross
    turn partner
    lead down
  2. 1st man leaves his partner
    Takes a crossed hand hold with 3rd woman and leads her up 1st place
  3. 1st man gets his partner back (how?)
    and makes a circle with those who went to the top (the 3s?), a full circle
    and gain a place

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.


Black Dance ~ Straight and Skillern

Black Dance ~ Straight and Skillern is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Straight and Skillern in 1775. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Straight & Skillernwrite:

1st. & 2d. hands across half round the same back again 1st. Man leads his Part: down the middle & brings up the 3d. Wo. & leaves his Part: in her place then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left & the 1st. Man lead the 3d. Wo. down to her own place & bring his Part: up to the top & cast off into the 2d. Cus. place

I'm not sure what to make of then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left. What does "turning with right hands behind" mean? Perhaps it's an allemande?

While Rutherford (and Thompson) published a different figure.

Turn right hands and then left lead your Partner down and bring up the third Wo. then the first and third Cu. turn right hands & then left lead the third Wo. down and your Partner up & cast off.

This dance even crossed the Channel and Landrin published it in Recueil Danglaise: Arrangees Avec Leurs Traits Telle Quel Se Danse che' la REINE. Most things change as they cross, and this was no exception:

Landrin writes:

  1. Lors que l'air Commance, le premie Cus. Croisse les mains avec sa dames, il décende d'un Couple, dans le millieu
  2. Le Cus. en quittant sa dames, Croisse les mains avec la 3me. dame remonte a sa place, et de suite la remênent a la siene
  3. il reprend sa dames, et vient faire un rond de 4 entier, avec Ceux qui sont remontré a sa place et il se trouve - avoir gagnez une place

L'on Continue la même Figures alternative

Or, as I translate it...

  1. 1st couple cross
    turn partner
    lead down
  2. 1st man leaves his partner
    Takes a crossed hand hold with 3rd woman and leads her up 1st place
  3. 1st man gets his partner back (how?)
    and makes a circle with those who went to the top (the 3s?), a full circle
    and gain a place

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.


The Bleu Ribbon ~ Williams

The Bleu Ribbon ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

1st man goes figure eight round the 2d man & the 3d woman the 1st woman does the same round the 2d woman & 3d man then the 1st pair leads forward to the 2d pair then leads up & casts off, then does the same below and casts up; then the 1st woman goes round the 2d man & turns her partner, who was doing the same round the 3rd woman then she goes round the 2d woman then the 1st pair leads out att the sides

Do the figure eights happen at the same time? If they do, then the dance takes a normal 32 bars. But the text doesn't say so, and the register often adds "at the same time". On the other hand it doesn't use the conjunction "then" as it often does. Finally, I just think it's more interesting for both to go at once. So I'll do that.

Then the there is the fact that the description mentions the 2s first and the 3s second for the figure eights. But if you start the figure eight looping the 2s you're stuck, you can't easily come back and loop the opposite 3. So here I'm going to follow the RSCDS and assume the figure eights should go round the 3s first and then the 2s.

After the 1s do their figure eights, they lead down toward the 2s, turn, lead up and cast down. Then they lead down toward the 3s, turn, lead up and cast up. This leaves them back at the top.

But the next section, where W1 goes arund M2 and M1 around W3 seems to expect the 1s to be in the middle. So I'm going to change that cast up to a cast back to 2nd place.

Is it possible that the progression happens in the figure eights? But then the 1s would not be "leading up" after going forward to the 2s.

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.


Blew Cap for Me

Blue Cap for Me

Blew Cap

Blew Cap for Me or Blue Cap for Me is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: F Major.

The name is spelled variously: "Blew Cap", "Blew Cap for me", "Blew Clap for me" and "Blue-Cap for me".

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forwards and back That again First man set to his own, the last man to his own, the 2. man salute his own, and turn her That again, the last man beginning

Sides all That again First man set to his wo. the 2. man as much, 3. man salute his own, and turn her That again, the last man beginning

Arms all That again First man and last wo. change places, first wo. and last man change places, middle man salute, and turn his own All this again, to your places

Sharp usually turns a "salute" into an "honour", but the Lovelace Manuscript uses salute where Playford says "kiss", which, I suppose is a form of saluting.

In this dance the women do nothing. I have changed it so that when a men sets to a woman, she sets back.

In parts 1&2, B2 Playford says "That again, the last man beginning". Now this could mean start with man 3, or it could mean start with the last man who did something and produce a mirror image of the dance.

I have choosen the latter approach because it is has a more consistent effect in both parts.

I have also reversed B2 of part 3 even though Playford does not say so, again to be consistent.

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


Blue Breeches

I'le love no more

I Loved Thee once, I Love no More/Blew Breeches

Blue Breeches or I'le love no more is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1652 in The Dancing Master, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 216 bars. It is in the key: D Minor.

Playford writes:

Lead up all forwards and back That again Men turn S. we. as much, men go about your we. to your places We. turn S. men turn S. we go about your men and to your places

Sides all That again First man set to the 2. wo. and fall back, while your wo. turns the 2. man, as much to the 3. as much to the 4. turn your own below

Arms all That again First cu. being below take both hands, slip up between the 4. cu. cross and turn each one of them with your right hands; as much to the 3. as much with the 2. turn your own above

Playford says the dance is Longways for as many as will., but the instructions indicate a 4 couple dance with the 1s active, so we just assume he made a mistake. Or perhaps Playford meant that if you had more than 4 couples you'd play the B part a third time? That would make parts 2 and 3 longer than part 1... so probably not.

It's a standard USA dance in three parts.

The first part is fairly straight forward, everyone interacts with their own partner and no one else.

Now the second part is confusing. The 1s must move down the set because they end at the bottom.

I'm going to call the movement from one couple to the next a mini-progression. Presumably each mini-progression takes 4 bars. (that gives us a standard AABB tune)

But how do they get there? If M1 set to the 2. wo. and fall back you'd assume he'd end where he started. And how can W1 be turning M2 at the same time? If they are proper they both need to be in the middle of the minor set.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that the 1s somehow become improper. Do they start improper? In the few early Playford dances which are improper the 1s cross over the first time through the dance (see A Soldier's Life from 1651). So I'm going to assume they don't start improper.

Do they go back to being proper at the end of the mini-progression? I don't think there is time. Perhaps they alternate between proper and improper? I find the idea attractive, but I doubt it is what Playford did. I'm guessing that the first mini-progression is different than the others.

Hmm. Could the 1s become improper in the siding? (while everyone else does a normal side) That would break the symmetry of the dance, so I doubt it.

Let's look at W1, she might be easier. She has to: (cross the set), turn M2 and progress. Presumably she only turns him halfway, which takes 2 bars and progresses leaving her 2 bars to cross the set.

M1 has to: (cross the set), set, fall back and progress, which looks like 8 bars. Suppose M1 has his back to W2, then "fall back" and progress could be the same move.

For the third part... Again we have 4 bars for each mini-progression. Playford says slip up between the 4. cu. cross and turn each one of them with your right hands. At least this time he indicates that the 1s do become improper, which is consoling. But we have three things: "slip up", "cross", and "turn" each of which takes at least 2 bars. Perhaps the cross happens the first time and the slip the next two?


This dance is only for the 1s, but there is no progression so no way for other couples to dance. However if you do the second part four times and the third part four then everyone gets a chance. It isn't what Playford described though.

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


The Bonniest Lass in all the World ~ Thompson

The Bonniest Lass in all the World ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. Foot it and turn then Foot it sides and turn then lead down two Cu. cast up one and Foot it and Right hands and Left at top The 1st. Man hands 3 round with the 3rd. Cu. and the 1st. Wo. hands 3 round with the 2nd. Cu. then the Man hands round with the 2nd. Cu. and the Wo. with the 3rd. Cu. lead out sides and turn

The music consists of 2 eight bar strains, both repeated, but we need 6 strains of music. I don't know if it is better to have AAABBB, ABABAB or AABBAB or what.

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.


Bonny Kate of Aberdeen ~ Williams

Bonny Kate of Aberdeen ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1771 in 24 Country Dances for the Year 1771, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

Hey contrary sides Hey your own sides cross over 2 Cu. Lead up the middle and cast off Hands 6 round and right and left at Top

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.


Boys and Girls Come Out To Play, The New Way

Boys and Girls Come Out To Play, The New Way is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 20 bars. It is in the key: B# Major.

Playford (John Young) writes:

Note: The first Strain must be play'd twice, the second three times.

The first Man turn off, and go out a little sideways, beckning his Partner, she turns herself into his place The second Woman turn up, going a little sideways, and beckons her Partner, he turning himself between the two Women, making a row with the first Man and Woman, take all Hands, the first Man leading them round; the third couple falling into their right places ·: The first Couple clap Hands and cast off ·:

The music is a jig with two four bar strains. Playford's marks are not as helpful as one might wish.

The first strain mark is after the first couple positions themselves, so presumably the second couple's positioning takes as long. The 2 more strains to circle around the 3s, and a final strain for the clap hands and cast.

The 1s and 2s form a line, that is clear. M2 is between the women. Presumable corners mirror each other, so W1 is between the men, giving us M1 W1 M2 W2 in order.

Now does the line run up and down, or across? Leading around the 3s and coming back to place is easier if the line is across so let's assume that.

I think in this context The first Man turn off means the same as "cast off".

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.


Ca' the Ewes ~ Williams

Ca' the Ewes ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes (page 113):
SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: set & back again
whole poussette
DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' with repeats)
Set & change places with 2d. Cu: allemande
swing corners
set contrary corners
& the double triangle
OR THUS Cast off 2 Cu: & back again
swing with right hands round 2 Cu:
half figure up to the top allemande
lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, I am following the second DOUBLE FIGURE.

The music is two 4 bar strains, each repeated, and then the whole tune repeated.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Cast off 2 Cu: (& back again) is defined on pages 8-9 and means: "active couple cast down, go outside the set, passing two other couples, then turn away from each other to face up, and return to places."
swing with right hands round 2 Cu: this is defined on pages 104-105: "Right turn half, using the momentum to loop round your partner's place, then cross the set and loop around the same sex person in the couple below. This leaves you on the same side but having moved down 1 couple. Then you repeat the process, going down one more couple." Wilson does not specify whether the crosses are by the right or left shoulder, or whether the gentleman waits for the lady to cross first.
half figure up to the top, is, I think, what Wilson calls "Half figure eight on your own sides" on page 67 and means: "weave up through the two couples above, inside the closest, outside the next ending home."
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean a gypsy (or perhaps a back-to-back). This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
right and left may be found on pages 39-44 and does not mean what I expect, instead: "2nd corners change by left shoulders, 1st corners right, 2nd corners change back by left, 1st corners by right."

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.


Cadgers in the Canongate ~ Williams

Cadgers in the Conongate ~ Williams

Cadgers in the Canongate ~ Williams or Cadgers in the Conongate ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1760 in Country Dances Selected, Part 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

Walsh writes:

First Cu. hey contrary sides then on your own sides the 1st Cu. foot it to the 2d Wo. and turn her the same to the 2d Man the 1st and 2d Cu. foot it and Right hands across Foot it and Left hands across back again cross over one Cu. and turn Right and Left at top

The music is in cut time with two 4 bar strains and a 2 bar strain. But the firgures seem to be in standard 8 bar chunks. Ignoring the music, the figures seem fairly standard.

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Walsh spells "Canongate" as "Conongate".

Cannongate is a major street in historic Edinburgh (gate=street), and a "cadger" is a carter who brings produce to market.

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.


The Caledonian Rant ~ Williams

The Caledonian Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson, on page 101, writes:

SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Swing with right hands round the 2d. Cu: allemande lead thro the bottom & right & left with the top Cu

OR THUS Lead thro the 2d. Cu. lead down the middle & up again turn your partner & half poussette with the top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE Tune played twice thro with repeats
Cross over 1 Cu: half figure round the 3d. Cu: cross up 1 Cu: half figure round the top Cu: chase round the 3d. Cu: lead thro the top Cu: foot corners with the bottom Cu: & hands 4 round with the top Cu:

This is an interpretation of the DOUBLE FIGURE. The music is two 4 bar strains. The strain marks suggest to me that the music should be played ABABABAB, while the text suggests AABBAABB. The figures suggest that each bar has two beats, not four.

Wilson has the 1s cross and cast up, and then says half figure round the top Cu:. But the 1s have cast up and are the top couple. Presumably he means the 2s, even though they are below the 1s. Should the 2s move down when the 1s cast up? They just led up. And they if they do move down they will need to lead up again soon.

What is meant by chase round the 3d. Cu:? Wilson, on pages 61,62 of his An Analysis of Country Dancing defines "chace", but not "chase". From the context I think the chase needs to take the 1s from the top and leave them below the 3s ready to lead up.

Except that leaves them improper, with nothing to get them back proper. So perhaps the chase continues and crosses below the 3s, looping around M3 to just the middle above the 3s, ready to lead up.

I assume the lead thro the top Cu: has an implied cast after it, otherwise the 1s are in no position to foot with the bottom couple in the next figure.

Wilson defines foot corners on page 75 of An Analysis of Country Dancing as the four dancers move to the center and foot together. He does not say so but presumably they must return to places.

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.


Campbel's Frolick ~ Duple

Campbel's Frolick ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1751 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 6th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Johnson published this in his 6th volume of Country Dances (1751), and Rutherford publishes essentially the same figure in 1756.

Rutherford writes:
Foot it all 4 and Hands across & cast off The same with the 3d. Cu. Lead up to the Top foot it & cast off Hands round all 6 & turn your Partner

Modern dances would probably prefer this as a duple minor.

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.


Campbel's Frolick ~ Williams

Campbell's Frolic ~ Williams

Campbel's Frolick ~ Williams or Campbell's Frolic ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1751 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 6th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Johnson published this in his 6th volume of Country Dances (1751), and Rutherford publishes essentially the same figure in 1756.

Rutherford writes:
Foot it all 4 and Hands across & cast off The same with the 3d. Cu. Lead up to the Top foot it & cast off Hands round all 6 & turn your Partner

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.


Capt. MacBean's Reel ~ Duple

Capt. MacBean's Reel ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. half figure down on their own sides and turn the same up again and turn Gallop down and up and cast off Right hands and Left

The half figure eights could be turned into half heys.

Mirror half figure eights where the 1s start inward are more natural than parallel ones.

The only role of the 3s is to act as posts for the half figure eights, the dance could easily become a duple minor.

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.


Capt. MacBean's Reel ~ Thompson

Capt. MacBean's Reel ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. half figure down on their own sides and turn the same up again and turn Gallop down and up and cast off Right hands and Left

The half figure eights could be turned into half heys.

Mirror half figure eights where the 1s start inward are more natural than parallel ones.

The only role of the 3s is to act as posts for the half figure eights, the dance could easily become a duple minor.

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.


Careless Sally ~ Thompson

Careless Sally ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1785 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol 5, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Thompson writes:

Turn your Partner with your right hand and cast off Turn left hands and cast off another Cu: Lead up to the top and cast off Right and Left

The music consists of two 4 bar strains, both repeated. It may be intended to be played with four counts per bar, or it may be that the turns are just fast.

Note that the US version of the dance has two 8bar strains.

The 3s do nothing but act as posts. The dance Calais Sally is a duple minor version.

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.


The Carnival of Venice ~ Old Style Progression

The Carnival of Venice ~ Old Style Progression is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1821 and published in The Dancer's Guide, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a Three Face Three dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

When I learned to Contra Dance, and later when I learned English Country Dancing, the whole set would begin dancing at once. But that's not how Playford expected people to dance. In his day only the top two couples of a duple minor set (three for a triple minor, of course) would start. After they had danced once the top couple would go down to the next couple(s) below and dance with them. No one started until the top couple reached them.

When the original top couple reached the bottom they would start up the set as 2s. When they reached the top they would stop. But the dance would not. Now the top couple would wait, and the dance would end when each couple had reached its original place. (if there are n couples then this takes 3*n-3 repetitions of the dance in a duple minor, and 4*n-4 in a triple minor).

In part this was because the top couple would choose the dance, and would teach it to each couple below by dancing it with them. They did not have walk-throughs beforehand to teach the dance.

There is still a vestige of this style of dancing in Scottish Country's 2 couple dance in a 4 couple set, where only the top two couples dance the first time through.

Unfortunately, Playford never says this specifically, he just assumed everyone knew, however if you read his directions they make more sense if they are directed only to the top two (or three) couples rather than the entire set. Here's an example that I was working on last week so it is fresh in my mind, but there are others: "The first Cu. turns single, then lead down thro' the 2d Cu. and cast up again · The 2d Cu. do the same : Then the three first Cu. go the Hey · The first Cu. cast off and turn Hands ··" from "Masquerade Royal", John Young (Playford's son in law), 1718: Now, why say "the three first Cu." when you mean "all the couples" unless those first three were the only ones dancing at the start?

The first indisputable evidence I can give comes from "The Dancer's Guide", London, Chivers, 1821: In his description of an improper duple minor (Ecossoises, page 45), he has a diagram of the initial layout of the dance and only the top couple is improper, all the others are proper. This only works if the top foursome is the only one active at the start. He says: "Any number of persons can join, observing that the first couple exchange places (each couple doing the same as they regain the top), and when they get to the bottom, they take their own sides"

The first evidence I have found for the modern way of starting is in The Complete Ball-Room Hand-Book, Elias Howe, Boston, 1858 says In forming for Contra Dances, let there be space enough between the ladies' and gentlemen's lines to pass down and up the centre. It is usual for those at the foot of the set to wait until the first couple has passed down, and they have arrived at the head of the set; but there is no good reason why they should so wait, as every fourth couple should commence with the first couple. In other words he is saying that traditional dancers would only begin with the top couple, but there is no reason why the whole line couldn't start at once.

Finally we come to Cecil Sharp and his description of a minor-set dance in The Country Dance Book, Part 1 (1909):

The top minor-set, headed by the leading couple, opens the dance by performing the complete figure, the rest of the couples being neutral. This results in the exchange of positions between the leading and second couple.

The second round is now danced by the minor-set composed of the second and third couples, of which the second one is the leading couple. The rest of the dancers, including the top one, remain neutral. This brings the leading couple down to third place from the top of the General Set.

In the third round two minor-sets will now participate, namely those consisting, respectively, of the two couples at the top (the second and third of the original set), and of the the third and fourth couples (originally the first and fourth).

However, at the end of the section Sharp adds the comment:

Expert dancers will sometimes constitute themselves into minor-sets for the performance of the first round, and thus avoid the gradual and somewhat tedious opening as above described; that is to say, they will omit the first six rounds in our first illustration and begin with the seventh round.

As far as I can tell, later parts of the The Country Dance Book omit this entirely. So perhaps Sharp changed his mind. And that may mark where this style of starting a dance was lost.


Chivers writes:

Advance and retire in two lines — set and pass under the arm — hands three your own lines — back again — hey your own sides The two lines lead round and exchange places (four parts or thirty-two bars) this figure can be dance by an equal number of ladies and gentlemen or a majority of either.

N.B. This (—) denotes four bars, and this ( ) eight bars.

Chivers uses terms I am unfamiliar with, he says he explains them in another publication, but unfortunately I do not have a copy of it. So here are my guesses...

I am not entirely sure what Chivers means by set and pass under the arm. I assume it is something like "right hand high, left hand low" where a line of three abreast changes direction and the end people change sides. The way I learned to do it leaves everyone facing the wrong way but that rotation isn't necessary.

Nor am I sure what he means by The two lines lead round and exchange places. My best guess is that the two lines take hands on the side (but not across) and the leftmost dancer, leading the others, circle halfway round the set. They are facing the wrong way, so I expect exchange places means something like "wheel around" to face the next trio.

I call this type of dance "three face three" or "trios", Chivers calls it a "Swedish Dance".

He points out that a duple minor dance demands an equal number of ladies and gentlemen but this style of dance may be used when one sex is in the majority - the sex in the majority taking the two outside positions while the one in the minority takes the center. In the case of equal numbers then the lines should alternate: so a line with a woman in the center will be followed by a line with a man in the center.

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.


Cast a Bell

Cast a Bell is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: D Major.

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forward and back, set and turn S That again First cu. change places, set and turn S. First man lead you own and the 2. wo. forward and back, bring the 2. wo. under your arms, leave her and turn your own Do thus to the last, the rest following and doing the like

Sides all, set and turn S That again First cu. change places, set and turn S. First cu. meet the 2. cu. lead each other's wo. to each Wall, meet your own and turn them, Do thus to the last, the rest following.

Arms all, set and turn S That again First cu. take both hands, slip down between the 2. cu. cross and turn each one of them with your right-hands, fall to your own side in the 2. place Do thus to the last, the rest following.

This dance has three sections each of which is divided into a standard introduction and a progressive sequence. Presumably in Playford's day each introduction was done once, then its figure was done until all dancers we back in their original places, then then next introduction once followed by its figure many times, and the last introduction, with its figure done many times. In my animation I only show each figure twice.

The introductions are the standard up a double/siding/arming with some sets and turn single added for good measure. No difficulty in understanding Playford here.

The first figure is pretty clear too. The only thing I've added to Playford is having the line of three be on the diagonal. Playford doesn't specify. I suppose it could form facing down the set - that would be a little awkward for W2 but it could be done. I prefer having the forward and back being directed at M2 rather than the bottom of the hall.

The partner change has 8 counts which is rather a lot for just crossing the set. I've turned it into a "cross the set and loop right".

The second figure doesn't specify how progression happens. I suppose you could have the couples two hand turning around each other, but I think it makes more sense for. Playford doesn't say "fall back" after the lead out, only "meet your own". "Meet your own" usually involves going forward to meet, so I'm going to assume there is an implied "turn as a couple" after "lead each other's wo. to each Wall". That progresses and leaves you facing your partner, ready to "meet" them.

In the third figure First cu. ... slip down between the 2. cu. cross and turn each one of them with your right hands. I was initially a little confused by "with your right hands" - if you are doing a mirror image, as is usually the case, then surely one couple will use left hands? But then I realized that if the 1s cross when they are between the 2s, then they will pass right shoulder. They can just continue on and they will be right shoulder to the 2s. Not a mirror image, but a 180 degree rotation.

Hmm. Should the 2s slip up outside when the 1s slip down inside, so they meet in the middle? I think not in this case.

There are 32 counts of music in each part. But the third part only has about 20 counts of movement: slip down: 4, cross: 4, turn: 8, fall back: 4. Scott Pfitzinger throws in having the 1s left turn partner as part of the fall back. That would be awkward the way I envision things.

Playford says slip down between the 2. cu. cross and turn each one of them with your right-hands. My first thought was that each 1 would turn a 2. But perhaps he means that both 1s should sequentially turn both 2s.


The image shows the interior of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, a company which cast bells from 1570 until 2017. They might be what Playford had in mind...

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.


The Cherping of the Lark

The Chirping of the Lark

The Cherping of the Lark or The Chirping of the Lark is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the men are permuted by: 1234 and the women by: 4123. It is a mixer. The minor set lasts 32 bars. It is in the key: F Major - D Minor.

The name is spelled variously: "The Cherping of the Lark", "Chirping of the Lark", "The Chirping of the Larke" and "Chirping of the Larke".

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forwards and back That again Set and turn S. That again

First man sides with your own wo. sides with the Co. Turn the third wo. Bring up the last

Lead up as at the first time As at the first time

This as the second time As second time

Lead up as at the first time As at the first time

This as the second time As second time

Lead up as at the first time As at the first time

This as the second time As second time

Playford shows this as an eight part dance, but it's really just a 32 bar dance repeated four times.

I presume that "Bring up the last" means the bottom woman is brought to the top as the other women shift down. In other words, the women progress, but the men do not. Indeed the other men do absolutely nothing, except the up a double.

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.


The Cherping of the Nightingall - Lovelace

The Chirping of the Nightingale - Lovelace

The Cherping of the Nightingall - Lovelace or The Chirping of the Nightingale - Lovelace is an English Country Dance. It was found in the Lovelace Manuscript (written somewhere around the 1640s) . It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. It is a mixer. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

There is a Playford dance with this name (ignoring differences in spelling) but it has a completely different figure — for one thing it starts in a circle for as many as will, while Lovelace implies a longways set for either 3 or 4 couples.

Lovelace writes:

Leade up twice, and sett twice, then all the rest standing still the first man doesh set to his owne woman, and then turneth the third, and then the 4: and if there be but six, then having sett to the 2 first woemen, he shall turne the third, and leade her up softly to top, & there turne her agayne, and then leade up againe, but if 8 as above sayd, he shall leade up the 4th woman as fast as he can and then leade up agayne, and sett 2 times, and soe sett to the 2 first, and turne the other, or to the 2 last if there be 4: and that soe oft till he comes to his place againe, and then leade of, and the rest may doe the like if they please

Leade up twice, and sett twice Pretty standard introductory sequence: Up a double, and back, set and turn single, and set and turn single again.

I've decided to display a 3 couple set, so I shall ignore the instructions for a 4 couple set. It looks as though M1 sets to his partner and then to W2, and then he turns W3. All pretty clear (once the 4 couple stuff is removed).

Then he leads W3 up to the top and turns her again.

What does it mean and then leade up againe? I suspect that means the minor set has ended and we start on another repetition beginning with up a double/set and turn single.

I think this means that the original W3 is now in W1's place, and I guess that means the other two women each moved down one place.

I think M1 is still in his original place, yet, when describing the progression, Lovelace says and that soe oft till he comes to his place againe which implies that he has moved somewhere. But I don't see how the dance can work if the active man is not in 1st place... And M1 does not stop being active until "he comes to his place againe".

So instead I shall assume that what is meant is that M1 does this same little dance until W1 comes into her place again, and then he casts down to the bottom and the dance continues with M2 in the first place.

That's probably not what Lovelace intended, but is the best I can come up with.

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.


Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #2

Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #2 is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in The Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

Half figure of your own sides and lead up to the top hands across and back again , down the middle, up again, allemande , set three across, and three in you places .

According to Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing", 1808 a "half figure of your own sides" is like half a mirror hey, with only the 1s moving. The 1s lead through the 2s, go outside the 3s and meet below them at the bottom of the set.

Sadly Wilson does not describe "down the middle, up again" which is where I think the progression happens.

Wilson's description of "Allemade" sounds very like a gypsy: The Lady at A, and Gentleman at B, bass round each other, the Lady in the circle C, and the Gentleman in the circle D, returning to their situations a A B. Wilson usually mentions which hand to take when hands are taken, so I assume that here no hands are taken as there is not such mention.

Wilson does not provide music for this dance, and I don't think Playford's music works.

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.


Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1

Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1 is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in The Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

Hands across and back again cast off two couple, up again , down the middle, up again, foot to the top couple , and swing corners .

According to Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing", 1808, (page 33) "Swing Corners" means "the 1s right turn, then they left turn 1s corners, then right turn, then left turn 2nd corners, and return to progressed places". Basically, "Contra Corners".

Wilson does not provide music for this dance, and I don't think Playford's music works.

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.


Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1 ~ Duple

Cheshire Rounds - Wilson #1 ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in The Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

Hands across and back again cast off two couple, up again , down the middle, up again, foot to the top couple , and swing corners .

According to Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing", 1808, (page 33) "Swing Corners" means "the 1s right turn, then they left turn 1s corners, then right turn, then left turn 2nd corners, and return to progressed places". Basically, "Contra Corners".

The 3s do nothing until the contra-corners, and contra corners fits nicely into a duple minor set. So this is the duple minor version of the dance.

Wilson does not provide music for this dance, and I don't think Playford's music works.

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.


The Christmas Tale

The Christmas Tale is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1778, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thmmpson writes:

First Gent: turn his Partner with his Right hand Then left lead down two Cu. up again & cast off Allemand with your Partner lead thr'o the bottom and Cast up lead thr'o the top & cast off

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.


Crief Fair ~ Williams

Crief Fair ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Wilson writes (on page 76):

SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again allemande & set contrary corners

OR THUS The 1st. Lady lead down the 2d. gent: the 1t. gent: lead down the 2d Lady lead your partner down the middle up again & right & left with top Cu: & the double triangle

The music consists of three 4 bar strains. I assume the music should be played at 2 beats per bar and that " " indicates two repetitions of each strain.

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, this is an attempt to understand the first figure he describes.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: may be found on pages 26-27 and means: set to neighbor, and change sides with partner (ladies between the men), set to neighbor again, and change back (ladies between men). Wilson does not say that hands should be taken.
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean a gypsy (or perhaps a back-to-back). This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back, but I expect modern dancers would want to.

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.


The Crocked Horn'd Ewe ~ Williams

The Crocked Horn'd Ewe ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1758 in Twenty Four Country Dances of the Year 1758, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford spells this dance as "The Crocked Horn'd Ewe".

Rutherford writes:
The first Cu. Lead thro the 2d. Cu. & cross over into ye. 3d. Cu.s Place The 2d. does the same The 3d. Cu. casts off into their own Place, then the 3 Men turns their Partners & the first Cu. cross over two Cu. Lead up to the Top foot it & cast off Lead thro ye. 3d. Cu. cast up into ye. 2d. Cu.s Place & turn your Partner

I do not see how there is time for the 1s to lead up from below the 3s to the top, set, and then cast down. So I'm leaving out the setting.

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.


Cromartie's Rant ~ Williams

Cromartie's Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Wilson writes (on page 70):

SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
The 1st. lady lead down the 2d gent. the 1t. gent. lead down 2d. lady lead your partner down the middle & up again & set to the top Cu:

OR THUSSet & change sides with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & allemande

DOUBLE FIGURE Tune played twice thro with repeats
Hey contrary sides swing with right hands round 2d Cu: then with left set contrary corners & whole figure contrary corners

The music consists of two 4 bar strains. I assume the music should be played at 2 beats per bar and that " " indicates two repetitions of each strain.

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, this is an attempt to understand the first figure he describes.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
The 1st. lady lead down the 2d gent. may be found on page 20 and means: Lady 1 and Man 2 meet in the middle and lead down two couples and then return the same way.
The 1t. gent. lead down the 2d lady may be found on page 21 and means: Man 1 and Lady 2 meet in the middle and lead down two couples and then return the same way.
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.

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.


Cuckolds all a Row ~ Lovelace

Cuckles all a Row

Cuckolds all a Row ~ Lovelace or Cuckles all a Row is an English Country Dance. It was found in the Lovelace Manuscript (written somewhere around the 1640s) and later published in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a Facing Couples dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: C major.

This is one of the few dances for which we have a description before Playford. The Lovelace Manuscript in the Houghton Library at Harvard University, filed as MS Eng. 1356 contains descriptions of 20 country dances (of which this is one). The manuscript is undated but was probably written between 1621~1649.

The dance also appears in Playford (starting in the first edition of 1651 and continuing until 1728)

Cecil Sharp interpreted the Plavford version in 1911 (and bowdlerized the title to Hey, boys, up go we and changed the music). I shall try here to interpret what the Lovelace Manuscript says to do.

The Playford Ball quotes Samuel Pepys in 1662 as quoting Charles II "Then to country dances; the King leading the first, which he called for, which was, says he 'Cuckolds all awry.' The old dance of England."

Lovelace description (transcription by Dafydd Cyhoeddwr:

Both couple shall stand 4 square, and leade up to one another, and downe agayne twice; then each man shall goe round about his owne woeman, then the last parte of the tune is to be playd againe, after that he hath gone round about his owne woman, first, and then about the woman, that is opposite against him, and then hee shall goe round the woeman that was opposite to him first, and his own last;
Sides all twice, first with his owne woeman, and then with her, that is opposite to him, then the 2 men shall change places, the woemen also allmost at the same time, then joyne all hands, and goe round, till you come to your places, then the woemen shall crosse over first; and then the men and joyne hands like before, and turne round the other way till you come to your places
Armes all twice, once with your owne woemen, and once with the other, but if you please you shall armes with your owne last, then each man shall take the woeman, that is right over against him, and the one shall draw her upwards and the other downwards; and presently draw them againe close together in theire places holding hands; then one couple shall pass through the other, first and then presently the other shall passe through, then the last part of the tune being played againe, they shall draw them contrary to that as they did before like as he that drawes his woeman upward before, shall now draw her downward, and the other upward, and then passe through agayne, contrary to what was done before.

Playford (1651) describes it thus:

Meet all forward and backe That again Turn back to back with the Co. We. faces again, goe about the Co. We. not turning your faces Turn back to back to your owne, faces againe, goe about your owne not turning faces

Sides all with your owne sides all with the Co. Men change places, We. change places, hands all goe round We. change places, Men change places, hands all and goe round to your places

Armes all with your owne armes all with the Co. Men put the Co. We. back by both hands, fall even on the Co. side men cast off to the right hand, your We. following, come to the same place again put them back again, fall on your owne side, men cast off to the left hand and come to your places the We. following

Lovelace says each man shall goe round about his owne woeman. First question: Does the woman also go about the man? Lovelace doesn't say she should. Neither does Playford for that matter. Sharp has the woman active also. There are plenty of Playford dances which start with M1 setting to someone who doesn't set back, so it is certainly possible that only the man is involved.

In Wallingford-House (Playford, 1670) The first man goes round his own wo the second wo. follows makes it pretty clear that the 1st woman is not moving.

Then what does "go about" mean? If it's only the man active then presumabley he just loops around the woman and returns to place. Playford says not turning your faces. Faces is plural. Does that include the women? or just the two men?

Sharp thinks "not turning your faces" means a gypsy, you keep your face toward your partner. But that's an odd interpretation. A back to back seems much more likely. I've never heard someone say "don't turn your face" when describing a gypsy, but it is exactly what someone would say when describing a back to back.

I suspect Lovelace did not intend for the women to move here. But modern dancers would not stand for that, so I shall have people doing back to backs. Not that Lovelace has the back to back start with partner (which is unnatural as you are facing your neighbor), then with neighbor, then neighbor again (presumably in the opposite direction) and then partner again. This ordering is different from Playford's.

Looking back at Playford we see something quite different: Turn back to back with the Co. We. faces again, goe about the Co. We. not turning your faces. Playford, pretty clearly intends two different moves, though Sharp interprets both as gypsies. John Sweeney has an interesting take on this, he says that Turn back to back just means turning your back to someone, probably while doing fancy steps so as to show off your body from all angles. (To my mind this argues against the women doing it, because why show off if the person you are showing off to also has her (his) back to you.) There is an interesting interpretation of this done by the Newcastle Country Dancers in 2012 where people turn their back and then bump rumps.


The second part seems the same in Lovelace and Playford, except that in Lovelace the second circle goes in the opposite direction from the first, while Playford doesn't specify a direction. And Sharp's interpretation of that seems fine (except that I would use inline sideing rather than swirly siding, and make the second circle be to the right — like Playford Sharp doesn't specify a direction).


The third part begins with arming. Lovelace suggests that you could arm with your partner last, rather than first. Clearly everyone must agree to this before the dance or there will be massive confusion. I'm not going to take him up on this alternative, the siding starts with partner, and so should arming, in my opinion.

Then we have the half poussette. If I read it correctly, Playford has the men pushing (he says "men put the Co. We. back") while Lovelace has the men pulling (he says "shall draw her"). Micheal Barraclough points out, in his interpretation, that Playford's description of the second half of this move isn't like a poussette. However Lovelace's description is like a poussette.

Playford follows the poussette with a chase; Lovelace does not, he describes something which sounds like matchboxes, with couples passing first inside and then outside each other. I'm assuming they retain hands from the poussette so this is actually a dip and dive figure. Lovelace doesn't say which couple goes first, but I assume it's the one containing M1.

Note that this breaks the symmetry of the dance. Up to this point the 2s have done exactly the same as the 1s (rotated 180 degrees), suddenly they are different.

Lovelace's second poussette now goes in the opposite direction (Playford doesn't really specify a direction, he says "put them back again" which I would think meant continue in the same clockwise fashion).

The dance, Cuckolds All A Row, originally used its own tune, but Sharp decided to use that of Hey Boys, up we go instead. It was published by Playford with that 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 125 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


Culford Heath Camp

Culford Heath Camp is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Ignatius Sancho in 1779 and published in Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779. Set for the Harpsichord, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Sancho writes:

The first Lady set to the 2d. Gentn. and turn the 3d. Gentn. & return to her place the 1st. Gentn. set to the 2d. Lady trun the 3d. Lady & remain at bottom set 3 & 3 top & bottom set 3 & 3 sideways hands 6 quite round Allemande with the Corners with the Right hand & with your Partner with the Left hand Allemande with the opposite corners & your Partner

The music consists of three 8 bar strains.

Presumably "trun" is "turn". A right hand turn will be easier for W1 and later will put M1 in the right place.

Eight bars for a circle six seems longish, so I'm turning into a circle left and back to the right.

I'm fairly sure that Sancho means a hand turn when he says Allemande, because he is describing a fairly common contra-corners movement.

The music provided by the Odd Sundays Garage Band suggests they intend the dance as a three couple longways dance. So in the final 4 bars the 1s left hand turn down as the 3s long cast up.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by the Odd Sundays Garage Band (Judy Linsenberg, Shira Kammen and Patti Cobb). The music is used with permission from the Odd Sundays Garage Band.

The animation plays at 103 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Cumberland Reel

Cumberland Reel is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1786 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 5, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson (1786) writes:

Right hands across half round left hands back again Lead down the middle up again & cast off Allemande with your partner Right & Left

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.


Dainty Davy

Dainty Davy is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars. It is in the key: D minor.

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. clap hands and cross over below the 2. cu. and turn to your own sides The 2. cu. do the same The 1. cu. cross over below the 2. cu. and Figure through the 3d. cu then Figure through the 1. cu. and turn in the 2. cu. place Each Strain twice.

Clearly having the 1s figure eight through the 1. cu. is a misprint, presumably the 2s are meant (or perhaps the couple now standing in the 1s place - which is the 2s)

The 3s only act as posts, and the dance may be compressed to a duple minor.

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.


Ding Dong Bell

Ding Dong Bell is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1791 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1791, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

1st. & 2d. Cu: change sides & back again hands 4 across & back again lead down the middle up again and cast off then Allemande

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.


The Disbanded Officer

The Disbanded Officer is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thompshon in 1787 and published in Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol 5. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

Lead down 2 Cu: and ballance Allemand Up again and ballance Allemand The 3 1st. Cus. ballance all round Cast off. Right and Left

I'm never sure what is meant by "Allemand" as there seem so many different version. I'm using what I think was common at the time.

What does the 3 1st. Cus. ballance all round mean? It seems to take 8 bars and presumably uses some sort of setting as well as a circle involving the 3 active couples. I shall use a figure found in the Scottish dance The Poppy and the Thistle. I'm sure it's not what the Thompsons intended, but it will do.

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.


The Disbanded Officer

The Disbanded Officer is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thompshon in 1787 and published in Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol 5. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

Lead down 2 Cu: and ballance Allemand Up again and ballance Allemand The 3 1st. Cus. ballance all round Cast off. Right and Left

I'm never sure what is meant by "Allemand" as there seem so many different version. I'm using what I think was common at the time.

What does the 3 1st. Cus. ballance all round mean? It seems to take 8 bars and presumably uses some sort of setting as well as a circle involving the 3 active couples. I shall use a figure found in the Scottish dance The Poppy and the Thistle. I'm sure it's not what the Thompsons intended, but it will do.

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.


Donald Bane ~ Williams

Donaldbane ~ Williams

Donald Bane ~ Williams or Donaldbane ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Donald Bane is an anglicization of Domnall Bán (Donald the Fair) and was the great-grandson of the king killed by MacBeth.

Wilson writes (on page 80):

SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Hands 3 round on the ladies side hands 3 round on the gents side lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:

OR THUS Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & allemande
DOUBLE FIGURE
Hey on your own sides swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left hands 6 round & back again set contrary corners

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, this is an attempt to understand the double figure he describes.

The music consists of two 4 bar strains. Wilson's usual statement for double figures (which he gives on the dance above this) is Tune played twice through with repeats. So the music should probably be played AABBAABB.

Wilson spells the dance "Donaldbane".

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left may be found on pages 85-86 and means: right hand turn half (swing) to cross the set, loop partner's starting place, cross the set again above the 2s, ending proper between 2s & 3s.
left hand turn half to cross the set, loop partner's place, crossing below the 2s and ending home.
Wilson does not specify which shoulder to use when crossing the second and fourth times. set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back, but I expect modern dancers would want to.


It is not obvious to me where in this sequence Wilson expects progression to happen. Perhaps the first movement of set contrary corners has the 1s moving down and the 2s up.

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.


The Doubtful Shepherd ~ Williams

The Doubtful Shepherd ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1780 in Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1780, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st.&2d.&3d. Gent: take hands & go round their Partns The Ladies do the same The 1st Cu. go round with the Allemand till they come to their places the 2d.&3d. Cu. follows Cross over and Right & Left at top The 1st

The music consists of two 8 bar strains, both repeated.

What does Thompson mean by Cu. go round with the Allemand till they come to their places the 2d.&3d. Cu. follows? It sounds more like the Scottish Allemande for three couples than it does the standard Regency Allemande. But the Scottish Allemande is progressive and leaves the 1s&32 swapped, so that's wrong. It might be a three couple promenade round, though I've never heard that called an "Allemande". I suppose it might mean the 1s do a Regency Allemande in the first 4 bars, and then the 2s+3s do the same on the last 4...

At least the promenade flows nicely from the woman's circle...

Presumably the Cross over at the start of B2 means, "1s cross the set, go below and two hand turn half as the 2s move up". A fairly standard sequence.

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.


The Duchess's Slipper ~ Williams

The Duchess's Slipper ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Longman & Broderip in 1790 in Longman and Broderip's Fourth Selection of...Country Dances, Reels &c., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Longman & Boroderip first published a dance called "The Duchess's Slipper" in 1790, and republished it in 1796 (with the same figure) in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1796.

The 1st. Lady hay with her partner and the 2d. Gent: The 1st. Gent: hay with his partner and the 2d. Lady Lead down two Cou: up again one Cou: Allemande

The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain, both repeated.

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.


Dumbarton Drums ~ Williams

Dumbarton Drums ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Wilson writes (on page 40):

SINGLE FIGURE (Tune played straight thro')
Hey on your own sides lead down the middle up again & set to top Cu:

OR THUS Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
The 3 ladies lead round the 3 gent: the 3 gent: lead round the 3 ladies lead down the middle up again allemande & set 3 across & set 3 in your places

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, I follow the (R)SCDS in conflating the first figure and the last. They took the first 8 bars (the hey) from the first figure and the last 16 bars from the last figure leaving us with a somewhat awkward 24 bar dance. I do not claim this interpretation is a good dance, I am merely trying to show what I think Wilson intended for the bits and pieces of his dances that the (R)SCDS used.

The music consists of two 8 bar strains.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Hey on your own sides is only defined as part of "Hey Contrary Sides, and Hey of your own Sides" on page 83 and he shows a mirror/reflection hey.
The 3 ladies lead round the 3 gent: may be found on pages 48-49 and means: "all the ladies take hands, lady 1 leads counter-clockwise above, and then behind the men, at bottom looping back to original places."
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean going about your partner in a circle. In a later edition of Analysis Wilson adds the phrase "back to back".
This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
set 3 across & set 3 in your places is only described as "set three in their places and set three across" (opposite order) and is found on pages 76-77, and means: "Two lines of three across set, the ones move to their own places, everyone sets again." Wilson does not say whether they take hands when setting. Wilson does not show the corners setting when the 1s move to new places.

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.


Dunrobin Castle ~ Triple Minor

Dunrobin Castle ~ Triple Minor is an English Country Dance. It was devised by a Person of Quality in 1718 and published in Twenty Four New Country Dances Compos'd by a Person of Quality. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Walsh writes:

Note: The first Strain twice over, and the last but once.

The 1st. man go down the middle turn the 3d. wo. then the 2d. man half round the 1st. wo. do the same contrary sides the 1st. cu. figure through the 2d. and 3d. wo. then through the 2d. and 3d. man take hands with the contrary couples fall back the 1st. man cast up, the 1st. wo. at the same time cast off proper

The B part only makes sense if M1 is between the 3s and W1 is between the 2s. But how do the A parts get them there?

If M1 turns W3 and ends in the center of square containing the 2s+3s, and then turns M2 and returns to that center then he can easily fall back between the 3s (and later W1 can fall back between the 2s). I know Walsh says to turn M2 half, but that I can't make any sense of that and shall assume it a misprint. For another thing a half turn only takes 4 counts but we've probably got 8 to use up.

Or... If we want to do a left turn half then M2 needs to be where M1 wants to end up, so we could have M2 cast left to between the 3s. Now a left hand turn half takes 4 counts, and a cast 4 more, so that does use up our 8 counts, but it leaves M1 idle for 4 of them. Which feels wrong. I suppose he could set to W3... but this path just seems to involve more and more inventions beyond what Walsh wrote and is probably wrong.

Then there is the problem that I have lines across where the 2s and 3s are and I want those lines to fall back so that the 2s end in 1st postion, and the 3s in 3rd. But the 3s are already in 3rd position. What I want is for the two lines to be symmetrical about the middle couple. If they do this early on then the 1s don't have as far to go to reach the 3s when they turn them. (There is no hint of this in Walsh, of course, but then there wouldn't be as the 2s+3s are rarely given instructions they just need to be in the right place.

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.


Ecossoise #2 ~ Chivers, Old Style Progression

Ecossoise #2 ~ Chivers, Old Style Progression is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1821 and published in The Dancer's Guide, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is an improper duple minor longways dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

When I learned to Contra Dance, and later when I learned English Country Dancing, the whole set would begin dancing at once. But that's not how Playford expected people to dance. In his day only the top two couples of a duple minor set (three for a triple minor, of course) would start. After they had danced once the top couple would go down to the next couple(s) below and dance with them. No one started until the top couple reached them.

When the original top couple reached the bottom they would start up the set as 2s. When they reached the top they would stop. But the dance would not. Now the top couple would wait, and the dance would end when each couple had reached its original place. (if there are n couples then this takes 3*n-3 repetitions of the dance in a duple minor, and 4*n-4 in a triple minor (because the 3s do not progress)).

In part this was because the top couple would choose the dance, and would teach it to each couple below by dancing it with them. They did not have walk-throughs beforehand to teach the dance.

There is still a vestige of this style of dancing in Scottish Country's 2 couple dance in a 4 couple set, where only the top two couples dance the first time through.

See Colin Hume's interpretation of Jamaica for a description of how progression worked.

In Playford's day the top couple would have started the dance with the next couple, then they would have progressed to the next, and so on all the way down the set as ones and all the way back up as twos. They would then started the second figure (while other people were still doing the first figure), and again gone all the way down and back, when they would have waited until all the other couples were back to their original places.

I have simplified things here and have no "second figure" (though the full version of this dance does have one) so once they reach the top, they simply wait until everyone else has reached their original places. The progression is rather like a progressive hey or progressive progression.

Unfortunately, Playford never says this specifically, he just assumed everyone knew, however if you read his directions they make more sense if they are directed only to the top two (or three) couples rather than the entire set. Here's an example that I was working on last week so it is fresh in my mind, but there are others: "The first Cu. turns single, then lead down thro' the 2d Cu. and cast up again · The 2d Cu. do the same : Then the three first Cu. go the Hey · The first Cu. cast off and turn Hands ··" from "Masquerade Royal", John Young (Playford's son in law), 1718: Now, why say "the three first Cu." when you mean "all the couples" unless those first three were the only ones dancing at the start?

Another bit of circumstantial evidence: "Pride and Prejudice", Chapter 18, Mr. Darcy + Elizabeth at the Netherfield Ball: "When the dancing recommenced, however, ... They stood for some time without speaking a word" The dancing has started, but they are standing and not dancing. Even if you are out at the bottom you are out for less than a minute (well in almost all dances Fandango might take a bit more), not long enough for standing without talking to be uncomfortable. I suggest they are waiting for the dance to work its way down the set until it gets to them.

The first indisputable evidence I can give comes from "The Dancer's Guide", London, Chivers, 1821: In his description of an improper duple minor (Ecossoises, page 45), he has a diagram of the initial layout of the dance and only the top couple is improper, all the others are proper. This only works if the top foursome is the only one active at the start. He says: "Any number of persons can join, observing that the first couple exchange places (each couple doing the same as they regain the top), and when they get to the bottom, they take their own sides"

In 1857, Thomas Hillgrove in The scholars' companion and ball-room vade mecum (New York) is still specifying this form of progression: This is performed in the same manner as the Country Dance, the ladies and gentlemen being placed in lines opposite to each other. The couple at the top begin the figure.

However, in The Complete Ball-Room Hand-Book, Elias Howe, Boston, 1858 says In forming for Contra Dances, let there be space enough between the ladies' and gentlemen's lines to pass down and up the centre. It is usual for those at the foot of the set to wait until the first couple has passed down, and they have arrived at the head of the set; but there is no good reason why they should so wait, as every fourth couple should commence with the first couple. In other words he is saying that traditional dancers would only begin with the top couple, but there is no reason why the whole line couldn't start at once.

This may reflect a difference in behavior between New York and Boston, (Hillgrove distinguishes between Country Dances and Contra Dances, while Howe says they are two names for the same thing), or just a difference between traditional and innovative behavior.

Finally we get to Cecil Sharp and his description of a minor-set dance in The Country Dance Book, Part 1 (1909):

The top minor-set, headed by the leading couple, opens the dance by performing the complete figure, the rest of the couples being neutral. This results in the exchange of positions between the leading and second couple.

The second round is now danced by the minor-set composed of the second and third couples, of which the second one is the leading couple. The rest of the dancers, including the top one, remain neutral. This brings the leading couple down to third place from the top of the General Set.

In the third round two minor-sets will now participate, namely those consisting, respectively, of the two couples at the top (the second and third of the original set), and of the the third and fourth couples (originally the first and fourth).

However, at the end of the section Sharp adds the comment:

Expert dancers will sometimes constitute themselves into minor-sets for the performance of the first round, and thus avoid the gradual and somewhat tedious opening as above described; that is to say, they will omit the first six rounds in our first illustration and begin with the seventh round.

As far as I can tell, later parts of the The Country Dance Book omit this entirely. So perhaps Sharp changed his mind. And that may mark where this style of starting a dance was lost.


Chivers does not give this dance a name, it is the second dance in his list of Ecossoise dances. Écossaise is a French style of contredanse which means "Scottish", though it is unlike any Scottish Country dance I've ever danced (but I don't know what the Scots were doing in 1780). For one thing all Ecossoise are improper dances, but no modern Scottish Country dance is.

This dance is not particularly interesting in itself. It's major advantage is that it is a 16 bar improper duple minor so going though all the many iterations of the progression takes as little time as possible.

Chivers writes:

Hands across — back again — cross over one couple — turn your partner to places —

I suspect that turn your partner to places originally refered only to the 1s, but the dance is fairly even and I think it won't hurt to have the 2s turning as well.

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.


Edinburgh Castle ~ Williams

Albion's Queen ~ Playford+Williams

Edinborough Castle ~ Williams

Edinburgh Castle ~ Williams or Albion's Queen ~ Playford+Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in about 1698 in The Second Part of the Dancing Master, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

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.


Epie McNabb ~ Williams

Epie McNabb ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1759 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 2, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

RSCDS calls this dance "Espie McNabb".

Rutherford calls this dance Epie McNabb, and writes:

All the Company foot it & change sides Foot it & change sides back again First Cou. cast off & turn Hands round all Six

The music has two 8 bar strains, both repeated. The problem with interpretting this dance is how to pad it out to 32 bars. The RSCDS does this by throwing in an additional figure (1s lead down the middle and back). I'm going to change the "foot it"s into "set twice", and the change sides to "right/left hand turn once and a half, and make the cast a long cast.

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.


Every Lad His Lass ~ Duple

Every Lad His Lass ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1710 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 20 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be Play'd twice over.

The first Couple Sett and cast off. This to the first Strain play'd once The second Couple do the same. This to the first Strain play'd twice The first Man and second Woman meet and give a little Jump, the second Man and first Woman do the same, and turn single all four. This to the second Strain play'd once The first Couple cross over and FIgure in between the thrid Couple into the second Couple's Place This to the second Strain play'd twice

I find Sharp's interpretation of B2 odd. Why not just do what Playford says and use a figure eight? Perhaps there's something in the music to make this difficult?

Also the threes do nothig. This dance should be a duple minor.

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.


Fairy Queen - Young

Fairy Queen - Young is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 132 bars.

Playford writes:

First all lead up forward and back That again Turn all Back to back, Faces again, then each Man go about his Wo. not turning your Faces, that again the other way Then first and last cu. meet a double, back again, turn all Back to Back, Faces again, go about each other not turning your Faces, the other way as much Then the other 4, as much ·:
Sides all That again Turn Back to Back, Faces again, go about your own as before First and last cu. meet and go back, turn Back to Back, Faces again; take Hands and go round, back again Then the other 4 as much ·:
Arms all That again Turn Back to Back, Faces again, go about your own as before First and last cu. meet back again; then Back to Back, Faces again; Right-hands across and go round, then Left round The other 4 as much ·:

This dance is an anachronism. It's a USA dance, and the Playfords stopped printing new USA dances in the 4th edition in 1670. It also uses terms which were out of date in 1726: Turn all Back to back, Faces again probably has nothing to do with the back to back figure we all know but seems closer to The Gypsyes out of Lovelace in the 1640s: then they all turne theire backes, both men, and woemen, towards one another, and then turne themselves as they were before, all their faces together. One performance of Cuckolds All A'Row has dancers coming forward to bump rumps.

The Faerie Qveene is an epic poem written by Spencer and presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1589. There was also an opera of the same name, composed by Purcell which opened in 1692. 1692 seems too late for the terminology of the dance, and 1589 too early.


The first problem with this is fitting the music to the dance. The music is a 12 bar repeat.

It's a USA dance. Every section begins with 8 bars of either up a double, siding or arming. You could stretch that out to 12 bars. Maybe. "Up a triple"? But you can't stretch out siding or arming. Perhaps throw in an honour to the presence? or a set and turn single?.

Each USA section shows the same format, two 4 bar strains of music. If it were only done once it might be a misprint, but it is consistent across all three, so did Playford fail to print 4 bars of music? Did he mean to put a repeat after the first 4 bars?

Let's look at the rest of the dance for hints.

After each USA section we have: Turn all Back to back, Faces again, then each Man go about his Wo. not turning your Faces, that again the other way (I'll go into what I think this means later, for now I'm only interested in timing). My guess is that this will fit nicely into 12 bars.

Then: Then first and last cu. meet a double, back again, turn all Back to Back, Faces again, go about each other not turning your Faces, the other way as much On the face of it this looks like 16 bars rather than 8 or 12. I'm going to guess that the "meet a double" and "turn all Back to Back" are actually part of the same move (coming forward turning your backs). And that would bring it down to 12.

So I think the music should be a (missing) 4 bar A section, and the 12 bar B section we have printed. It should be played 3 x AABBB for the dance.


Playford says the dance is "Longways for as many as will." I think this is another missprint, and it is actually Longways for 4 couples.

There are 8 dancers mentioned in the text "the first and last cu." and "the other 4", (and both are mentioned several times) so I think it is pretty clear that a 4 couple dance is intended.

Because he says "first and last cu." I think a longways formation is likely. If a square he'd say "first and third".


Turn all Back to back, Faces again, then each Man go about his Wo. not turning your Faces, that again the other way. The article at contrafusion on gypsies goes into great detail about this phrase. It sounds to me that "all Back to back, Faces again" was like "foot it", a chance to show off your steps while turning so people could see them at the best angle. It was not a simple turn your back and then finish turning.

While the "not turning your Faces" bit sounds like what we now call "back to back" (except that only the man is going around while the woman stands).

Then: Then first and last cu. meet a double, back again, turn all Back to Back, Faces again, go about each other not turning your Faces, the other way as much As I mentioned before, the only way to fit this into 12 bars is to fold the "meet a double" and "turn Back to Back" into one move, where they all come forward (women too, it seems here) doing a facing step, and in the process turn their backs and then go back.


There is an asymmetry in the description: The women don't go around their partners, but they do go around their neighbors. That seems odd and would annoy me if I were dancing it. So I'm going to have the women go about their partners too.

There's another asymmetry: the bit after the USA with your partner is always the same, even though the bit with your neighbor is slightly different each time through the dance. Even if you restrict yourself to your partner you could do a two hand turn to match the circle, and a right hand turn to match the right-hands across. Or better yet work in foursomes and use the same sequence.


Is this what people danced? Almost certainly not.

Playford (John Young) published a 12 bar strain for a dance that needs an 4 bar and a 12 bar strain, the first repeated and the last tripled. I have taken the first four bars of the 12 bar strain and used them as A1, and the last four bars and used them as A2. Colin Hume synthesized the original tune and with digital jiggery-pokery I transformed it into what I wanted.

The animation plays at 113 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


The Festival

The Festival is an English Country Dance. It was published by Longman & Broderip in 1790 in Twenty-Four Country Dances for the year 1790, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Longman & Broderip write:

The 1st. Gent set to the 2d. Lady and hands three round then Lady do the same lead down the middle, up again and cast off and Allemand

The only vexing question is: Whom does M1 circle three with? Presumably W2 is involved, but is the third W1 or M2? Since W1 has her own turn comeing up I presume it is M2.

A slighter niggle is: Which of the many different "Allemand"s do they mean. It needs to fit into 8 bars, while the standard Regency Allemand takes 4. But if you go back with the left, then it fits in 8.

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.


Fiddle Faddle ~ Williams

Fiddle Faddle ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1735 in Caledonian Country Dances, 2nd Ed, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

According to Robert Keller's site this appeared in Walsh's 2nd Edition of Caledonia Country Dances, but I only have access the the 3rd wherein Walsh writes:

The 1st Cu. foots it and casts off then foot it again, and the Man casts off, and the Wo. casts up figure contrary sides figure on your own sides Foot it corners and turn foot it other corners and turn Hey contrary sides foot it to your Partner and turn it out.

Johnson published the same figure in about 1742.

The music consists of four 4 bar strains.

There are 8 sub-figures with a mark between them, suggesting that each strain should be repeated. Unfortunately the figures seem take different amounts of time. I'd expect The 1st Cu. foots it and casts off to take 4 bars, but I'd expect figure contrary sides to take 8.

So perhaps Walsh means only half of a figure of eight. That would take 4 bars.

But we still have Hey contrary sides. That takes 8 bars (or maybe 6, but not 4). Could we do half a hey? No, that leaves the corners in the wrong place. Could the 1s do half a hey while everyone else does a full hey? Then we need to make sure the 1s don't bump into the 2s+3s as the 1s set and the corners finish.

This solution does not seem a good one, but I can't think of a better. I doubt it's what Walsh intended.

Could the final strain be played 3 times? Walsh does use a pecular mark at the end of this sub-figure. That just seems worse.

Does Walsh intend the music to be played at four counts per bar rather than two? But most of the sub-figures fit into 4 bars...

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.


The Firr Tree

The Firr Tree is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in about 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:

The first Man Cast off & turn the third Woman & stand in the 2d Man's Place The first Woman Does the same Hands round four at Bottom Right Hand & Left at Top

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.


The First of December

The First of December is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Rutherford in 1772 in Twelve Selected Country Dances for the Year 1772, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:

Set across and turn the Second Lady the Lady do the same to the 2d. Man cross over one Cu. lead up & cast off hands round four at bottom right and left at top

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.


The First of January

The First of January is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in about 1758 in Two Hundred Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 8, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

May be found in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library online collection: Johnson Vol. 8.

Johnson writes:

Cast off and cross over cast up and cross up to the Top. Cross over half figure. Right and Left at Top, foot it Corners and turn. Lead out Sides and turn your Partner

The tune consists of an 8 bar A part, and a 16 bar B part (the B part has a note "this Strain once". Johnson has a strain end mark after 4 bars of figure, and one other at the end of the dance. So I'm going to ignore them as they don't seem helpful.

I thing the casts+crosses should each take 4 bars.

Cross over (and go below) half figure should take 8 bars.

And that basically eats up all the A music.

Foot it corners and turn takes 8 bars.

Lead out sides takes 8 bars.

I don't see how there is time for the rights and lefts, so I shall leave them out.

Or perhaps the A music could be played three times, rather than two...

I assume "foot it corners and turn" is the same as Scottish "corners set and turn", but I suppose it could mean, "1s staying in 2nd place set to 1st corners, then 2nd then turn partner".

I know of three very different meanings for "lead out sides".

The first was used by Keller & Sweet in A Choice Selection of American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era, in it the 1s meet in the center, take hands and lead out between the women, cast away from each other, looping around the corner, meet again in center, lead out between men cast away, loop corners and return home.

The second is defined by Wilson in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, page 51, in it the 1s again meet in the center, lead to between the men, turn around, lead to between the women, turn around, lead back to center, where he leaves them.

The third involves having everyone face out, lead out, turn and lead back.

The 2s and 3s do nothing. I wonder if I can squish this into a duple minor... "lead out sides may prove tricky...

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.


The First of January ~ Duple

The First of January ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in about 1758 in Two Hundred Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 8, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

May be found in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library online collection: Johnson Vol. 8.

Johnson writes:

Cast off and cross over cast up and cross up to the Top. Cross over half figure. Right and Left at Top, foot it Corners and turn. Lead out Sides and turn your Partner

The tune consists of an 8 bar A part, and a 16 bar B part (the B part has a note "this Strain once". Johnson has a strain end mark after 4 bars of figure, and one other at the end of the dance. So I'm going to ignore them as they don't seem helpful.

I thing the casts+crosses should each take 4 bars.

Cross over (and go below) half figure should take 8 bars.

And that basically eats up all the A music.

Foot it corners and turn takes 8 bars.

Lead out sides takes 8 bars.

There is only time for the rights and lefts if you play the A tune twice. There's nothing to say you can't. But I find the transition from a half figure eight to set and turn corners works much better than the transition from rights and lefts to set an turn, so I've switched the order.

I assume "foot it corners and turn" is the same as Scottish "corners set and turn", but I suppose it could mean, "1s staying in 2nd place set to 1st corners, then 2nd then turn partner".

The 2s and 3s do almost nothing. The 3s aren't even mentioned in the A section. In the B section they are basically posts. Converting "set and turn corners" to duple minor is easy, but "lead out sides" has a certain amount of congestion when looping around the corners.

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.


The French Ambassador ~ Duple

French Embassader ~ Duple

The French Ambassador ~ Duple or French Embassader ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford titled the dance in two ways: "French Embassader" and "The French Embassader"

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. cross over and turn below the 2. cu. Then cross over below the third cu. and turn The 1. man turns the 3. wo. and the 1. wo. the 2. man, then turn your Partner with your left-hand, then lead thorow the 3. cu. and cast up and turn, Figure thorow the 2. cu. and turn your Partner.

The first thing I note is that there is no indication of a second B part. Scott Pfitzinger's interpretation has a second B and stretches the figures out (4 bars for a turn half) to make them fit. I shall take Playford at his word here.

The next oddity is that the 1st man turns the 3rd woman, but the 1st woman turns the 2nd man. It seems much more likely that they both turn 3s.

The start of the B section: "The 1. man turns the 3. wo. and the 1. wo. the 2. man then...", I read the "and" (as opposed to "then") here as suggesting that the 1s should turn simultaneously rather than sequentially. Now we've already decided there is one misprint here, I suggest there are two and that the ones turn the same sex 3. (this also solves the problem of how to get the 3s back to proper, they never become improper)

Another posibility is to have the 3s become improper during A, this breaks the symmetry of the two A parts though.

Note: the 2s+3s are never active together, so this can be compressed into a duple minor dance.

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.


The French Ambassador ~ Williams

French Embassader ~ Williams

The French Ambassador ~ Williams or French Embassader ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford titled the dance in two ways: "French Embassader" and "The French Embassader"

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. cross over and turn below the 2. cu. Then cross over below the third cu. and turn The 1. man turns the 3. wo. and the 1. wo. the 2. man, then turn your Partner with your left-hand, then lead thorow the 3. cu. and cast up and turn, Figure thorow the 2. cu. and turn your Partner.

The first thing I note is that there is no indication of a second B part. Scott Pfitzinger's interpretation has a second B and stretches the figures out (4 bars for a turn half) to make them fit. I shall take Playford at his word here.

The next oddity is that the 1st man turns the 3rd woman, but the 1st woman turns the 2nd man. It seems much more likely that they both turn 3s.

The start of the B section: "The 1. man turns the 3. wo. and the 1. wo. the 2. man then...", I read the "and" (as opposed to "then") here as suggesting that the 1s should turn simultaneously rather than sequentially. Now we've already decided there is one misprint here, I suggest there are two and that the ones turn the same sex 3. (this also solves the problem of how to get the 3s back to proper, they never become improper)

Another posibility is to have the 3s become improper during A, this breaks the symmetry of the two A parts though.

Note: the 2s+3s are never active together, so this can be compressed into a duple minor dance.

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.


The Gates of Edinburgh ~ Williams

The Gates of Edinburgh ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in about 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:
Hey contrary sides Hey on your own sides Then the Man falls in at Bottom & the Wo. falls In at Top Foot it all six & turn your own Partner Then the Wo. falls in of the Man's side & the Man on the Woman's side foot it all 6 & turn yr. Partner

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.


George's Maggot #1

George's Maggot #1 is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. There is no progression in this dance. Originally this was a single progression dance. The dance lasts 40 bars.

Playford has two dances named "George's Maggot" (or "Magott"), they have different tunes and different choreographies. The first first appeared in 1701, and the second in 1710.

Playford writes:
First man and wo. lead down the 2. cu. and cast up to the top, then cross over and turn one another in their proper places, then 1. man go round the 2. wo. the 1. wo. doing the same round the 2. man at the same time, the cross over to the top as they were at first.
Then 1. and 2. wo. and 1.man turn once round, and 1. man and wo. cast off below the 2. cu. then lead up through the 2. cu. and turn S then 1. and 2. man and 1. wo. turn once round, and 1. man and wo. cast off below the 2. cu. then lead up through the 2. cu. and cast below them again, and so on.

The only thing that confused me here was "then cross over and turn one another in their proper places,". At first I wanted this to mean "partner change and half two hand turn", but usually when Playford says cross over for a couple he means cross and cast, and the rest of the A section makes more sense if the 1s are in second place for A2.

So I figure that when Playford says "their proper places" the word "their" is modifying "proper" rather than "places". That is they don't go home, they got to their proper side of the line.

Thanks to Colin Hume's interpretations page for helping me figure this out.

(This looks like a dull dance for the 2s. I only interpreted it because I'm named George and felt I had to. I think Playford's other "George's Maggot" is more interesting.)

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


George's Maggot #2 ~ Duple

George's Maggot #2 ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1710 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford has two dances named "George's Maggot" (or "Magott"), they have different tunes and different choreographies. The first first appeared in 1701, and the second in 1710.

Playford writes:

Note: The first Strain is to be play'd twice, and the last but once.

The first Couple lead between the second Couple and turn, Improper, then Figure thro' the third Couple The second Couple do the same The first Man slips within the second Couple, and takes the second Woman, and leads her thro' the third Couple, and cast up, the first Woman and second Man take Hands and turn quite round at the same Time, the the first Woman takes her Partner by both his Hands and brings him to his Place, and Sett and cast off

The only difficulty I see in interpetting this dance is that there are 32 bars of music, but Playford's movements only account for about 28. I have dealt with this be having the final cast loop below the 3s (or in this case well below the 2s) and come back up.

The next issue is that the 3s do absolutely nothing, so the modern world would prefer this to be a duple minor, and nothing really needs to change for that to happen. (Though it might be nice to have the half figure 8s be up rather than down so they stay in the same minor set.)

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.


George's Maggot #2 ~ Triple

George's Maggot #2 ~ Triple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1710 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford has two dances named "George's Maggot" (or "Magott"), they have different tunes and different choreographies. The first first appeared in 1701, and the second in 1710.

Playford writes:

Note: The first Strain is to be play'd twice, and the last but once.

The first Couple lead between the second Couple and turn, Improper, then Figure thro' the third Couple The second Couple do the same The first Man slips within the second Couple, and takes the second Woman, and leads her thro' the third Couple, and cast up, the first Woman and second Man take Hands and turn quite round at the same Time, the the first Woman takes her Partner by both his Hands and brings him to his Place, and Sett and cast off

The only difficulty I see in interpetting this dance is that there are 32 bars of music, but Playford's movements only account for about 28. I have dealt with this be having the final cast loop below the 3s and come back up.

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.


Glasgow Lasses ~ Williams

Glascow Lasses ~ Williams

Glasgow Lasses ~ Williams or Glascow Lasses ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1748 in Caledonian Country Dances Vol. II Part 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Walsh writes:

First Man foot it to the 2d Wo. and cast off into the 2d Man's Place, and the 2d Wo. cast up at the same time into the 1st Wo. Place — Then the 2d Man foot it to ye 1st Wo. (he being at Top) and cast off into his Place, and the 1st Wo. cast up into her Place then the 1st and 2d Man foot it to their Partners, the 1st Cu. cast off one Cu. take Hands with the 2d. Cu. and lead up, foot it and cast off into the 2d Cu: Place.

The music is two eight bar strains, the first repeated, the second not.

Walsh's strain marks suggest that First Man foot it to the 2d Wo. and cast off into the 2d Man's Place should take all the first A strain, and one could translate foot it as "set twice" and the "cast off" as a long cast. But I don't think I've ever seen a cast like this taking 4 bars. I think modern dancers would prefer it all to fit in 4 bars... The RSCDS adds a two hand turn between M1+L2, but I see no justification for this.

That leaves then the 1st and 2d Man foot it to their Partners, the 1st Cu. cast off one Cu. take Hands with the 2d. Cu. and lead up, foot it and cast off into the 2d Cu: Place. to fit into either 8 or 16 bars. But I count it out as 10, maybe you can rush the two casts and do each in a bar, but I'd rather throw out the initial "foot it". The RSCDS solves this problem by changing almost every aspect of the figure.

Saltator, Boston, 1802, has a dance called The Lasses of Glasgow but it has an unrelated figure.

Walsh spells "Glasgow" as "Glascow".

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.


The Gloucester - Chivers

The Gloucester - Chivers is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1821 and published in The Dancer's Guide, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a Four Face Four dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Chivers writes:
Advance and retire in two lines — all set to partnes — chain figure of eight, to places, and turn partners the two lines lead round and exchange places (four parts or thirty-two bars).

Most of this is fairly self-explanatory, but I'm not sure what he means by "the two lines lead round and exchange places". The obvious thing is for each line across to join hands and loop clockwise around the set. More problematic, it puts people facing the wrong way, and in the wrong place (men in women's places, and vice versa) so I've added a two hand turn half to fix that.

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.


Grant's Rant ~ Duple

Grant's Rant ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1770 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1770, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson (1770) published this dance in 1770, and Rotherford reprinted it in 1775, while Bride (1775) published another figure.

Rutherford writes:
Hands four quite round back again cross over two Cu. lead up to the top and cast off hands four at bottom right and left at top

The B section seems to have only 12 bars of movement to fill 16 bars of music. We could fix that by adding a back again to the hands four at bottom.

But then we realize the figure as presented does not work. The 1s cross over in A2 but never become proper again.

We could fix that by having the right and left be three changes facing neighbor. that'll put everyone proper. But it leaves us with only 8 bars of movement for the entire B section (16 bars of music).

Another solution is to throw in a half figure 8 at the start of B1. Now we have 16 bars of movement in B, and everyone ends proper.

The 3s do very little in this dance. But if we take them out then we have 12 bars of the same people circling. So I've turned it into a hands across.

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.


Grant's Rant ~ Thompson

Grant's Rant ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1770 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1770, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson (1770) published this dance in 1770, and Rotherford reprinted it in 1775, while Bride (1775) published another figure.

Rutherford writes:
Hands four quite round back again cross over two Cu. lead up to the top and cast off hands four at bottom right and left at top

The B section seems to have only 12 bars of movement to fill 16 bars of music. We could fix that by adding a back again to the hands four at bottom.

But then we realize the figure as presented does not work. The 1s cross over in A2 but never become proper again.

We could fix that by having the right and left be three changes facing neighbor. that'll put everyone proper. But it leaves us with only 8 bars of movement for the entire B section (16 bars of music).

Another solution is to throw in a half figure 8 at the start of B1. Now we have 16 bars of movement in B, and everyone ends proper.

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.


Grant's Reel ~ Williams

Grant's Reel ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1751 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 6th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Rutherford published the same figure as Johnson a few years later and his work is online.

Rutherford writes:

The first Man sets to the 2d. Wo. & turn her His Partner does the same with the 2d. Man Cross over 2 Cu. Lead up to the Top foot it & cast off · Back to Back with your Partner Right Hand and Left Quite round with the 2d. Couple ··

The threes are idle. And the "cross 2 couple, lead to top" seems too much to fit in four bars, so I have omitted the "foot it".

The dance cries out to be a duple minor (as is done in the Scottish interpretation).

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.


Green Grow the Rushes O?

Green Grow the Rushes O? is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in The Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

Cast off two couple, up again , hey of your own sides , down the middle, up again, foot to the top couple , and swing corners .

According to Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing", 1808, (page 33) "Swing Corners" means "the 1s right turn, then they left turn 1s corners, then right turn, then left turn 2nd corners, and return to progressed places". Basically, "Contra Corners".

Oddly, Wilson does not define "hey of your own sides" (though he does describe "Hey Contrary Sides"). I think it's pretty safe to assume it is a standard mirror hey.

Wilson does not provide music for this dance, however in A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, page 67 he has a different figure to this name and provides music for that.

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.


Green Grow the Rushes O? ~ Duple

Green Grow the Rushes O? ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in The Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

Cast off two couple, up again , hey of your own sides , down the middle, up again, foot to the top couple , and swing corners .

According to Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing", 1808, (page 33) "Swing Corners" means "the 1s right turn, then they left turn 1s corners, then right turn, then left turn 2nd corners, and return to progressed places". Basically, "Contra Corners".

Oddly, Wilson does not define "hey of your own sides" (though he does describe "Hey Contrary Sides"). I think it's pretty safe to assume it is a standard mirror hey.

Wilson does not provide music for this dance, however in A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, page 67 he has a different figure to this name and provides music for that.

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.


Guardian Angels ~ Williams

Guardian Angels ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1776 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1776, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars. It is in the key: G major.

Sheffield found this dance in Thompson"s Compleat Collection, Vol. 4 from 1780, but it first appears some years earlier in one of the Thompson annuals.

Thompson writes:

Cast off 2 Cu. & up again cross over 2 Cu. lead up to the top & cast off hands across with the 3d. Cu. and back again hands 4 at top right & left

Thompson puts a lot more movement into A2 than A1. I have shortented A2 slightly by having the 1s stop in second place and not lead to top and cast off.

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.


Hamstead Heath #2

Hamstead Heath #2 is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a Quadruple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Then turn the 3d Cu. and your Partners as before; then the 2d Cu. and your Partner Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner

Scott Pfitzinger's interpretation is very different from mine.

This dance is very quick, there's a lot of distance to cover in a short amount of time. Just a warning.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Somehow the 1s must cross if M1 is to get to W4 and W1 to M4. Playford doesn't mention this, but presumably it's either at the top, before the lead, or at the bottom, after it. I arbetrarily picked the top.

Playford doesn't tell us which hand the 1st man should use. If he's just lead down then turning by the left makes sense, giving us mirror turns, but then the left hand turn partner doesn't work well. So I have M1 doing a u turn after the lead to face up, and then giving his right hand to W4.

Then we do the same thing with the other two couples, except that after turning the 2s the 1s only need to do a half turn to get proper.

Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top. These instructions are probably directed to the 1s, and "cross over every Cu." means that the 1s should do lots of crosses between the couples, rather than all the couples should cross over.

The second half seems clearer and directed unambiguously at the 1s.

Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner. Usually Playford uses "cast off" to mean "cast down". It is possible that the 1s should chnage on the sides with the 2s, and then cast down with the 3s. That gives us a double progression dance, which seems unlikely for Playford. Well... the rights and lefts might be three times around, and if done with the 3s would return us to a single progression.

Or, more likely, the 1s change with the 2s, and then cast back to the top, and then do three (slow) changes of rights and lefts in 8 bars of music. It seems odd for the first 2/3rds of the dance to be so fast and this last bit so slow...

Or... the rights and lefts could be five changes and if done facing neighbor instead of partner would again get progression right. I like the logic of it, but it fits the music even worse.

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.


Hamstead Heath #2 ~ 4 Couple

Hamstead Heath #2 ~ 4 Couple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Quadruple Minor this version is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 2341. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Then turn the 3d Cu. and your Partners as before; then the 2d Cu. and your Partner Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner

Scott Pfitzinger's interpretation is very different from mine.

This dance is very quick, there's a lot of distance to cover in a short amount of time. Just a warning.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Somehow the 1s must cross if M1 is to get to W4 and W1 to M4. Playford doesn't mention this, but presumably it's either at the top, before the lead, or at the bottom, after it. I arbetrarily picked the top.

Playford doesn't tell us which hand the 1st man should use. If he's just lead down then turning by the left makes sense, giving us mirror turns, but then the left hand turn partner doesn't work well. So I have M1 doing a u turn after the lead to face up, and then giving his right hand to W4.

Then we do the same thing with the other two couples, except that after turning the 2s the 1s only need to do a half turn to get proper.

Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top. These instructions are probably directed to the 1s, and "cross over every Cu." means that the 1s should do lots of crosses between the couples, rather than all the couples should cross over.

The second half seems clearer and directed unambiguously at the 1s.

Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner. Usually Playford uses "cast off" to mean "cast down". It is possible that the 1s should chnage on the sides with the 2s, and then cast down with the 3s. That gives us a double progression dance, which seems unlikely for Playford. Well... the rights and lefts might be three times around, and if done with the 3s would return us to a single progression.

Or, more likely, the 1s change with the 2s, and then cast back to the top, and then do three (slow) changes of rights and lefts in 8 bars of music. It seems odd for the first 2/3rds of the dance to be so fast and this last bit so slow...

Or... the rights and lefts could be five changes and if done facing neighbor instead of partner would again get progression right. I like the logic of it, but it fits the music even worse.


But who wants to do a single progression quadruple minor anyway, especially one where the 2s,3s, and 4s do almost nothing. Better to make it a four couple longways dance.

The 1s change with the 2s, then long cast down as the 3s move up, then do three changes of rights and lefts with the 4s.

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.


Hamstead Heath #2 ~ Quadruple Progression

Hamstead Heath #2 ~ Quadruple Progression is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a Quadruple Minor dance. It is a quadruple progression dance. Originally this was a single progression dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Then turn the 3d Cu. and your Partners as before; then the 2d Cu. and your Partner Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner

Scott Pfitzinger's interpretation is very different from mine.

This dance is very quick, there's a lot of distance to cover in a short amount of time. Just a warning.

The first Cu. lead down to the 4th Cu. the first Man turn the 4th Wo. and the first Wo. turn the 4th Man with her Right-hand and her Partner with her Left Somehow the 1s must cross if M1 is to get to W4 and W1 to M4. Playford doesn't mention this, but presumably it's either at the top, before the lead, or at the bottom, after it. I arbetrarily picked the top.

Playford doesn't tell us which hand the 1st man should use. If he's just lead down then turning by the left makes sense, giving us mirror turns, but then the left hand turn partner doesn't work well. So I have M1 doing a u turn after the lead to face up, and then giving his right hand to W4.

Then we do the same thing with the other two couples, except that after turning the 2s the 1s only need to do a half turn to get proper.

Then cross over every Cu. below the 4th. and take your Partner by both Hands, and draw quite round every Cu. 'till you come to the Top. These instructions are probably directed to the 1s, and "cross over every Cu." means that the 1s should do lots of crosses between the couples, rather than all the couples should cross over.

The second half seems clearer and directed unambiguously at the 1s.

Change Places with the 2d Cu. and cast off, Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner. Usually Playford uses "cast off" to mean "cast down". It is possible that the 1s should chnage on the sides with the 2s, and then cast down with the 3s. That gives us a double progression dance, which seems unlikely for Playford. Well... the rights and lefts might be three times around, and if done with the 3s would return us to a single progression.

Or, more likely, the 1s change with the 2s, and then cast back to the top, and then do three (slow) changes of rights and lefts in 8 bars of music. It seems odd for the first 2/3rds of the dance to be so fast and this last bit so slow...

Or... the rights and lefts could be five changes and if done facing neighbor instead of partner would again get progression right. I like the logic of it, but it fits the music even worse.


But who wants to do a single progression quadruple minor anyway, especially one where the 2s,3s, and 4s do almost nothing. Better to make it quadruple progression, and with this dance it is quite easy, indeed some of the timing problems vanish.

The 1s change with the 2s, then cast down as the 3s move up, then do three changes of rights and lefts with the 4s, and one more change with the 2s below.

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.


Haste to the Wedding ~ Chivers

Haste to the Wedding ~ Chivers is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1821 and published in The Dancer's Guide, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

When I learned to Contra Dance, and later when I learned English Country Dancing, the whole set would begin dancing at once. But that's not how Playford expected people to dance. In his day only the top two couples of a duple minor set (three for a triple minor, of course) would start. After they had danced once the top couple would go down to the next couple(s) below and dance with them. No one started until the top couple reached them.

When the original top couple reached the bottom they would start up the set as 2s. When they reached the top they would stop. But the dance would not. Now the top couple would wait, and the dance would end when each couple had reached its original place. (if there are n couples then this takes 3*n-3 repetitions of the dance in a duple minor, and 4*n-4 in a triple minor (because the 3s do not progress)).

In part this was because the top couple would choose the dance, and would teach it to each couple below by dancing it with them. They did not have walk-throughs beforehand to teach the dance.

There is still a vestige of this style of dancing in Scottish Country's 2 couple dance in a 4 couple set, where only the top two couples dance the first time through.

See Colin Hume's interpretation of Jamaica for a description of how progression worked.

In Playford's day the top couple would have started the dance with the next couple, then they would have progressed to the next, and so on all the way down the set as ones and all the way back up as twos. They would then started the second figure (while other people were still doing the first figure), and again gone all the way down and back, when they would have waited until all the other couples were back to their original places.

I have simplified things here and have no "second figure" (though the full version of this dance does have one) so once they reach the top, they simply wait until everyone else has reached their original places. The progression is rather like a progressive hey or progressive progression.

Unfortunately, Playford never says this specifically, he just assumed everyone knew, however if you read his directions they make more sense if they are directed only to the top two (or three) couples rather than the entire set. Here's an example that I was working on last week so it is fresh in my mind, but there are others: "The first Cu. turns single, then lead down thro' the 2d Cu. and cast up again · The 2d Cu. do the same : Then the three first Cu. go the Hey · The first Cu. cast off and turn Hands ··" from "Masquerade Royal", John Young (Playford's son in law), 1718: Now, why say "the three first Cu." when you mean "all the couples" unless those first three were the only ones dancing at the start?

Another bit of circumstantial evidence: "Pride and Prejudice", Chapter 18, Mr. Darcy + Elizabeth at the Netherfield Ball: "When the dancing recommenced, however, ... They stood for some time without speaking a word" The dancing has started, but they are standing and not dancing. Even if you are out at the bottom you are out for less than a minute (well in almost all dances Fandango might take a bit more), not long enough for standing without talking to be uncomfortable. I suggest they are waiting for the dance to work its way down the set until it gets to them.

The first indisputable evidence I can give comes from "The Dancer's Guide", London, Chivers, 1821: In his description of an improper duple minor (Ecossoises, page 45), he has a diagram of the initial layout of the dance and only the top couple is improper, all the others are proper. This only works if the top foursome is the only one active at the start. He says: "Any number of persons can join, observing that the first couple exchange places (each couple doing the same as they regain the top), and when they get to the bottom, they take their own sides"

In 1857, Thomas Hillgrove in The scholars' companion and ball-room vade mecum (New York) is still specifying this form of progression: This is performed in the same manner as the Country Dance, the ladies and gentlemen being placed in lines opposite to each other. The couple at the top begin the figure.

However, in The Complete Ball-Room Hand-Book, Elias Howe, Boston, 1858 says In forming for Contra Dances, let there be space enough between the ladies' and gentlemen's lines to pass down and up the centre. It is usual for those at the foot of the set to wait until the first couple has passed down, and they have arrived at the head of the set; but there is no good reason why they should so wait, as every fourth couple should commence with the first couple. In other words he is saying that traditional dancers would only begin with the top couple, but there is no reason why the whole line couldn't start at once.

This may reflect a difference in behavior between New York and Boston, (Hillgrove distinguishes between Country Dances and Contra Dances, while Howe says they are two names for the same thing), or just a difference between traditional and innovative behavior.

Finally we get to Cecil Sharp and his description of a minor-set dance in The Country Dance Book, Part 1 (1909):

The top minor-set, headed by the leading couple, opens the dance by performing the complete figure, the rest of the couples being neutral. This results in the exchange of positions between the leading and second couple.

The second round is now danced by the minor-set composed of the second and third couples, of which the second one is the leading couple. The rest of the dancers, including the top one, remain neutral. This brings the leading couple down to third place from the top of the General Set.

In the third round two minor-sets will now participate, namely those consisting, respectively, of the two couples at the top (the second and third of the original set), and of the the third and fourth couples (originally the first and fourth).

However, at the end of the section Sharp adds the comment:

Expert dancers will sometimes constitute themselves into minor-sets for the performance of the first round, and thus avoid the gradual and somewhat tedious opening as above described; that is to say, they will omit the first six rounds in our first illustration and begin with the seventh round.

As far as I can tell, later parts of the The Country Dance Book omit this entirely. So perhaps Sharp changed his mind. And that may mark where this style of starting a dance was lost.


This dance is not particularly interesting in itself. It's major advantage is that it is a 16 bar triple minor so going though all the many iterations of the progression takes as little time as possible. Also because Sharp recorded two different variants of a dance with this name a century later and I wondered what the original might have looked like.

Chivers writes:

Set and change sides — back again — cross over two couple, and lead up one

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.


The Haughs of Cromdale ~ Wilson

The Haughs of Cromdale ~ Wilson is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

The Crib Diagram attributes this dance to Wilson, but I have my doubts.

Wilson, on page 37, writes:

SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
Hands 3 round on the ladies side hands 3 round on the gent: side lead down the middle up again & set to the top Cu:

OR THUS The 1st lady meets & turns the 2d. gent: the 1st. gent: meet & turn the 2d lady lead down the middle up again & allemande

DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' with repeats)
Set & change sides with 2d. Cu: set & back again 1st lady meets and turns the 3d. gent: the 1st. gent: meets & turns the 3d. lady promenade 3 Cu: & whole poussette

Wilson's music consists of 2 four bar strains, both repeated. Wilson's dance is not set to strathspey time.

The RSCDS seems to have picked Wilson's second "Single Figure", for their version of the dance, so that is the one I interpret here.

Wilson's "Allemande" is rather different from the usual regency allemande, but I'm ignoring that. I'm also letting the 2s join in the allemande.

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.


Have at thy Coat, Old Woman

Have at thy Coat, Old Woman is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars. It is in the key: G Major.

Playford writes:
Lead up forward and back, set and turn S That again First cu. lead a D. forward and back to the 2. cross, and turn each the 2. then turn your own in the 2. place ·: Do this Change to the last, the rest following and doing the like.
Sides all, set and turn S. That again First cu. cross over, and go each behind the 2. and peep three times, then then turn your own in the 2. place ·: Do this Change to the last, the rest following and doing the like.
Arms all, set and turn S. That again First cu. cross over and go between the 2. then cross over again like the Figure of 8, falling into the 2. place ·: Do this to the last, the rest following and doing the like.

I am confused by Playford's music here. He says it is in 6/4 time, but everyone else says cut time. Each strain is 4 bars, and Playford gives 8 bars to do "arm right, set and turn single, arm left, set and turn single". I just don't believe it. I think it is more likely the standard sequence takes 16 bars as it always does, and Playford simply didn't notice that the A strain was only 4 bars.

I have organized this dance differently than Playford did. The dance consists of the standard three introductions (up a double, siding, and arming) each followed by set and turn single, and then a progressive sequence. In Playford's day the introduction would be done and then the progressive sequence would run until everyone was back where s/he started, then the next introduction and the next sequence. I treat the introduction and subsequent progressive figure as a unit, and I cycle through the three parts instead of letting each part run to completion.

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.


Hooper's Jigg ~ Duple

Hooper's Jigg ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1751 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 6th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford published the same figure a few years after Johnson, and his work is online. (The RSCDS calls this dance "Hooper's Jig")

Rutherford writes:

The first Couple Clap & cast off & Hands across with the 3d. Cu. Clap & cast up & Hands across with the 2d. Cu. Cross over figure in Right Hand & Left

The music is the standard: two 8 bar strains, each repeated, and as is often the case with Rutherford I find it hard to fit the figures to it. My solution is to make both casts be long casts.

Then there is the problem of what to make of Cross over figure in, The only thing I can think of is a figure eight.

Then there is the question of progression. We could have three changes of rights and lefts to do the progression, but we've got 8 bars for the rights and lefts...

So I'm going to move the progression into the figure eight, and make it a double figure eight (because the 2s have to progress too).

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.


Hooper's Jigg ~ Williams

Hooper's Jigg ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1751 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 6th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford published the same figure a few years after Johnson, and his work is online. (The RSCDS calls this dance "Hooper's Jig")

Rutherford writes:

The first Couple Clap & cast off & Hands across with the 3d. Cu. Clap & cast up & Hands across with the 2d. Cu. Cross over figure in Right Hand & Left

The music is the standard: two 8 bar strains, each repeated, and as is often the case with Rutherford I find it hard to fit the figures to it. My solution is to make both casts be long casts.

Then there is the problem of what to make of Cross over figure in, The only thing I can think of is a figure eight.

Then there is the question of progression. We could have three changes of rights and lefts to do the progression, but we've got 8 bars for the rights and lefts...

So I'm going to move the progression into the figure eight, and make it a double figure eight (because the 2s have to progress too).

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.


Hunt the Squirrel ~ Duple

Hunt the Squirrel ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1709 in The Dancing Master, 14th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2020. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

The tune, also called Hunt the Squirrel, was published in 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 113 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


The Isle of Skye ~ Williams

The Isle of Skye ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

In his Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 2, ~1759, David Rutherford published The Isle of Skie, and dance which begins with "set, cross, set, cross", but the rest of the dance is different. His music consists of 2 four bar strains.

In his Treasures of Terpsichore, 1809, Thomas Wilson published Isle of Sky:

Set and change sides down the middle, up again, and turn your partner

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published a different Isle of Sky:

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

SINGLE FIGURE 1st. strain repeated 2d. played straight thro
The 1st. lady turns the 2d. gent: the 1st. gent: turns the 2d. lady lead down the middle up again & half poussette with the top Cu:

OR THUS The 3 ladies join hands the 3 gent: join hands set and lead thro set & back again lead down the middle up again & set to the top Cu:

Wilson's music consists of a four bar strain (repeated) and an eight bar strain (not repeated).

Wilson defines his lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 of his An Analysis of Country Dancing, and it means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.

The 3s do nothing except take set and cross. I think modern dances would prefer a duple minor.

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.


Jack Pudding ~ Lovelace

The Merry Andrew ~ Lovelace

Jack Pudding ~ Lovelace or The Merry Andrew ~ Lovelace is an English Country Dance. It was found in the Lovelace Manuscript (written somewhere around the 1640s) and later published in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a Custom dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 231. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 72 bars.

Lovelace has a little diagram of how the couples should stand: (1s top left, 2s top right, 3s below and between) and describes the dance as:

In this posture here at the side you shall leade up, and falle backe twice, and the two lowest(?) shall leade the dance, then the lowermost couple shall quitt hands, and goe up a pace to the top the woemen towards the right hand, and the men towards the left and each on his side shall goe round him, that stands uppermost, and come in betweene them and soe both into their places, and there turne round, then the 2 couple at the top shall joyne hands, and goe round, then backe againe into their places;

In the same posture, every man shall side with his woeman, twice, then the woemen standing still, all the men shall fall backe, and come into the midle, and the 3 hold hands all on high, then the woemen shall goe under their armes every woeman about his ----man, and soe all fall backe into their places, then the woemen doe fall backe, and coming into the midle, and the men goe under them as before;

Armes all every one with his mate standing yett in this posture, like before, then the couple that leade shall goe up to the top apace, and the man shall leade his woeman towards his left hand, higher, then that couple that stands towards the left, and then leade her in betweene them both, and then all 4 joyne hands, and goe round once and that couple being left goe, they shall goe into the place, of the couple, that leade the dance, and then doe the like to the other couple; and put them in the place which is on the left hand, and your selfs on the right, and then the other couple doe the like for his part; doing the very same thing putting himself on the right hand, and the couple that leade the dance on the left, and the other couple at the bottome, and then that couple doe the like, soe that att last they shall come all in theire places in doing after this manner;

Playford has his normal diagram for a 3 couple longways set , but that is probably an error on Playford's part. He describes the dance:

First and 2. cu. lead up a D. and fall back, whilest the 3. cu lead up to the top between the other, first and 2. cu. lead up again and back whilst the 3. lead down. Third cu. lead up between the other, and casting off, go on the outside under their arms, cross over and under their arms, and fall to the bottom as at first, then the first four hands and round, and sit whilst the third do as much.

Sides all That again Men round and hold up their hands, we. under their arms and turn their own, we. go round, and each man turn his own.

Arms all That again The 3. cu. lead under the 1. cu. arms and come face to the we. hands you four and round, the 1. cu. fall into the 2(3?). place, the 3. cu. lead under the 2. cu. arms, and hands round, the 3. cu. fall into the 2. and the 2. into the first place

Colin Hume was unaware of the Lovelace Manuscript when he did his interpretation in 1998, so he has dancers start in a standard 3 couple longways formation. I want to see what happens when paying attention to both Playford and Lovelace. Lovelace is even harder (for me) to understand than Playford so I figure I'd better look at Playford too.

The A part of Part 1 is fairly obvious, there is no need to drop hands with people starting in this triangle formation.

Lovelace says "...then the lowermost couple shall quitt hands and goe up a pace to the top, the woemen towards the right hand, and the men towards the left and each on his side shall goe round him, that stands uppermost", this is clearly the same as Playford's "Third cu. lead up between the other, and casting off", but it poses a problem: The "up a double" figure left the 1s+2s in a line across the set, but Lovelace expects one on each side to be uppermost. So while the 3s lead up, the 1s+2s must turn to be parallel to the normal sidelines. Since they are going to be circling soon then need to face in, so that suggests that M1 should move forward and W1 back up while M2 backs up and W2 moves forwards (ending in becket formation).

Playford has the 1s+2s make arches for the 3s. Lovelace doesn't mention this but why not? Playford has the 3s cross and go under both sets of arches, leaving the 3s improper. Lovelace has the 3s go under one arch and fall back to places.

Playford has the top couples circle followed by the bottom couple two hand turning, while Lovelace seems to want these actions to happen simultaneously. It looks as though Lovelace provides movement for 1 B, while Playford gives movement enough for 2. Let's look at the rest of the dance to see what happens in the other parts.

One more thing though, Playford says the top couples "sit" after circling (which presumably means stand still), while Lovelace says that every sub-part should start "In the same posture", or in the same triangular formation. So somehow the top couples must get out of their becket formation after the circle and back into a line across.


The siding is fairly standard.

Playford has the men circling. Lovelace has them fall back and come forward. I presume they fall back a double and come forward the same, so it comes to the same number of bars. Playford says "we. under their arms and turn their own" while Lovelace: "then the woemen shall goe under their armes every woeman about his man, and soe all fall backe into their places". Perhaps Playford's "turn" simply means "turn around their own" rather than a two hand turn.

Then the Women do the same.

So that looks like enough for 2 Bs. I'm going to assume that means the first part also has 2 Bs, and follow Playford's description of it more closely than Lovelace's


The arming is fairly standard.

Playford says the 3s go under the 1s arms, but Lovelace has the 3s lead up between the 1s+2s and then veer left to face the 1s. Everyone agrees that they circle four.

Now Playford says that the 1s fall back into the 2 place (which is currently occupied, so they can't) while Lovelace says the fall back into the place of those that led the dance (the 3s). Colin Hume in his interpretation says that in the English Dancing Master the number might well be a badly printed 3 which subsequent editions misread. Anyway I shall assume that the 1s go to where the 3s started.

Then the 3s go over to the 2s and circle with them, the 3s staying there and the 2s moving to where the 1s were.

And so progression has happened and the dance starts anew.


I know that other people have made interpretations based on Lovelace, I simply haven't found them, so I present my own.

The tune was published by Playford with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Jackey Tarr ~ Duple

Jackey Tarr ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ballroom, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021 and published in Colin Hume's Website. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:
DOUBLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
Hey contrary side Hey on your own side The top Cu: cast off at the same time the 3d. Cu: set & lead up then the top Cu: set & lead up 3d. Cu: cast off to places lead down the middle up again & allemande

When I looked at this I thought it could be a duple, using Gary Roodman's interwoven heys. I'm not sure it there is time for a set before the lead up (in B1), if not that may be omitted. (I write this during COVID and have not had a chance to test the dance). Based on Colin Hume's website, though he does not take credit for it.

The tune was published with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

The animation plays at 97 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Jemmey's Fancy ~ Thompson

Jemmey's Fancy ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. and 2nd. Cu. hands across Left hands back again 1st. Cu. cast off. the Man hands round with the 3rd. and the Wo. with the 2nd. the 1st. Man heys with the 3rd. Cu. and the Wo. with the 2nd. Cu. Set contrary corners and turn lead thro' Bottom & Top and turn

Thompson appears to give 8 bars for hands across, while modern dancers do this in 4.

The set and turn corners leaves the 1s improper, so after they lead through bottom and top they need to turn half to get proper.

That leaves us with 40 bars when Thompson thinks it should take 48. The music consists of two 8 bar strains; I suggest the tune be played AABBB.

On the other hand lead thro' Bottom & Top and turn is something I would think would take 12 bars. I'm going to turn it into 16 by making the "turn" into a right turn followed by a left.

The music consists of two 8 bar strains, the dance needs 48 bars. I suggest AABBAB.

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.


Jenny's Bawbee ~ Wilson

Jenny's Bawbee ~ Wilson is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

A "bawbee" is not, as I had assumed, a baby, but according to Wikipedia it is a small coin, a Scottish sixpence, worth about an English half-penny.

Wilson writes (on page 67):

SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
Set & half right and left with 2d.Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & allemande
OR THUS Hands 6 quite round & back again lead down the middle up again & set to top Cu:
DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' with repeats)
Set & change sides with 2d.Cu: set & back again promenade 3 Cu: whole poussette & whole figure contary corners

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, the RSCDS appears to be following the first SINGLE FIGURE.

The music consists of two 4 bar strains. I assume the music should be played at 2 beats per bar and that " " indicates two repetitions of each strain.

Wilson defines all his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
right and left may be found on pages 39-44 and does not mean what I expect, instead: "2nd corners change by left shoulders, 1st corners right, 2nd corners change back by left, 1st corners by right."
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean going about your partner in a circle. In a later edition of Analysis Wilson adds the phrase "back to back". Wilson does not define a "back to back" figure. His allemande is a bit rounder than a normal back to back but perhaps that is the closest equivalent.
This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.

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.


John Black's Daughter

John Black's Daughter is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in about 1740 in The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 1, 4th Ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

The RSCDS attributes this dance to Johnson (who published it in ~1748), but Walsh published it first.

Walsh writes:

Hey on the Men's side Then foot it to Partners then to sides turn single after Each the the 1st Man turn 3d. Cu. half round and cast up into the 2d Place The Wo. do the same back again change sides and foot it cast up change sides and foot it cast off

The music consists of two 4 bar strains.

If Hey on the Mens side takes up one strain of music, as the first seems to indicate, and the strain is only 4 bars long, then each bar must be 4 counts long (not 2).

I'm going to assume that Hey on the Mens side is an instruction directed to M1 and implies a similar instruction to W1.

There is no obvious place for progression. The 1s need to be near the 3s when M1 turns the 3s. There's no obvious way for progression to happen in a bunch of sets and turn singles, so I'm going to make the progression happen in the hey.

Finally change sides and foot it cast up change sides and foot it cast off. We have 6 movements each of which takes at least 4 counts and we have to fit that in to 16 counts. I'm going to have to throw out two of the movements. If I throw out the two foot it everyone ends where they should

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.


Keppel's Delight

Keppel's Delight is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1780 in Twenty four Country Dances for the year 1780, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Lady Sett to the 2d. Gent: & turn the 3d. Gent: then retreat back to her place The 1st. Gent: Set to the 2d. Lady & turn the 3d. Lady & remain at bottom foot it 3 & 3 top and bottom foot it 3 & 3 sideways Hands Six round

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.


Keppoch's Rant ~ Williams

Keppoch's Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1750 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 5th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Johnson published this in his 5th volume of Country Dances (1750), and Rutherford published essentially the same figure in 1756. The RSCDS credits this dance to Rutherford

Rutherford writes:
Hands four all round with the 2d Couple & cast off The same with the 3d Couple foot it & right Hand & left up into the 2d Couple's Place. & turn your Partner Hands round all six & turn your Partner

Rutherford's music has a 4 bar A part and an 8 bar B, both repeated.

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.


Kiss Quick Mother's A'Coming ~ Williams

Bonny Jocky ~ Williams

Kiss Quick Mother's A'Coming ~ Williams or Bonny Jocky ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1740 in The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 2, 3rd Ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Walsh published Kiss Quick Mother's A'Comeing (sic) in his The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 2, 3rd Ed. ~1740 Given that this is the third edition, the dance may well have appeared earlier but I don't have access to the earlier editions.

Johnson republished it a few years later in his Caledonian Country Dances of ~1748.

In 1735 Walsh a different figure named Kiss me fast my Mother's coming. The Merry Medley, 1749 published yet another figure named Kiss me quick my Mother's coming.

Anyway in 1740 Walsh writes:

Each strain twice

First Man kiss quick the 2d Wo. and cast off and go the whole figure round the 3d Cu. and stand in 2d Cu. place And the 1st Wo. do the same 1st man heys with 3d Cu. at the Bottom and the 1st Wo. heys at top with 2d Cu. at the same time Then 1st Cu. cast up to top and go the whole Figure and cast off into the 2d Cu. place

Music consists of two 8 bar strains both repeated.

In the last figure, Walsh seems to say the 1s should cast up, then do a full figure eight down, and then cast down. That would be very rushed. I agree with the RSCDS that it's better for them just to do the parts of a double full figure eight that start with a cast.

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.


The Knot

The Knot is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1686, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Playford writes:

First man and 1. wo. cross over into the 2. cu place, and go the Figure through the 2. cu. into their own places again, then they cross over below the 3. cu. and go the Figure, and the 1. man turn the 3. wo. and the 1. so. turn the 3. man, and then turn their own then 1. man turn the 2. wo. and 1. wo: the 2. mann, then all four take left hands and turn half round into their places again; The the other cu. do the same over. This to the tune played once over.
Then the 1. man and 1. wo: cast off into the next cu. places, and lead through them round into the their places again, then cast off and lead through them again, and turn his own, then 1. man turn the 2. wo. and 1. wo. the 2 man, and then each turn his own half round into their places again; The rest do the same over.

When Playford says and go the Figure through the 2. cu. into their own places again, he can't mean for the 1s to end up at the top again. He must mean into their progressed places.

I assume all four take left hands and turn half round means left hands across rather than a circle left. We have two left hands across here. If this had been published 50 years later I would be tempted to make the first a right hands across, but I don't think that convention had evolved by 1686.

When Playford draws a horizontal bar across the instructions he usually means a multi part dance. And he seems to be suggesting that when he says This to the tune played once over., but we haven't played the tune once. We've played 32 bars of 48. And while the 1s are proper in the 3s place, the 2s+3s are both improper. So I'm pretty sure the dance does not repeat at this point (as it would in a multipart).

Why cast and lead twice through the same couple? Then the 1. man and 1. wo: cast off into the next cu. places, and lead through them round into the their places again, then cast off and lead through them again, Furthermore, at the end of this the 1s need to be near the 2s so they can turn with them. So I think somewhere in this the 1s must move from 3rd place to 2nd.

Then we have the sequence: and turn his own, then 1. man turn the 2. wo. and 1. wo. the 2 man, and then each turn his own half round into their places again; I am confused by the initial "and turn his own". I prosume this is directed to the 1s alone. There's only time for a half turn, and if the 1s do a half turn then everyone is improper and the 1s won't be turning opposite sex 2s on the next figure. So I'm going to leave that call out, and then change the final then each turn his own half round into their places again to a four bar turn which will everyone will do, leaving all couples proper.

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.


Lady Baird's Reel ~ Williams

Lady Baird's Reel ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published Lady Bairds Reel:

SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Set & change sides with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:

OR THUS The 1st. lady lead down the 2d. gent: the 1st. gent: lead down the 2d. lady lead down the middle with your partner up again & set to the top Cu:
DOUBLE FIGURE Tune played twice thro with repeats
Promenade 3 Cu: whole poussette set 3 across set 3 in your places & the double triangle

Wilson's music consists of two 4 bar strains, both repeated. The RSCDS chose to interpret the DOUBLE FIGURE so the music should be played AABBAABB.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, 3rd Edition.

  1. promenade 3 Cu: is defined on page 18 and means that all three couples take promenade hold and, with the 1s leading, travel in a counter-clockwise elipse around and back to places.
  2. whole poussette is defined on page 15 and means: "top two couples join hands with partner, circle, counter-clockwise, one and a half times around the other couple to change places with them."
    Note: this is unlike a normal English Poussette as the couples travel once and a half around each other rather than once. And is quite different from the Scottish Poussette.
  3. set 3 across & set 3 in your places is defined on page 21 and means: "L1 moves between the 2s as M1 moves between 3s, then the lines of three across set, then L1 moves back to her place and M1 back to his, and then lines of three on the sides set to each other.
  4. the double triangle is defined on page 113 and means: "the middle couple loop first corner right shoulder pass outside partner's place, then loop 2nd corner right shoulder and return to place.
    This is completely different from the RSCDS version of double triangles.

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.


Lady Harriet Hope's Reel ~ Williams

Lady Harriet Hope's Reel ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published Lady Harriet Hope's Reel:, wherein he writes:

SINGLE FIGURE (1st. strain repeated 2d. played straight thro')
Swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left lead thro the bottom & half poussette with top Cu:

OR THUS Set & hands across quite round with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the mid: up again & right & left with top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' as marked)
Set ¿3? hands 6 round & back again whole figure at top lead down the middle up again set to top & whole figure contrary corners

The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain. The RSCDS has picked the third figure (the one marked "DOUBLE FIGURE") which means the music should be played AABAAB. " " indicates two repetitions of a of the first strain, and " " indicates one repetition of the second (each accounting for 8 bars of music).

Wilson defines most of his figures in his Analysis of Country Dancing, but he does not define what he means by set 3 hands 6 round & back again. It seems unlikely that he would have people do two bars of setting, then three bars circling left and three right; the RSCDS's suggestion of set, circle left half, set, circle right half seems better.

The RSCDS has changed the first figure eight into a reel of four.

Wilson's lead down the middle up again takes only four bars, not the 6 given to it by the RSCDS and doesn't involve changing sides. Wilson's set should be for four bars, not two (he liked things in four bar chunks).

Wilson's whole figure contrary corners means half figure eight down around the 3s then half figure eight up around the 2s (see his description). The RSCDS has turned this into a finishing reel with a cross by the right.

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.


Lady Jane Murray's Rant ~ Williams

Lady Jane Murray's Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in about 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

The RSCDS spells the title "Lady Jean Murray's Rant".

Rutherford writes (in dance 139)

The first Man casts off, & the 2d Woman casts up at the same time & turns The first Wo. and 2d Man does the same Hands a cross with the 2d Couple & back again Foot to your Partner & right Hands & Left

The music consists of 2 four bar phrases, each presumably played at 4 counts per bar.

I have changed Foot to your Partner into "Set to your neighbor" to make the dance flow better.

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.


Lady Lye near Me

Lady Lye near Me is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars. It is in the key: F Major.

Spelled variously: "Lady lye near me" and "Lady lye neare mee".

Playford writes:
Lead up forwards and back That again Set and turn S. That again

First two on each side hands and go back, meet again Go each behind the 2 and turn your own in the 2. place; Do thus to the last, &c.

Sides all, that again Set and turn S. That again

First man and 2. wo. meet and take right hands The other as much Go have round, change places with your own in the co. place Thus to the last

Arms all That again Set and turn S. That again

First cu. meet, turn back to back Go from each other, faces again Meet again, take both hands, slip between the 2. cu. and fall back; Do this to the last, the rest following

I have organized this dance differently than Playford did. The dance consists of the standard three introductions (up a double, siding, and arming) each followed by set and turn single, and then a progressive sequence. In Playford's day the introduction would be done once and then the progressive sequence would run until everyone was back where s/he started, then the next introduction and the next sequence. I treat the introduction and subsequent progressive figure as a unit, and I cycle through the three parts instead of letting each part run to completion.

The tune is a little odd, it is AAB for the introductory figures, and AA (or one B) for the progressive figures (Scott Pfitzinger says AB for the progressive figure, but there is usually only 8 bars of movement in those figures, not 12, Playford also implies a both an A and B here, but there just isn't enough movement to fill it up).

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.


Lady Mary Douglas

Lady Mary Douglas is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published Lady Mary Douglas:, wherein he writes:

SINGLE FIGURE Tune played straight thro and Da Capo
Whole figure at top lead down the middle up again turn your partner & lead outsides

OR THUS Cross over 2 Cu: cross up 1 Cu: towards the top and half figure round the top Cu: & the double triangle

DOUBLE FIGURE Tune played twice thro and Da Capo
Hey on your own sides chain figure 6 round lead down the middle up again lead thro the top Cu: whole figure round the bottom Cu: turn corners whole figure contrary corners

The music consists of 2 eight bar strains and is marked Da Capo. In his Introduction, Thomas Wilson defines Da Capo which signifies, after the Parts that compose the tune are played through, the first is played again. The RSCDS has chosen the DOUBLE FIGURE which means the music should be played ABABAA (I think). " " indicates a strain.

Wilson defines his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.

  • Hey on your own sides is only defined as part of "Hey Contrary Sides, and Hey of your own Sides" on page 83 and he shows a mirror/reflection hey.
  • Chain figure of six may be found on page 78 of the 3rd edition of the Analysis (1811). The top couple face their partner, as the others face their neighbor then everyone does rights and lefts until they return to where they started. Wilson does not specify how to fit the 6 changes into 8 bars of music.
  • lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
  • lead thro the top Cu: is half of through bottom and top on page 23 and means "the active couple take hands, lead above the top, drop hands, and cast up to their own places.
  • whole figure round the bottom Cu: is defined as whole figure at top (that is when the 1s are at top so they figure through the couple below them) may be found on pages 12-13 and means "the active lady starts and crosses down, looping around the man below her then she again cross between the couple below, looping around the woman below and casts up to her own place. The active man starts a little after her and mirrors her motions, looping the woman below and then the man below."
  • turn corners may be found on pages 28-32 and appears to mean: the 1s pass partner right shoulder to turn first corners with both hands, then pass each other right shoulder to turn second corners (presumably again with both hands, though Wilson does not specify), finally passing each other left to return to places.
  • whole figure contrary corners is found on page 104 of the 3rd edition of the Analysis (1811). Rather awkwardly, Wilson provides two different (contradictory) directions. In the first "the 1s cross down, W1 in front of M1, W1 around M3, M1 around W3, then cross up, W1 around W2, M1 around M2, and return home". In the second the "1s cross up, W1 around M2, M1 around W2, then cross down W1 around W3, M1 around M3, and return home.

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.


Lady McIntosh's Rant

Lady McIntosh's Rant is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 12 bars.

Rutherford writes:

Cast off one Couple Cast up Again Lead down two Couples up again, foot it foot it & cast off Right Hand and Left

Rutherford's music consists of a two bar strain and a four bar strain, I presume it is meant to be played a 4 counts per bar.

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.


The Lady's Triumph ~ Walsh

The Lady's Triumph ~ Walsh is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1719 in The Compleat Country Dancing-Master, Book 2, 1st ed, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

An early version of The Triumph.

I only have access to the 4th edition of Walsh's Compleat. This dance probably appeared earlier.

Walsh writes:

Each strain twice

The 1st Cu. set and cast off into the 2d. Cu. Place The same back again Then go thro the 2d and 3d Cu. and turn your Partner in the 2d Cu. Place Figure through the 2d Cu. and turn your Partner

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.


Lamb Skinnet ~ Thompson

Lamb Skinnet ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. cast off half Figure with the 2nd. Cu. cast off half Figure with the 3rd. Cu. lead up to the Top Foot it cast off Right and Left

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.


The Lasses of Dunse ~ Duple

The Lasses of Dunse ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1742 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 2nd, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

The RSCDS interpretation seems basically the same as the original, see that for a triple minor version. The 3s just act as posts, so I think modern dancers would prefer a duple minor version.

Johnson and Rutherford published essentially the same figure. Johnson did so earlier than Rutherford, but Rutherford is available online.

Rutherford writes:
The first Man Cast of and the second Woman Casts up at the same time, and turns The second Man and first Woman does the same Lead Down two Couple foot it and half Figure with the third Couple Lead up to the top foot it and half Figure with the second Couple

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.


The Lassie in the Yellow Coatie

The Lassie in the Yellow Coatie is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1742 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 2nd, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Although Johnson published this first, Rutherford published the same figure a few years later and his book is online.

Rutherford writes:
The first Couple casts of two Couple cast up again Cross over & half figure right hand and Left quite round with the second Couple foot it Corners and turn foot it the other Corners and turn Lead through the Mens side and turn your Partner Lead through the Womens side and turn it out

Rutherford's description seems clear, the only qualms I have are that he is trying to pack too much movement into too little time. Each strain is only 4 bars, and doing a cross, cast down, half figure eight all in four bars sounds a little tight to me.

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.


Leister House

Leister House is an English Country Dance. It was devised by T. Davis in 1748 and published in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1748, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Both Walsh and Davis published the same words and same tune in the same year. Walsh in Caledonian Country Dances, Vol II. Part I (dance 84) and Davis in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1748. I have no idea which should be given credit for being the first to publish the dance. Davis claims his dances were "never danced before they were printed", while Walsh says his dances were "in Vogue". If these claims are true, then Davis published first.

Davis writes:

First Cu. foot it and cast off one Cu. & turn. the 2d Cu do the same Cast off & lead up a Breast with the 2d. Cu. & cast off into the 2d Couple's Place & Right Hand & left all Round

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.


Linnen Hall

Linnen Hall is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1779, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Thompson writes:

Right hands across Left hands back again lead down two Cu up again and cast off turn your Partner with your right hand the same with your Left hand Lead thro' the bottom come up one Cu lead thro' the top & cast off lead outsides

I am confused by the music. The music printed with the dance is a 32 bar AABB jig. But the dance instructions seem to call for AABBCC.

I am not sure how to interpret the final instruction: "lead outsides". Given that it is followed by both I assume it is supposed to take 16 bars (twice through the unprinted C music). Wilson prints a description of "lead outsides" in An Analysis of Country Dancing on page 51. I'm not sure I fully understands what he describes, but I don't see how it can be stretched out to 16 bars. So I'm going to assume the unprinted C section of the music is only 4 bars.

Even so there seems an excessive amount of music. So rather than use what I think Wilson describes, I shall use the description for "Lead out at sides" found in American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era by Keller & Sweet, 1976, published by CDSS.

The 3s do nothing and the 2s very little. Modern dancers would probably prefer a three couple version.

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.


Linnen Hall ~ 3 Couple

Linnen Hall ~ 3 Couple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1779, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 312. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Thompson writes:

Right hands across Left hands back again lead down two Cu up again and cast off turn your Partner with your right hand the same with your Left hand Lead thro' the bottom come up one Cu lead thro' the top & cast off lead outsides

I am confused by the music. The music printed with the dance is a 32 bar AABB jig. But the dance instructions seem to call for AABBCC.

I am not sure how to interpret the final instruction: "lead outsides". Given that it is followed by both I assume it is supposed to take 16 bars (twice through the unprinted C music). Wilson prints a description of "lead outsides" in An Analysis of Country Dancing on page 51. I'm not sure I fully understands what he describes, but I don't see how it can be stretched out to 16 bars. So I'm going to assume the unprinted C section of the music is only 4 bars.

Even so there seems an excessive amount of music. So rather than use what I think Wilson describes, I shall use the description for "Lead out at sides" found in American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era by Keller & Sweet, 1976, published by CDSS.

The 3s do nothing and the 2s very little. Modern dancers would probably prefer a three couple version.

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.


Lochiel's Rant ~ Williams

Lochiel's Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

On page 64 Rutherford writes:

The first Man sets to the 2d Wo. & turns her with his right Hand & his partner with his Left First Wo. does the same Lead down between the 2d Cou. & without Side the 3d. turn your Partner, lead up to the Top, foot it & cast off foot it Corners & turn foot it ye other Corners & turn yr. own Partner class="udot2">··

The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar one. They both need to be played at four counts per bar to fit in all the movements.

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.


Lord Dalkeith's Reel

Lord Dalkeith's Reel is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Ignatius Sancho in 1779 and published in Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779. Set for the Harpsichord, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Sancho writes:

Right hands across Left hands back again the two Gentn. lead thro' between the two Ladies the two Ladies lead thro' between the two Gentn. Cross over one Cu. Right and Left at top

The music consists of three 4 bar strains.

I shall assume the Cross over one Cu. includes the 1s two hand turning half to become proper.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by the Odd Sundays Garage Band (Judy Linsenberg, Shira Kammen and Patti Cobb). The music is used with permission from the Odd Sundays Garage Band.

The animation plays at 106 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Lord Hume's Reel ~ Williams

Lord Hume's Reel ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published Lord Hume's Reel, wherein he writes:

SINGLE FIGURE (1st. strain repeated 2d. played straight thro')
The 1st. lady leads down the 2d. gent: the 1st. gent: leads down the 2d. lady lead your partner down the middle up again & right & left with top Cu:

OR THUS Set & half right & left with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & set to the top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' as marked)
Hands 3 round with 2d. lady hands 3 round with 2d. gent: lead down the middle up again allemande set 3 across set 3 in your places lead thro the bottom & chain figure 4 round with top Cu:

The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain. The RSCDS has picked the third figure (the one marked "DOUBLE FIGURE") which means the music should be played AABAAB. " " indicates two repetitions of a of the first strain, and " " indicates one repetition of the second (each accounting for 8 bars of music).

Wilson defines his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing. Many of them mean what you expect, but a few are surprising:

  1. lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" So this involves progression, and it only takes 4 bars. Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
  2. allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean going about your partner in a circle. In a later edition of Analysis Wilson adds the phrase "back to back". Wilson does not define a "back to back" figure. His allemande is a bit rounder than a normal back to back but perhaps that is the closest equivalent. Note this is not progressive and only takes four bars.
    This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
  3. set 3 across & set 3 in your places is only described as "set three in their places and set three across" (opposite order) and is found on pages 76-77, and means: "Two lines of three across set, the ones move to their own places, everyone sets again." This takes 8 bars. Wilson does not say whether they take hands when setting. Wilson does not indicate whether the corners set when the 1s move.
  4. Chain figure for four may be found on page 76 of the 3rd edition of the Analysis (1811) and boils down to what anyone else would call rights and lefts. This takes four bars.

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.


The Machine without Horses ~ Rutherford

The Machine without Horses ~ Rutherford is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Rutherford in 1772 in Twelve Selected Country Dances for the Year 1772, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:
The 1st. Cu. cast off one Cu. right hands across with the 3d. Cu cast up and left hands across with the 2d. Cu. lead down between the 3d. Cu. the 2d. Cu. follows cast up into your own places cross over one Cu. right & left

Everything except B2 is pretty clear: cross over one Cu. right & left, everyone starts B2 in their proper places, when the 1s cross and go below they become improper, to become proper again they must face their neighbors and do three changes of R+L. But this means the 2s must also be improper after the cross go below, and Rutherford doesn't suggest any way for them to get there. So I have inserted a two hand turn half. Putting in a cross after the lead up would work as well.

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.


The Maid in the Mill

The Maid in the Mill is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1698 in The Dancing Master, 10th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Playford writes:
The 1. cu. cast off below the 2. cu. lead up all four hands a Breast; then all four hands half round, then right and left with your Partners till the 1. cu. come into the 2. cu. place.

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.


Mall Peatly ~ Williams

Moll Peatly

Moll Peatley

Mall Peatly ~ Williams or Moll Peatly is an English Country Dance. It was found in the Lovelace Manuscript (written somewhere around the 1640s) and later published in The Dancing Master, 4th ed.. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 2341. It is a multipart dance. The minor set lasts 74 bars.

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forward and back That again First man set to the first wo. then to the second, and Hey with the two last we. and stay in the last place, the last man at the same time setting to the two last we. Hey with the two first, and stay in first place This back to your places

Sides all That again This as before, the first and last we. doing it as the men did before

Arms all That again The first man and wo. do this as before, and stay in the last place Or do this back again, cast off and meet below

Lovelace writes:

You must first lead up twice, and then the first man, and last man set to theire owne woemen, and then to theire next; (as with the first man to the 2 woemen; and the last man to the 3rd woeman,) and then the first man dances the Heyes with the 2 lowest woemen, and the lowest man with the 2 uppermost woemen; and then the first man shall be last, and the last first, and then (by?) setting againe, and dancing the Hay, theye shall come both backe againe in their owne places:

And then all sides twice; and then the first, and last woeman doing as the men did aforesayd, that after having set to 1 and 3 at both ends, then dance that hay above, and below, at both ends as afforesayd, and then back again, like as the men have d(xxx) before, them, (like as the last men have before xxx), did dance the hey with the 2 up xxx irst woemmen, set the last woemen or foremost man xx (shall?) xxxxxxxxxxxxx the latter:

All doe arme, or halfe turne, and then the man doe like as he did att first, and soe on as you please:

The first two parts are the same as Sharp's interpretation. In the third part I try to follow Playford more closely, making that part progressive. Note that Lovelace's third part is not progressive, it is simply a copy of the first.

This dance is unusual for Playford, he actually gives options. I'm following the first one.

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.


Marchioness of Blandford's Reel ~ Williams

Marchioness of Blandford's Reel ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by William Campbell in about 1795 in Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Campbell writes:

1st. Cu set & change sides Back again — Lead down the middle up again to the top then 1st. & 2d. Cu hands across half round back again — Poussette quite round with the 2d. Cu hands 6 round Allemande.

Where does Campbell mean the progression to happen?

set & change sides Back again is not progressive.

What about Lead down the middle up again to the top? The "up again to top" does sound as if it returns the 1s to their original places. Yet if you look at Campbell's The new German Waltze (also in book 10) you will see him use those same words where that is the only move which could be progressive.

So I conclude that neither Poussette quite round nor Allemande is progressive.

Campbell's hands 6 round suggests a triple minor but all the other figures are either for the 1s+2s or the 1s alone, Changing the circle six to circle four easily makes for a duple minor.

Normally a command Allemande would only be addressed to the 1st couple, but this dance is so symmetrical (at least when viewed as a duple minor) that I think it should be extended to the 2s as well.

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.


Margravine's Waltz

Margravine's Waltz is an English Country Dance. It was published by Preston in 1799 in Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1799, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Preston says:

Turn your Partner with the Right hand quite round turn back with your Left hand lead down two Cus & foot it lead back again to the 2d Cus place Hands 6 half round Hands 6 back again

The music gives three 8 bar strains, A, B, and C. The description above shows a 48 bar (AABBCC) dance. But 8 bars to do a hand turn? That seems very slow, especially in a waltz. Bare Necessities performs this for Drapers' Gardens and plays 32 bars (AABC), but even that seems too long. I see figures which account for 24 bars (and even that will be slow as this is a waltz).

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album Simple Pleasures. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.

The animation plays at 115 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


The Marlborough - Playford

The Marlborough - Playford is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1706 in The Dancing Master, 13th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Man and 2. Wo. sett to each other, and then Figure the whole Figure round their own Partners The other two do the same Then 1. Man turn the 2. wo. cross with the Minuet Step, the other two do the same; then Hands quite round; then turn Hands, sides half round, and back again; the first Couple being at the top, both cast off and turn.

The music is a medley. The A strain is 12 bars of reel. The B strain is 4 bars of minuet, and the C is 16 bars of minuet. Playford says all strains twice, but that's too much music for the dance. In the Neal collection the same tune has the C strain once and that seems likely to be what was intended. Each Strain is to be play'd twice over. is a stock phrase Playford probably inserted without thought.

At the end of the A sections everyone is back where they started. At the end of the B sections everyone is progressed and improper. Then Playford says then Hands quite round; then turn Hands, sides half round, and back again; the first Couple being at the top. Only after a circle round and two half turns over and back, everyone is where they were at the end of the B sections — with the 1s at the bottom not at the top.

So I shall change the then Hands quite round; to a half circle. But that only takes 2 bars, so I'll add a fall back, come forward.


The first Duke of Marlborough, was John Churchill, the title a gift from Queen Anne in 1702 for his military triumphs on the Continent over the French. After the Battle of Blenheim, 1704, again with the assistance of the Crown, he built Blenheim Palace. His wife fell out of favor with the queen and he exiled himself to the Continent, not returning to favor until George I took the throne in 1714.

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.


Masquerade Royal ~ 3 Couple, Williams

Temple Barr ~ Williams

Masquerade Royal ~ 3 Couple, Williams or Temple Barr ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1718 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, 3rd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 312. The minor set lasts 30 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: The first Strain twice, and the last but once.

First four Hands half found and Foot it, then the other half round and Foot it, then lead to the Wall and back again, then all four turn fingle, then lead up and back again, then the first Couple slippig down into the second Couples Place, turn Hands round.

Or thus: The first Cu. turns single, then lead down thro' the 2d Cu. and cast up again The 2d Cu. do the same Then the three first Cu. go the Hey The first Cu. cast off and turn Hands

Playford rarely gives choices but he (well, John Young) does here - providing both a duple and triple minor choreography. Bolton and the Kennedies ignored the triple minor, so I throught I'd present it.

Published in 1718 as Masquerade Royal, the plate was duplicated in 1726 under the name Temple Barr.

In the A section Young provides 6 bars of movement to fill 8 bars of music.

Now setting and turning single will eat up 2 bars of music but leave the dancer in the same place. Setting would break up the flow of the dance, in my opinion, and Young already has a turn single in the movements

Or instead of inserting an extra figure, could we make the lead and cast take longer? Suppose the 1s led down through the 3s rather than turning after the 2s. Of course when the 2s do the mirror pattern they are leading up through the 3s in another minor set, so that's unlikely to be something Young would suggest.

Throwing in something like "partner two hand turn half" could be done but seems far too great a change to make.

So the least worst option, it seems to me is to make the 1s lead through the 3s.

Now in a 3 couple dance having the 2s zoom out of the set seems a bad idea, why not make the 3s active instead? And if the 3s have finished A2 by moving it makes sense for them to start the mirror hey, not the 1s. Which means they should do the cast...

(I had not found Andrew Shaw's interpretation when I originally made this. I see he felt the best option was adding a turn single.)

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.


Masquerade Royal ~ Triple, Williams

Temple Barr ~ Williams

Masquerade Royal ~ Triple, Williams or Temple Barr ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1718 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, 3rd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 30 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: The first Strain twice, and the last but once.

First four Hands half found and Foot it, then the other half round and Foot it, then lead to the Wall and back again, then all four turn fingle, then lead up and back again, then the first Couple slippig down into the second Couples Place, turn Hands round.

Or thus: The first Cu. turns single, then lead down thro' the 2d Cu. and cast up again The 2d Cu. do the same Then the three first Cu. go the Hey The first Cu. cast off and turn Hands

Playford rarely gives choices but he (well, John Young) does here - providing both a duple and triple minor choreography. Bolton and the Kennedies ignored the triple minor, so I throught I'd present it.

Published in 1718 as Masquerade Royal, the plate was duplicated in 1726 under the name Temple Barr.

In the A section Young provides 6 bars of movement to fill 8 bars of music.

Now setting and turning single will eat up 2 bars of music but leave the dancer in the same place. Setting would break up the flow of the dance, in my opinion, and Young already has a turn single in the movements

Or instead of inserting an extra figure, could we make the lead and cast take longer? Suppose the 1s led down through the 3s rather than turning after the 2s. Of course when the 2s do the mirror pattern they are leading up through the 3s in another minor set, so that's unlikely to be something Young would suggest.

Throwing in something like "partner two hand turn half" could be done but seems far too great a change to make.

So the least worst option, it seems to me is to make the 1s lead through the 3s.

(I had not found Andrew Shaw's interpretation when I originally made this. I see he felt the best option was adding a turn single.)

After that, since the 2s are in motion at the end of A2 it seems a morris hey is more appropriate than a grimstock hey.

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.


Maxwill's Rant

Mazwell's Rant ~ Williams

Maxwill's Rant or Mazwell's Rant ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1748 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 4th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Although Johnson published this first, Rutherford published the same figure a few years later and his book is online.

Rutherford writes:

Hey Contrary sides Hey on your own sides Cross over and half figure Lead through the 3d. and Cast up into the 2d. Couple's place and turn it out

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.


Maxwill's Rant ~ Duple

Maxwill's Rant ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:

Hey Contrary sides Hey on your own sides Cross over and half figure Lead through the 3d. and Cast up into the 2d. Couple's place and turn it out

Aside from the heys the 2s&3s do very little. Making it a duple minor means they spend half as much time doing little. The only problem is that mirror heys seem to require at least three couples in the minor set, but Gary Roodman's interwoven heys provide a solution to that.

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.


The Milk-maid's Bob

The Milke-Mayds Bobb

The Milk-maid's Bob or The Milke-Mayds Bobb is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Spelled variously: "The Milke-Mayds Bobb", "The Milk Maids Bob", "The Milk-Maid's Bob" and "The Milk-maid's Bob".

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forwards and back That again First four the S. Hey, while the last four do the like

Sides all, that again First cu. slip between the 2. while the 3. do the like with the last, change places with your own That again

Arms all That again First man change places with the 2. wo. taking by the right hand, change places with the 2. man, the 3. man doing the like, then the other four as much That again

In the first part First four the S. Hey, what is meant by "S. Hey"? Playford's index of abbreviations says that "S." means "Single" but that doesn't seem meaningful in this context. In other places S. Hey is usually converted into a straight hey. Scott Pfitzinger suggests that it means a "circular hey", but I think Playford would call that "rights and lefts" instead, as far as I know Sharp invented the term "circular hey" to describe "rights and lefts", I don't think Playford would consider that a hey. So I think it probably means a linear hey for four people.

Now who starts it and how is it oriented? Playford provides no help.

I'm going to suggest that the hey be on the second corner diagonal and that 1st corners start it by passing left shoulders. Merely because I like the idea.

The second part is pretty straight forward.

The third part is progressive, but it's not well described. The first corners change, then M1+M2 change. Then the other four as much. OK, I'd expect that to be W1+M2 change on the 2nd diagonal. But M2 isn't on the that diagonal, M1 is. We can't change W1+M1, then the progression fails. So I guess W1+M2 change on the side? Then we'd expect W1 to change with M1, except their already proper while the 2s are improper. So here's what I think:

  • 1st corners change
  • M1+M2 change
  • W1+M2 change
  • 2s change

It would be cleaner to say:

  • 1st corners change
  • 2nd corners change
  • 1s change
  • 2s change

But that's not what Playford said.

Playford says this dance is Longways for eight, but this progression isn't a good progression for 4 couples. If you do it again you get hack where you started. For 4 couples you want a progression that takes 4 interations to get back where you started.

On the other hand the dance looks like a duple minor dance, and the progression is a duple minor progression. Playford, never uses the term "duple minor", that was another of Sharp's inventions, and it is different from duple minors of Playford's day in that both minorsets start at once, while Playford would only have the top minorset active.

I'm going to treat this as a duple minor dance for four couples. Nothing in Playford's description contradicts that.

Another approach might be to alter the progression so that it works as a standard 4 couple progression...

  • M1/W2, M3/W4 change
  • M1/W4 change
  • W1/M2, W3/M4 change
  • W1/M4, 2s, 3s change

Which works... but the last instruction looks too confusing to me.

I'm not sure what the word bob means in the title. Perhaps it is related to the "bob" in changeringing where the permutation is altered slightly to ring all the changes.

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.


Millison's Jigg ~ Williams

Millison's Jigg ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 231. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: D Major.

Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forwards and back That again First man take his wo. by both hands and four slips up, and stand, the 2. as much, the 3. as much, turn all S Third Cu. four slips down, the 2. as much, first as much turn all single

Sides all That again First Cu. change places, the 2. as much, 3. as much, turn S. Third Cu. change places, the 2. as much, first as much turn all single

Arms all That again First man change places with the 2. wo. first wo. change with 2. the last change with his own, turn S. First man change with the last wo. first wo. change with the last man, tother change turn single

The tune was published with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

The animation plays at 113 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Miss Clemy Stewart's Reel - Williams

Miss Clemy Stewart's Reel - Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

[1st man] casts off & turns the 3d woman then the 1st woman the same, then cross hands above & below, the 1st pair sets cross & reels at the sides.

The RSCDS likes its finishing reels, but I see nothing to indicate that the reels are on the opposite side, nor that the 1s should cross after it.

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.


Miss Devon's Reel

Miss Devon's Reel is an English Country Dance. It was devised by D. Mackenzie in 1795 and published in Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

The RSCDS attributes this dance to William Campbell, and he did publish it, but he attributes the dance to "D. Mackenzie".

On page 17 of book 10, Campbell writes:

The 1st. & 2d. Cu Reel on the Ladys side the same on the Gents. side the 1st. Cu. lead down the middle up again to the top and Allemande.

The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain. I assume it is intended to be played AABB; though given the structure of the dance BBAA seems a more reasonable assignment.

I think the RSCDS's interpretations of the reels is unlikely, given how crowded that would make the duple minor set.

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.


Miss Dolland's Delight

Miss Dolland's Delight is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1765, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thmmpson writes:

First Man set to the 2d Wo: & turn first Eo: do the same with the 2d Man lead down 2 Cu: & cast up one Right & left

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.


Miss Nancy Frowns ~ Johnson

Miss Nancy Frowns ~ Johnson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in about 1752, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

May be found in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library online collection: Johnson Vol. 8.

Johnson writes:

First and 2d. Cu. foot Partners then foot sideways Cross over 2 Cu. Lead up to the Top and cast off the Man whole figure at Bottom and Wo. the same at top at the same time Hands across at Bottom Right and Left at Top

The original music consists of a 4 bar A strain and an 8 bar B strain. The A music appears to be repeated twice, the B 4 times (which is kind of weird so I may have it wrong).

Johnson's book is undated, Robert Keller provides 1752 as a date. The RSCDS attributes this dance to Thompson, 1755, but Johnson probably published the figure (the same words even) earlier.

The RSCDS has changed Cross over 2 Cu. Lead up to the Top and cast off (which means, 1s cross by right, go below 2s, cross by left, go below 3s, then lead up and cast down) into a weaving pattern through the other couples which catches the spirit of the movement if not the exact nature of it.

They also changed the figure of eights into reels, which basically follow the same tracks for the 1s but give the others something to do.

Finally they have changed Right and Left at Top to a "left hands across". The right and left would have needed to fit into four bars, instead of the normal 8, and 70% of the time Johnson follows a right hands across with a left hands back, so RSCDS may be right to consider this a misprint.

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.


Money in Both Pockets - Preston

Money in Both Pockets - Preston is an English Country Dance. It was published by Preston in 1793, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars. Someone thought this dance was Easy.

Preston writes (1793):
The 1st & 2d Cus foot it & change sides Foot it & change sides back again Lead down the middle up again & cast off · Right & left at top ··

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.


Mrs. Wilson's Hornpipe

Mrs. Wilson's Hornpipe is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In Treasures of Terpischore, Wilson, 1809, he published a danced called "Wilson's Hornpipe". In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, he published "Mrs. Wilson's Hornpipe." I cannot find any dance of his called "Mr. Wilson's Hornpipe". "Mrs. Wilson's Hornpipe"'s figure is closest to the RSCDS version. Wilson writes:

SINGLE FIGURE Tune played straight thro
Set & change sides with 2d. Cu: & back again lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:

OR THUS Cast off 2 Cu: & back again swing with right hands round the 2d. Cu: & allemande

DOUBLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Hey contrary sides Hey on your own sides lead down the middle up again lead thro the top Cu: set 3 across & set 3 in your places

OR THUS The 1st. Cu: cast off at the same time the 3d Cu: set & lead up then the 3d cast off & the 1st set & lead up to places. set & change places with the 2d. Cu: turn your partner set contrary corners hands 4 round at bottom & half poussette with the top Cu:

The music consists of 2 eight bar strains. The RSCDS figure matches the last figure (the OR THUS of the DOUBLE).

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, 3rd Edition. in this dance all the figures are pretty self-explanatory. The only two I shall reference are:

  1. half poussette, as the RSCDS's version of poussette is rather different from Wilson's. It may be found on page 14 and means: "top two couples join hands with partner, circle (as a couple), counter-clockwise, around the other couple returning to their original places."
  2. and set contrary corners defined on pages 44-46 "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back.

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.


Mungo's Delight

Mungo's Delight is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Ignatius Sancho in 1779 and published in Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779. Set for the Harpsichord, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Sancho writes:

Turn your Partner with the Right hand foot it turn back with the Left hand Lead down 2 Cu. up again and cast off turn opposite Corners Lead out sides

The music consists of two 8 bar strains.

Most of the interpretations I have seen have the 1s turning half -- fractions are often left out of the original descriptions. They then change "foot it" into a two bar set, and insert another set at the end of the left turn. But "foot it" is often 4 bars so perhaps what is intended is two bars of turning, four bars of setting and two more bars of turning? Or could it be a right turn three quarters followed by two bars of setting, and a left turn three quarters. I doubt that was what Sancho intended, but I find it interesting.

I know of four very different meanings for "lead out sides".

The first was used by Keller & Sweet in A Choice Selection of American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era, in it the 1s meet in the center, take hands and lead out between the women, cast away from each other, looping around the corner, meet again in center, lead out between men cast away, loop corners and return home.

The second is defined by Wilson in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, page 51, in it the 1s again meet in the center, lead to between the men, turn around, lead to between the women, turn around, lead back to center, where he leaves them.

The third involves having everyone face out, lead out, turn and lead back.

The fourth meaning was used by Bernard Bentley in The Happy Pair where the 1s start between the women, lead out in a line of four with them, turn and lead back, the 1s two hand turn moving to the men's line, stand between them and lead out with them in a line of four with them, turn, and lead back.

The first seems more interesting to me, and the best use of 8 bars of music.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by the Odd Sundays Garage Band (Judy Linsenberg, Shira Kammen and Patti Cobb). The music is used with permission from the Odd Sundays Garage Band.

The animation plays at 103 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Mungo's Delight ~ Duple

Mungo's Delight ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Ignatius Sancho in 1779 and published in Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779. Set for the Harpsichord, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Sancho writes:

Turn your Partner with the Right hand foot it turn back with the Left hand Lead down 2 Cu. up again and cast off turn opposite Corners Lead out sides

The music consists of two 8 bar strains.

Most of the interpretations I have seen have the 1s turning half, and "half" left out. They then turn "foot it" into a two bar set, and insert another set at the end of the left turn. But "foot it" is often 4 bars so perhaps what is intended is two bars of turning, four bars of setting and two more bars of turning? Or could it be a right turn three quarters followed by two bars of setting, and a left turn three quarters. I doubt that was what Sancho intended, but I find it interesting.

I know of four very different meanings for "lead out sides".

The first was used by Keller & Sweet in A Choice Selection of American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era, in it the 1s meet in the center, take hands and lead out between the women, cast away from each other, looping around the corner, meet again in center, lead out between men cast away, loop corners and return home.

The second is defined by Wilson in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, page 51, in it the 1s again meet in the center, lead to between the men, turn around, lead to between the women, turn around, lead back to center, where he leaves them.

The third involves having everyone face out, lead out, turn and lead back.

The fourth meaning was used by Bernard Bentley in The Happy Pair where the 1s start between the women, lead out in a line of four with them, turn and lead back, the 1s two hand turn moving to the men's line, stand between them and lead out with them in a line of four with them, turn, and lead back.

The first seems more interesting to me, and the best use of 8 bars of music.

The 3s do very little, we can make this a duple minor.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by the Odd Sundays Garage Band (Judy Linsenberg, Shira Kammen and Patti Cobb). The music is used with permission from the Odd Sundays Garage Band.

The animation plays at 103 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


My Only Joe & Deary O ~ Williams

My Only Joe & Deary O ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In Wilson's A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, (page 33) he published "My Only Joe & Deary O". Wilson writes:

SINGLE FIGURE (Tune played straight thro')
Hey on your own sides lead down the middle up again & allemande

OR THUS Swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: right & left with 3d. Cu: lead thro the top & turn your partner

DOUBLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
The 3 ladies lead round the 3 gentn. the 3 gentn lead round the 3 ladies promenade 3 Cu: & whole poussette

Wilson provides 2 eight bar strains, presumable played as reels not strathspeys.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, 3rd Edition.

  1. the three Gentlemen lead round the three Ladies is defined on page 16 and means "The gentlemen take hands, and, with M1 leading, dance clockwise around the ladies and back to places. As they do that the ladies take hands, advance into the middle, pause, and fall back."
  2. the three Ladies lead round the three Gentlemen is defined on page 16 and means "The ladies take hands, and, with L1 leading, dance counter-clockwise around the gentlemen and back to places. As they do that the gentlemen take hands, advance into the middle, pause, and fall back."
  3. promenade 3 Cu: is defined on page 18 and means that all three couples take promenade hold and, with the 1s leading, travel in a counter-clockwise elipse around and back to places.
  4. whole poussette is defined on page 15 and means: "top two couples join hands with partner, circle, counter-clockwise, one and a half times around the other couple to change places with them."
    Note: this is unlike a normal English Poussette as the couples travel once and a half around each other rather than once. And is quite different from the Scottish Poussette.

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.


None So Pretty - Campbell

None So Pretty - Campbell is an English Country Dance. It was published by William Campbell in about 1794, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Campbell writes:

The 3 Ladies lead round the 3 Gent The 3 Gent lead round the 3 Ladies Cross over one Cu. and turn your Partner Right and Left at Top

Wilson published different figures for this tune in at least two books: first in Treasures of Terpsichore, 1809, and later in A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816. Preston has yet another figure in 1796. While Rutherford has a figure back in 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1 — but the music he gives is a different tune (for one thing it is a jig, not a reel).

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.


None So Pretty - Wilson

None So Pretty - Wilson is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson writes:

SINGLE FIGURE1st. strain repeat 2d. played straight thro & D.C.
Set & half right & left with 2d.; set & back again lead don the middle up again & half poussette with top Cu:

OR THUSHands 3 round on the ladies side hand 3 round on the gent: side lead down the middle up again & set to the top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE Tune played twice thro' as marked
Swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left set 3 across set 3 in your places whole figure contrary corners chain figure four round with top Cu: & allemande

Wilson has a different figure for this tune in his earlier book Treasures of Terpsichore, 1809. Preston has yet another figure in 1796. Cahusac gives two figures in 1795. Campbell has a figure in Campbell's 9th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels from about 1794. While Rutherford, 1756 and Johnson, 1742 give the same figure (Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1) — but the music they give is a different tune (for one thing it is a jig, not a reel).

This is an attempt to understand the DOUBLE FIGURE which is the basis of the Scottish Country Dance of this name.

In An Analysis of Country Dancing Wilson defines some of the terms he uses. A "whole figure" is just a "full figure eight" (as you might expect, Playford uses the same phrase). Wilson does not explicitly define "whole figure contrary corners" in his first edition, but he does in his second on page 104 of the 2nd edition of the Analysis (1811). Rather awkwardly, Wilson provides two different (contradictory) directions. In the first "the 1s cross down, W1 in front of M1, W1 around M3, M1 around W3, then cross up, W1 around W2, M1 around M2, and return home". In the second the "1s cross up, W1 around M2, M1 around W2, then cross down W1 around W3, M1 around M3, and return home.

Chain figure for four is also defined in the second edition, on page 76 and it is what anyone else would call rights and lefts.

Wilson gives a very unclear definition of "allemande" it might be a modern gypsy, or a back to back (he defines neigther of these figures). He says the two people doing the allemande walk in circles around one another, he does not mention taking hands, he does not say how their faces are oriented.

It is tempting to have the 1s become improper after the lines across setting (the RSCDS does this), but Wilson says they are "in your places" for the setting on the sides.

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.


Nonesuch ~ Williams

À la Mode de France ~ Williams

Nonesuch ~ Williams or À la Mode de France ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. It is a multipart dance. The minor set lasts 224 bars. It is in the key: D Major.

Playford writes (for Nonesuch):

Lead up forwards and back That again, set and turn single, that again First Cu. slip just between the 2. Cu. turn your faces to them, put them back by both hands, and halfe turn them, put them back, and set them as they were, turn your own in the 1. place Do thus to the last.
Sides all that again, set and turn S. that again First man slip before, and stand with his face downwards, the Wo. slip before him and stand faces to your own, the 2. Cu. as much, the third Cu. as much, the last Cu. as much
Arms all as you stand, that again, slip all to the left hand, and back to your places, then as much to the right hand First man slip to the left hand and stand, the wo. as much to her left hand, the 2. Cu. as much third as much, fourth as much Then the single Hey all handing down, and come up on your own side.

Playford writes (for À la Mode de France):

Lead up all a D. and back, this again Set and turn S. This again
First Cu. meet, take both hands and fall in between the 2. cu. each of you turn your faces toward them and put them back, you meet the two men and we all four back and turn your we. So to All.
Sides all to the right and left and turn S. This again Then fall all into one File, each wo. behind her own man thus, . Then arms all with your own by the right and left and remain in the same Figure, then men fall off to the right hand and we. to the left, fall back into the same Figure, then men to the left and we. to the right, and back again into the same Figure, then the 1. man fall into his 1. place, and his wo. the like, so the rest one after another; then the 1. man take his wo. by the hand, his left hand to the 2. wo. the right to the 3. wo. and so forward, his wo doing the like on the other side until you all meet again in your places.

I am perplexed that everyone seems to follow Sharp's rather odd interpretation of the siding. Playford clearly says: Sides all that again, set and turn S. that again, a fairly conventional siding on both sides followed by two set and turn singles, in parallel to the "up a double" section earlier. Yet Sharp has everyone crossing the set and doing a turn single, the crossing back with another turn single. I'm going to take Playford at his word here.

In A la mode de France Playford lumps the set-up for the arming, the arming, and all the stuff that comes after the arming into one figure. Again I will take him at his word, as it makes the music come out right.

I have also let the progressive figure run until everyone is back where they started.

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.


Off She Goes ~ Williams

Off She Goes ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson published a different figure with this same name in 1809.

Wilson writes:

DOUBLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Hey contrary sides hey on your own sides lead down the middle up again right and left with the top Cu: & swing corners

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.


An Old Man, a Bed Full of Bones

The Old Man with a Bed Full of Bones

An Old Man is a Bed Full of Bones

An Old Man, a Bed Full of Bones or The Old Man with a Bed Full of Bones is an English Country Dance. It was found in the Lovelace Manuscript (written somewhere around the 1640s) and later published in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 144 bars.

Playford says this is for "as many as will, but I think 3 couples probably best, it's very dull for the middle couples who just stand with the top and bottom couples show off.

Hmm. It might work even better with only 2 couples.

Lovelace writes:

Leade up once, & sett once, then that agayne, then the first man shall take his woeman by both hands and shall leade her down side long, allmost to ye bottome, very quickly, and then half way up agayne, and then leade her downe agayne; and turne her quite round, and leave her there, and then take up that woeman, in her steade, that was last before, after the same manner, that he carryed down the other; and then the last man shall bring up that woeman, and fetch downe his owne, just after the same manner, as it was done before, and doe you are all in your places;

Sides all 2, and sett twice, then the last man shall begin, and leade up his woeman to the top, and fetch downe the other as before was done, and then the first man shall carry her downe agayne, and fetch up his owne, all after the same manor just as it was done before;

Doe the first part over agayne, after halfe tune, just like as is described before, only at this, if you please, you may turne her arme over her head, and salute her, if you like your mate, when you turne her above, and below;

Playford writes:

Lead up all a D. forward and back , set and turn S. That again First man lead down his wo. between the rest a D. forward and back, then lead her to the lower end and turn her and leave her Bring up the last wo. in the same manner Then the last man do the like to fetch his own.

Sides all, set and turn S. That again This as before, only crossing both hands in the middle

Arms all, set and turn S. That again This as before, holding your wo. by one hand, and let her turn under your arm, and kiss her

There are a number of differences between Playford and Lovelace, and I'm going to pick an choose as suits my fancy.

In the introductory figures, Playford consistently says "set and turn single" while Lovelace says "set once" after "up a double" and "set twice" after "sides all". I'm not sure why "set once". It doesn't fit the timing. I prefer "set ans turn single" to "set twice" so I will follow Playford on that.

Lovelace says the third part should be the same as the first, but I presume he intends it to begin with arming rather than another round of "up a double". Anyway, I'm going to use arming for the third part.

Playford wants the 1s to lead down a double, come back, and lead to bottom. While Lovelace wants the 1s to lead to bottom, lead up and then back down. It's a small difference, but Lovelace is freer with the timing which I think works better.

Playford says the second figure is just like the first except the dancers cross both hands (promenade position?) in the middle. Lovelace, on the other hand, says the figure begins with the last man rather than the first (and doesn't mention crossed hands). I like having the last man start.

Both agree that the third figure is the same as the first except that instead of a two hand turn, the woman turns under the arm and then Playford says "kiss" and Lovelace "salute". (Sharp interprets both kiss and salute as "honour", but he was a bit of a prude).

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


Paddy Whack ~ Rutherford/Williams

Paddy Whack ~ Rutherford/Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in about 1760 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 3, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:

Turn your Partner with your Right Hand & cast off 1 Cu. turn with your Left hand & lead thro' the top and cast off Hands six round Right and Left at top

There is a slightly different version of this in Thompson's Annual of 1772, and that appears to be what Pat Shaw based his interpretation on.

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.


Paston's Maggot ~ Williams

Paston's Maggot ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1710 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first and 2d Cu. take Hands a-cross, and go half round, then the first Cu. Right and Left with the 3d Cu Then first Cu. cross up above the 3d Cu. they change Places at the same Time, then Right and Left with the 2d Cu The first and 2d Men clap Hands with their Partners; then clap Sides and turn Then the first Cu. Figure thro' the 2d Cu. and turn down the middle into the 2d Cu's Place

I think Bentley missed some of the dance's symmetry, and offer this as an alternative.

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.


Peace and Plenty ~ Playford

Old Oxford

Peace and Plenty ~ Playford or Old Oxford is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1718 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, 3rd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. cast off behind the 2d Cu. and Jump, then cast off into the 2d Cu. Place, and Jump, then lead thro' the 3d Cu. and cast up into the 2d Cu. Place Then first and 2d Cu. lead to the Wall and back again, then the 2d Cu. lead thro' the first Cu. and cast up into the first Cu. Place Then the first Cu. being in the 2d Cu. Place, the first Man change Places with the 2d Wo. and the 2d Man with the first Wo. then turn Hands half round Then Right and Left all round, then all four turn single

In the original, the third couple only acted as posts while the 1s led through and cast around them. So I've made it a duple minor.

The tune, also called Peace and Plenty published in Playford's Dancing Master Vol. 2 of 1728. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album Fast Friends. A copy of the album was given to me by Mr. Roodman and is used with his permission.

The animation plays at 111 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Peggy's Love ~ Williams

Peggy's Love ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson, on page 54, writes:

SINGLE FIGURE 1st strain repeated 2d. played straight thro' & D.C.
Swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left lead down the middle up again & right & left with top Cu:

OR THUS Set & hands across with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & set to the top Cu:

DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played played twice thro as marked)
The 1st. Cu: cast off at the same the 3d. Cu: set & lead up then the 3d. Cu: cast off & the 1st. Cu: set & lead up to places cross over 1 Cu: half figure round the 3d. Cu: set contrary corners lead thro the bottom hal poue.

Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, the RSCDS appears to be following the DOUBLE FIGURE.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Except that the first figure is not explicitly defined.
Cross over 1 Cu: is not defined either, but Cross over 2 Cu: may be found on page 22 and means "cross go below 2s, cross again, go below 3s". (so presumably crossing 1 Cu: means stopping below 2s.)
half figure may be found on page 54 and means "the active lady loops around the man below ending in her partner's place, as the active man loops the woman below ending in his partner's place. set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back.
lead thro the bottom is half of through bottom and top on page 23 and means "the active couple take hands, lead down below the bottom, drop hands, and cast up to their own places.
half poussette not defined. A full poussette is defined on page 53 going once and a half around the neighbor couple. But half of once and a half doesn't make sense here. Dancers have already progressed so going a full circle is probably what he wants to happen.

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.


Pop Goes The Weasel ~ Porter

Pop Goes The Weasel ~ Porter is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Jas. W. Porter in 1853 and published in Pop Goes The Weasel, monograph. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2020. Originally a 5 Couple Longways this version is a proper Longways as many as will dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 23451. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

According to Wikipedia this country dance first became popular in December of 1852. In New York, 1853, Eugene Coulon edited a version with music and a description of the figure.

FIGURES. Form in Two Lines _
Top Couple Ballancez, Four Bars_ then Gallop down inside and back, Four Bars _ take the next Lady, Hands Round Four Bars_ then Two Bars back and (while all Sing Pop goes the Weasel) pass her under your arms to her Place_ Repeat with the lady's Partner then Gallop down inside and back, Four Bars_ and down outside to the other end of the line, Four Bars, which finishes the Figure_ The next Couple follows, &c. &c.

A textual source from 1857 (which I think is more likely to reflect the original) is Hillgrove's The Scholar's Companion and Ball-Room Vade-Mecum (available from the Library of Congress).

The American Dancing Master - Howe, 1862, and American Country Dances - Emma Burchenal, 1918 have the same version as Hillgrove (the one presented here).

Hillgrove writes

This is performed in the same manner as the Country Dance, the ladies and gentlemen being placed in lines opposite to each other.

The couple at the top begin the figure. The run forward with the line and back, and then without the line and back again the same, each occupying four bars (16 bars).

After which they form a round of three, with one of the ladies next to them on the line, and turn once round to the right and once to the left, at the end of which making the one they have chosen pass quickly underneath their arms to her place - all singing "Pop goes the Weasel." (8 bars.)

They then turn quickly to the other line, and repeat the same figure with the partner of the last selected. (8 bars.)

After this they have to run forward and backward, inside and outside the line, and repeat the same figure with the next couple. When they have passed three couples, the lady and gentleman at the head begin and repeat the same figure, and so on for all the rest.

Surprisingly (to me anyway) the "popping" figure is not unique to this dance. It also shows up Wilson's Rural Felicity from A Companion to the Ballroom, 1816.

The tune is a traditional one which became popular in the 1850 on both sides of the Atlantic. The music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software

The animation plays at 113 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Pretty Nun ~ Williams

Pretty Nun ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 20 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: The each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Couple take both Hands, the second do the same and go round into each others Place The same back again Then the first Man change Places with the second Woman, then the second Man with the first Woman, and all four turn Single Then Hands across and turn quite round, then the first Couple turn Proper

I think Playford is describing a poussette in the A part. (the Kennedies disagree on this).

The only other difficulty in interpreting the original is then the first Couple turn Proper at the end. Both couples are improper at this point, so both couples must turn proper, not just the 1s. (the Kennedies agree with me on this).

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.


The Princess 1721

The Princess 1721 is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1721 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the first, 17th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2020. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars. It is in the key: G minor.

There are two dances called The Princess in Playford (with the same music though). One is found from 1701 to 1716 and the other from 1721 to 1728. The version from 1701 is more commonly danced now-a-days, but this is the other one.

The beginning of B1, where the 1s cross and circle the 2s is very quick. If the dancers need extra time they could omit the following set.

Playford writes
The first Couple lead through the second Couple, then cast up and cast off Then the second Couple do the same Then the first Couple cross over quite round the second Couple into their own Places, and sett and cast off Then Right-hands and Left quite round, and turn your Partner.

The tune, also called The Princess, appeared in Playford with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album By Choice. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.

The animation plays at 113 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Push about the Jorum ~ Bride

Push about the Jorum ~ Bride is an English Country Dance. It was published by Bride in 1775 in Bride's Favorite Collection of Two Hundred Select Country Dances, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

The RSCDS attributes this dance to Skillern, but Bride published the figure first, then Skillern, Longman & Broderip, and Thompson published it as well. The only one I can find is Thompson, who writes:

The 1st. Lady turns the 3d. Gent 1st. Gent. turns the 3d. 1st. Lady Allemand Right & Left with the 2d Gent. at the same time the 1st. Gent. Allemands with the 2d Lady Sett 3 & 3 top & bottom the same sideways hands six round back again lead out sides

The music consists of 3 eight bar strains. To make the first two turns take up a full eight bars I presume the turns need to be turn right followed by a turn left (just like the allemandes and the circle).

I'm going to assume that there's a misprint and that while the 1st Lady is Allemanding the 2nd Man, the 1st man should be allemanding the 3rd Lady (not the 2nd as Thompson writes).

If the 1s both allemande 2s at the same time there would be a crash in the center — unless the 1s were improper? But there's no good way for them to become improper (M2 would need to move into M1's place while M1 was still in it).

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.


Quiet and Snug ~ Williams

Quiet and Snug ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in about 1756 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:
The first Cu. sets to the 2d Wo. and turns his own Partner Then sets to the 2d Man & turn his Own Partner Gallop down the Middle & up again And cast off Right Hand & Left

Johnson and Walsh earlier published dances with this name, but a different figure.

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.


The Rainbow ~ Williams

The Rainbow ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1774 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1774, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Thompson writes:

Set & change sides back again hands six half round & back again lead down one Cu. Right & Left at top

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.


Rakish Highlandman ~ Williams

Rakish Highlandman ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wilson, on page 96, writes:

SINGLE FIGURE Tune played straight thro
Cross over 1 Cu: half figure round the 3d Cu: & lead outsides
OR THUSCast off 2 Cu: & back again & whole poussette
DOUBLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Hey on your own sides lead down the middle up again allemande turn corners & the double triangle

This is an interpretation of the DOUBLE FIGURE. The music is two 8 bar strains (jigs) both repeated.

Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
Hey on your own sides is only defined as part of "Hey Contrary Sides, and Hey of your own Sides" on page 83 and he shows a mirror/reflection hey.
lead down the middle up again may be found on pages 10-11 and means: "lead down two couples, turn, lead up to the place of the couple who were below (who move up)" Wilson does not specify a hand hold for the lead, nor whether the 2s take hands.
allemande may be found on page 7 and appears to mean going about your partner in a circle. In a later edition of Analysis Wilson adds the phrase "back to back". Wilson does not define a "back to back" figure. His allemande is a bit rounder than a normal back to back but perhaps that is the closest equivalent.
This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes.
turn corners may be found on pages 28-32 and appears to mean: the 1s pass partner right shoulder to turn first corners with both hands, then pass each other right shoulder to turn second corners (presumably again with both hands, though Wilson does not specify), finally passing each other left to return to places.
the double triangle does not appear until the 3rd edition of the Analysis on page 113 and means: the middle couple loop first corner right shoulder pass outside partner's place, then loop 2nd corner right shoulder and return to place.
This is completely different from the RSCDS version of double triangles.

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.


The Reel of Glamis ~ Williams

The Clever Lad ~ RSCDS

The Reel of Glamis ~ Williams or The Clever Lad ~ RSCDS is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in about 1735 in Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

According to Robert Keller's site in Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition he published a dance called The Reel of Glames with essentially this figure. Then in his The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master, The 3d. Edition, ~1736, he published a dance called The Cleaver Lad, or The Gin I was a Bonny Lad with the same figure.

In Wright's Compleat Collection of Celebrated Country-Dances, Vol. 1 he published a dance called The Reel of Glamis with the same figure. And this one I can find online.

Later Johnson published the same figure and called the dance The Reel of Glamis.

Wright writes:

Each Strain twice

The 1st Man turns the 2d Wo. and fall back and turn S. the 1st Wo. sett to the 2d Man, and fall back and turn S. the 1st Man change places with the 2d Wo. then the 1st Wo. change places with the 2d Man, then all four meet and turn S. then the 1st Cu. being in the 2d Cu. place, lead thro' and cast off

The music consists of 2 four bar strains, both repeated. Given that they need to be played at four counts per bar to fill out the figure.

There is one big problem with this description of the figure: both the 1s and the 2s end the corner changes progressed by improper, and there is nothing in the description to get them proper. But the description doesn't quite fill up the music, and there is easily room to throw in hole in the wall cross with partner.

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.


Roger de Coverley

Roger de Coverley is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1809 and published in Treasures of Terpsichore, 1st edition, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Presumably this is an early version of Sir Roger de Coverley/Viginia Reel.

Wilson writes:
Cast off two couple and up again ··, down the middle, up again, right and left ··, and swing corners ··.

Wilson has a surprising description of right and left (see pages 39-44 of Wilson's An Analysis of Country Dancing, 1808 where he defines it to mean: "2nd corner places change by left shoulders, 1st corner places right, 2nd corners change back by left, 1st corners by right."

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.


Roger of Coverly - Playford

Roger of Coverly - Playford is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1695 in The Dancing Master, 9th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

See the Regency Dance site's description of the evolution of this dance.

Playford writes:
The 1. Man go below the 2. Wo. then round her, and so below the 2. Man, into his own Place; then 1. Wo. go below the 2. Man, then round him, and so below the 2. Wo. into her own Place The 1. cu. cross over below the 2. cu. and take Hands and turn round twice, then lead up thro' and cast off into 2. cu. Place.

Hmm. Playford wants the 1s to cross and go down to 2nd place and then two hand turn twice all in 4 bars? There just isn't time, not even in a slip-jig. Anyway the 1s need to become proper here. I think a two hand turn half is much more likely.

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.


Roger of Coverly - Thompson

Roger of Coverly - Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1770 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol II, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 2341. The minor set lasts 84 bars.

See the Regency Dance site's description of the evolution of this dance.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Man goes down & foot it to the Bottom Wo: the Wo: does the same with the Bottom Man the Man foot it round the Bottom Wo: the Wo: round the Bottom Man turn the Bottom Wo: the Wo: turn the Bottom Man so on till you come up to the top then cross over and turn till you come to the Bottom

Playford describes a dance with this name and tune, but with a very different figure.

Like Wilson's dance of 1808, this one begins with a series of criss-cross figures. Here M1 begins first rather than W1, and the bottom couples don't join in the fun. Also it looks as if the 1s interact with every couple, not just the bottom one: so on till you come up to the top

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.


The Scotch Ramble ~ Williams

The Scotch Ramble ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in about 1750 in Two Hundred Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 8, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 18 bars.

Johnson calls the dance The Scotch Ramble and writes:

First Cu. cast off two Cu. Lead up to the Top and cast off Hands 4 round with the 3d. Cu. Right hands and Left with the 2d. Cu. foot it at both Corners & turn Lead out on both sides and turn

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.


Scotland ~ Williams

Scotland ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1698 in The Dancing Master, 10th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. There is no progression in this dance. Originally this was a single progression dance. The dance lasts 16 bars. It is in the key: G major.

Playford's music is a slip-jig consisting of two 4 bar strains, both repeated.

Playford writes:

First man take the 2. man by the right hand, and turn a turn and a half, the 1 and 2 wo. do the same at the same time till they come into the 2. cu. place, back to back with your own, then turn your own, and back to back, sides-men go without-side the we. and come between them a quarter Figure, turn S. we. do the like
Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

Thus the neighbor turn will be right for the men and left for the women. and we might as well make the partner back to back be mirror with the men outside, and the partner turn be mirror with the men inside.

Now should the partner turn be once or once and a half (to match the neighbor turn)? If once then everyone is progressed and proper at the end of the A section, if once and a half everyone is progressed and improper, and needs to become proper again. Or should everything be once and a half, including the back to backs? That would put everyone home at the end of the A section, which is a common situation, but a back to back once and a half is unexpected and perhaps a bit awkward... Well, let's see what we make of the B section.

In the B section Playford says: men go without-side the we. and come between them a quarter Figure, turn S.. "a quarter figure" is presumably a quarter of a figure eight, which I think means people should cross the set into their corner's place. Then before that the men go outside the women, from which position a quarter figure would cause them to switch original places with each other. I'd describe it as a half figure eight walked backward.

Anyway my interpretation of that figure requires people to be in their original places, so they will end progressed. So I'm going to have every movement in the A section be once and a half. It should be possible to get around in 6 steps.

An alternative is to have every movement in the A section be once around, that would also leave people home for the start of B.

Or you could make the first turn once and a half, and none of the others, and turn the "quarter figure" into something that does not swap the two active dancers. For instance the men might go outside the women, return between them, without crossing the set.

Basically I think what Playford wrote does not work. Some change must be made to it. What change you choose is up to you.

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.


She's Over Young to Marry Yet ~ Thompson

She's Over Young to Marry Yet ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. Foot it to the 2nd Wo. hands three round Foot it to the 2nd Man hands all four round lead down two Cu. and the 2nd. and 3rd. follows cross over and turn your Partner

Does the 2nd Woman join in the Foot it to the 2nd Man? Probably not in the original, but I think it makes for a more interesting dance.

What do we make of the last half? lead down two Cu. and the 2nd. and 3rd. follows cross over and turn your Partner The 1s leading down two couples is not going to take up 8 bars, so clearly stuff is missing.

Presumably it's "1s, followed by others, lead down, cross, cast back to place" that could take up eight bars.

Now we have 8 more bars and only "turn your Partner". The 1s need to cast down to 2nd place and we need to get everyone proper. So presumably it is "1s long cast down, 2s up" then everyone turn partner to proper.

Rutherford published an earlier version of this dance:

Foot it all four & Hands across quite Round Foot it and the same back again Gallop down the Middle & up again & Cast off Right Hand & Left

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.


Sicilian

Sicilian is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1821 and published in A Pocket Companion to the French and English Country Dancing, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Chivers writes:
Chain figure of 6 .. promenade 3 couple .. cross over two couple, lead up one .. whole figure top and bottom .. (4 parts)

The Regency Dance site says this book dates from 1818, Google books claims 1821.

Cou

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.


The Siege of Belgrade

The Siege of Belgrade is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1792 in Thompson's Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1792, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Thompson writes:

Change sides and back again Right hands across and Left hands back again lead Down & up Cast off Right and Left

All of the sections look as if they take 8 bars of music - except the first. I would normally expect Change sides to mean "Change places with your partner" - but that only takes 2 bars. So what could be done instead?

A "hole-in-the-wall" change sometimes takes four bars. A "half figure eight" takes four, and while it does change sides, I've never heard it called simply that. "1s cross, go below" or "two changes of rights and lefts" will also change sides.

Probably the simplest way to do it is to add a "fall back with neighbor" before the "change sides".

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.


Siege of Buda

Siege of Buda is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1689 in A new Addition to the Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. back to back, and the 2. cu. at the same time do the like, then 1. and 2. man back to back, the we. doing the like at the same time.
The 1. and 2. man take hands, the we. doing the like, and change over, then fall back and cross over with their Partners, then all four take hands and go quite round, and the 1. cu. to their Partners, and so cast off.

I think this would work well with the 1s improper.

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.


The Silver Faulken

The Silver Falcon

The Silver Faulken or The Silver Falcon is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1652 in The Dancing Master, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2020. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 120 bars.

Playford writes

Lead up forwards and back. Set and turn single That again First Cu. go the S. Hey between the 2. and on the outside of the 3. come back between them into 2.place turn As much with the next going on the outside first, do thus to the last, the rest following.

Sides all, set and turn single That again First Cu. change places, meet the 2. let them go between you, change with your own again ·: Do thus to the last, the rest following.
Arms all, set and turn single That again The 2. Cu. meet, while the first and 3. meet, the 2. meeting you, each three hands and go halfe round into each others places ·: Do thus to the last, the rest following.

This is the first triple minor in Playford (unless you consider Step Stately to be a triple minor). It is a three part dance with the customary USA introductions followed by progressive figures. The first and third figures are triple minors but the third appears to be a duple minor. For the sake of consistency I show it as a triple minor where the 3s do absolutely nothing, but you could dance it as a duple if you prefer. In Playford's day each figure would run until everyone was back where they started.

The first move in the first part is described as a S. Hey. But it's not a normal hey. The 1s need to end in the middle place, the 2s at the top and the 3s at the bottom. The only way I see to make that work is to have the 1s+2s do one change, and then the 1s loop the 3s who stand. Note in successive iterations of the dance, the 1s+2s alternate who goes inside. That means it's a mirror hey.

In the second part the figures described by Playford take up 6 bars of music, so I have changed the final change with your own again into a two hand turn once and a half.

In the third part the figures take up 4 bars, or half the phrase. I suppose it is possible that Playford intended each time through the tune to represent two progressions of the dance, but it seems unlikely, so I've added a set and made the half circle slow.

Now on the face of it Playford describes a double progression triple minor in the third part. The circle halfe takes the 1s to the bottom, the 3s to the top and leaves the 2s where they are. Double progression triple minors are awkward, they can only be made to work in unintuitive ways. Playford isn't too good about fractions though, If he actually means two thirds (instead of half) if people do mirror circles then it becomes a normal single progression dance. This also takes up a bit more time that we have in excess here.

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.


Softly Robin ~ Williams

Softly Robin ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021 and published in Country Dance Book, New Series. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain twice.

The first Man turn his Partner half round, then making a little stop turn her into her own place The two Men and the two Women turn one another half round, making a little stop, and turn into your own places The first and 2d Man double Figure on the Womens side, and turn one another 'till in your own places; then the first Man cast off Then the Women double Figure on the Men's side, and turn 'till in your own places; then first Woman cast down.

The Kennedies have interpretted Men double Figure on the Women's side as having the men lead through the women and cast back. Now "Figure" in every other case I've seen means a "figure of eight" (sometimes half sometimes full), and I would assume in this context it means that both men half figure eight through the women. This means the turn is only half which is more appropriate for the 2 bars that are allotted to it.

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.


Soldier Ladie ~ Williams

Soldier Ladie ~ Williams is an English Country Dance. It was published by Walsh in 1731 in The Compleat Country Dancing Master vol 1, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

Walsh writes:

The 1st Man Heys with the 3d Cu. his Partner at the same Time heys with the 2d Cu. Then the 1st Man Heys with the 2d Cu. 1st Wo. at the same Time Heys with the 3d Cu. First Cu. leads thro' the 2d and 3d We. and turn in the 2d Cu. Place First Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d Men and turns at Top The 1st Cu. Back to Back and cast off and turn The 2d Cu. does the same First Man leads the 2d Wo. off and turns her First Wo. leads the 2d Man off and turns him, 1st Man cast off at the same Time.

Walsh does not say when the 2s move up. I think it must happen several times. First they need to move up during the heys so that there is room for the 1s to lead out between the 2s and 3s (and then turn in the 2nd couples's place). Then they need to move down so that the 1s can turn at top. Then they move up and down when the 1s and they cast. And finally they move up when the 1s turn them.

What do we make of First Man leads the 2d Wo. off and turns her? I'm guessing that "lead off" means lead out. For M1 to lead W2 out easily then one of them must be improper. That can't happen in the "cast off and turn" sequences, those being symmetric, would leave either both proper or improper. So I assume when the 1s turn at top (after the lead out sides) leaves the 1s improper. Then people lead out, turn around, come back and turn once and a half to progress.

That still leaves the 1s improper, but we have 1st Man cast off at the same Time now "cast off" usually means "cast down", but I think here it means "cast across" and W1's turn will take her across the set.

Oh, and because M1 has further to go to hey with the 3s at the start, I think he should cross in front of W1 (rather than the more common reverse).

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.


A Soldier's Life

A Soldier's Life is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is an improper duple minor longways dance. It is a multipart dance. The minor set lasts 216 bars. It is in the key: D Major.

Playford writes

Lead up all a D. forward and back, set and turn S. That again First man set to his own wo. then set to the 2. man, turn the 2. wo. ·: Set to the 2. wo. then to the 3. man, turn the 3. wo. Set to the 3. wo. then to the 4. man, turn the 4. wo. Do thus to the last, your wo. following you in the same manner. Every cu. do thus.
First man lead down his wo. a D. then give his right hand to the 2 wo. while his wo. does the like to the 2. man, turn them, and turn your own with your left hand; the same forward till you come to the bottom.
First man go about the 2. wo. while his wo. do the like to the 2. man; they meet, and go about one another and turn taking hands. The same again till they come to the bottom.

First I'm going to assume that the "up a double" sequence is introductory and not part of the following progressive part. After all, all the other progressive sequences are 8 bars.

After the "up a double" sequence, the first part confuses me, in several ways.

your wo. following you in the same mannor Are the men and women supposed to do the same thing at the same time, or does the man do it, and then the woman? I think it should be at the same time because the progression becomes simpler if that is so.

Note that when the top couple starts the instructions are different than they are on the subsequent times through the minor set. And the instructions for the second and subsequent times make more sense if the active couple is improper. So I'm guessing that somewhere in the first minor set the active couple becomes improper. If the active couple changes sides after setting to the 2s, and then turns them half-way then everything falls into place. The 1s are now improper, and we've got 8 bars of movement.

However that leaves subsequent iterations at only 6 bars of movement. So I have thrown in a set to partner after the set to the 2. wo.

In other words, this sequence demands an old-style progression, and, when a couple reaches the top it does one set of figures, and after that the other set. Then when it reaches the bottom it crosses over.


In the second progressive part how are the 1s supposed to give their contraries hands? Again everything would be a lot easier if they had crossed over (either before or after leading down, crossing before probably feels better), then the partner left hand turn will be only left hand half-way to get everyone proper again.

This sequence does not have special instructions for the top, so presumably the actives will end each minor set proper.


First man go about the 2. wo. while his wo. do the like to the 2. man That sounds remarkably like a half figure 8.

Then the 1s will two hand turn to proper, as they spiral down to 2nd place and the 2s will move up somehow. Might as well do a long cast.

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.


Stock-Jobbers

Stock-Jobbers is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1718 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, 3rd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars. It is in the key: D minor.

Playford (John Young) writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. Sett and turn single, and Hands half round Then cast up and go the half Figure into their own Places Then all four meet and clap Hands once, and turn single, then back again, clap Hands and turn single Then the two Men lead thro' the two We. and turn Hands The first Cu. Seet, cast off and turn Hands Then Right and Left quite round

The music consists of three 8 bar strains.

The instructions seem pretty clear, except that the 2s become improper at the end of A1, and they need to be proper in B2 but there is no indication of when that happens. I've turned the half figure eight which makes the 1s proper into a double half figure eight to make both couples proper.

The only other qualm I have is that the Hands half round in A1 has 4 bars allotted to a movement I expect to take 2. This is usually solved by adding either a balance in or out before or after.

In B1 it is tempting to have the turn single take dancers back home and that back again means repeat. But I think it is more likely the turn single leaves them in the center and that back again means "fall back".

Finally to make it less 1s-centric I've changed the The first Cu. Sett and turn single into having everyone set and turn single, and I've made the women take part in B2 rather than just the men.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by the Odd Sundays Garage Band (Judy Linsenberg, Shira Kammen and Patti Cobb). The music is used with permission from the Odd Sundays Garage Band.

The animation plays at 106 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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


The Sword Dance, 1702

The Sword Dance, 1702 is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1702 in Twenty Four New Country Dances, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Playford writes:

The 1. man casts off and the wo. slips down between the 2. cu. then slips in their own places Then your Partner casts off, and the 1. man meets her below and slips up as before Then clap hands and cast off Then half Figure and turn

John Young published another dance with this name in 1710, with a different figure and different music.

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.


Tea for Two

Tea for Two is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in about 1756 in Two Hundred Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 8, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

May be found in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library online collection: Johnson Vol. 8.

Johnson writes:

First Man foot it to the 2d. Wo. the Man cast down, the Wo. up Foot it again, the Wo. cast down and the Man up Cross over and turn the 2d. Cu. the same 1st. and 2d. Men foot it to their Partners and turn foot it sides and turn Lead down the middle one Cu. up again and cast off Right hands and Left

I shall assume that Johnson puts markers after either 4 or 8 bars.

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.


The Tempest ~ Thompson

The Tempest ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1782 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1782, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 12 bars.

Thompson calls his dance, The Tempest, and writes:

Right hands across quite round left hands back again cross over one Cu. Right & left

I'm going to fold the two hands across into one 4 bar strain rather than the two used here.

I'm going to assume that cross over one Cu. implies a following half figure eight (or two hand turn once and a half) to get the 1s proper.

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.


The Thatch'd House ~ Thompson

The Thatch'd House ~ Thompson is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in about 1757 in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol I, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

Thompson writes:

The 1st. Cu. gallop down two Cu. up again and cast off the 2d. Cu. do the same the two Men lead between the two We. and turn the We. do the same between the two Men the 1st. Cu. heys with the 2d. Wo then with the 2d Man cross over half figure Right and Left

I assume that when he says the 1st. Cu. heys with the 2d. Wo he means that M1 passes W2 right to hey with the women. But it is possible that W2 should pass M1 left to hey with the 1s.

Johnson published an earlier dance with this name but a different figure.

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.


There's Nae Luck About the House - Williams

There's Nae Luck About the House - Williams is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Thomas Wilson in 1816 and published in A Companion to the Ball Room, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published There's Nae Luck About the House:, wherein he writes:

SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated)
Hands 3 round on the ladies side hands 3 round on the gent: side lead down the middle up again & right & left at top

OR THUS Set & change sides with 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & hands four round at top

DOUBLE FIGURE (Tune played twice thro' with repeats)
Cast off 2 Cu: & back again swing with right hands top & bottom set contrary corners & the double triangle.

The music consists of 2 four bar strains, both repeated. The RSCDS has picked the third figure (the one marked "DOUBLE FIGURE") which means the music should be played AABBAABB. " " indicates two repetitions of a strain.

Wilson defines his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.

  • Cast off 2 Cu: (& back again) is defined on pages 8-9 and means: "active couple cast down, go outside the set, passing two other couples, then turn away from each other to face up, and return to places."
  • swing with right hands top and bottom this is defined on pages 87-88: "Partner right turn half, using the momentum to loop round your partner's place, and cast down below the 2s to meet in the middle between them and the 3s, again right turn half casting up on their own sides back to original places.
  • set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means "move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set, return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting back.
  • the double triangle does not appear until the 3rd edition of the Analysis on page 113 and means: the middle couple loop first corner right shoulder pass outside partner's place, then loop 2nd corner right shoulder and return to place.
    This is completely different from the RSCDS version of double triangles.

Wilson doesn't specify where progression is to happen.

Cast down and cast back leaves the 1s where they began. Swing top and bottom also leaves them where they started. But set contrary corners expects them to start in the middle.

I'm going to put the progression in the first figure: cast off 2 Cu:, and have the 1s only come up to the 2nd place as the 2s move up.

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.


Thomas You Cannot

Thomas You Cannot is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1670 in The Dancing Master, 4th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. It is a USA dance. The minor set lasts 114 bars. Someone thought this dance was Very Easy.

Playford writes:

Lead all up a D. forwards and back That again First couple go each on the outside of the second couple, back again; down again, peep each at one another, turn your own in second place as much to the third place, and so to the last
Sides all That again As before, doing it up
Arms all That again As before, doing it up

Only the 1s are active, I doubt modern dancers would enjoy this dance.

Playford says this dance is for as many as will, the band keeps playing the B tune until the 1s reach the bottom (or top).

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.


A Trip to Aberdeen ~ ECD

A Trip to Aberdeen ~ ECD is an English Country Dance. It was published by David Rutherford in 1759 in Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 2, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Rutherford writes:

First Man cast off and turn the 3d. Wo: First Woman cast off and turn the 3d. Man Hands round 6 that back again foot it corners and turn Lead out sides and turn

The big problem I have with interpreting this dance is what to make of the strain markers ( , , and . Given the variety of the markers I would expect the tune to have three strains, each to be played twice. But Rutherford prints a rather standard jig with an A and B strain both repeated. Is one of the strains to be repeated four times? AAAABB? but if so why not use , and for the third and fourth markers? I suppose AABBAA could be intended but that doesn't seem likely to me either.

AAABBB really doesn't match the markers.

The RSCDS interpretation suggests that first four marks should each represent half a strain, and in other dances Rutherford seems to take a relaxed approach to what the marks mean. And it does seem likely this is a normal 32 bar jig given how the music is printed.

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.


A Trip to Bengall

A Trip to Bengall is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1765 in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1765, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

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.


A Trip to Pancridge

A Trip to Pancridge is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a Quadruple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars. It is in the key: G Major.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be Play'd twice, and the Tune twice through.

The first Man Sett to the 2d Woman and turn Single, then turn her The first Woman do the same Then all Four Hands half round, and Right and Left half round Then cross over and half Figure at top, and turn
Then lead thro' the top and cast off Two Couple, then lead thro' the 4th Couple and cast up Two Couple and turn at top, then fall back sides, and all Four turn Single, then turn your Partner and Right and Left quite round into the 2d Couples Place.

Playford has the 1s doing the setting and turning single, but in a modern dance I think the 2s should join in...

The major difficulty I have in interpretting this is that it appears to have enough movement for only 58 bars of music, instead of the 64 it has. I have taken the liberty of inserting a neighbor two hand turn after the partner two hand turn, and the further liberty of turning the circle left half into a circle half, balance in and fall back. This makes the timing right.

Then there is the phrase "turn at top". From context this is directed to the 1s. But the 1s aren't at the top, they are in second place. Does Playford really mean the 2s? or does he just mean that the 1s should turn when they get to the top of their cast? Or does he want the 1s to cast up 3 couples rather than the 2 he calls for (and symmetry suggests). I'm going to assume he means the 1s should turn in second place. What kind of turn? they turn again in a few bars and it would be dull of all the turns were two hand turns.

then fall back sides, and all Four turn Single I assume that means, fall back, and come forward turning single. But Playford says "all Four". I think he just means the 1s+2s. I don't see why the 3s+4s can't join in.

then turn your Partner Does this refer to just the 1st couple? or just the top two? Usually directions are to the 1s, but the 2s have also been active in the previous phrase, so it might mean them two. I'm going to extend it even further to the 3s+4s.

For that matter, why shouldn't the 3s+4s do their own rights and lefts, or even do all of the first part of the dance... and that, basically turns the dance into a duple minor which seems a much better idea.


I'm not sure where Pancridge is. There's a Penkridge north of Birmingham that might be what is intended.

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.


A Trip to Pancridge ~ Duple

A Trip to Pancridge ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1726 in The Dancing Master, The Third Volume, 2nd ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Quadruple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars. It is in the key: G Major.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be Play'd twice, and the Tune twice through.

The first Man Sett to the 2d Woman and turn Single, then turn her The first Woman do the same Then all Four Hands half round, and Right and Left half round Then cross over and half Figure at top, and turn
Then lead thro' the top and cast off Two Couple, then lead thro' the 4th Couple and cast up Two Couple and turn at top, then fall back sides, and all Four turn Single, then turn your Partner and Right and Left quite round into the 2d Couples Place.

Playford has the 1s doing the setting and turning single, but in a modern dance I think the 2s should join in...

The major difficulty I have in interpretting this is that it appears to have enough movement for only 58 bars of music, instead of the 64 it has. I have taken the liberty of inserting a neighbor two hand turn after the partner two hand turn, and the further liberty of turning the circle left half into a circle half, balance in and fall back. This makes the timing right.

Then there is the phrase "turn at top". From context this is directed to the 1s. But the 1s aren't at the top, they are in second place. Does Playford really mean the 2s? or does he just mean that the 1s should turn when they get to the top of their cast? Or does he want the 1s to cast up 3 couples rather than the 2 he calls for (and symmetry suggests). I'm going to assume he means the 1s should turn in second place. What kind of turn? they turn again in a few bars and it would be dull of all the turns were two hand turns.

then fall back sides, and all Four turn Single I assume that means, fall back, and come forward turning single. But Playford says "all Four". I think he just means the 1s+2s. I don't see why the 3s+4s can't join in.

then turn your Partner Does this refer to just the 1st couple? or just the top two? Usually directions are to the 1s, but the 2s have also been active in the previous phrase, so it might mean them two. I'm going to extend it even further to the 3s+4s.

For that matter, why shouldn't the 3s+4s do their own rights and lefts, or even do all of the first part of the dance... and that, basically turns the dance into a duple minor which seems a much better idea.


I'm not sure where Pancridge is. There's a Penkridge north of Birmingham that might be what is intended.

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.


The Triumph ~ Preston

The Triumph ~ Preston is an English Country Dance. It was published by Preston in 1793 in Preston's Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1793, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

This is an early version of The Triumph but without the final triumphal arch.

Preston writes:

The 1st. Lady set to the 2d. Gentn. & turn The 1st. Gentn. set to the 2d. Lady & turn The 1st. Lady take the 2d. Gentn. by the right hand & lead him down to the 3d. Cus. place · The 1st. Gentn. cast off & his Partr. all 3 lead up to the top together ·· the 1st. Cu lead down the middle up again & cast off ··

In 1809 Wilson writes:

3 PARTS

Single Figure.

The second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlement then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, then the top Gentleman leads down the second Lady, and the second Gentleman crosses over and leads outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up to her place in triumph ··, lead down the middle, up again, and right left .

Or thus:

Set and change sides ··, the second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, down the middle, up again, and right and left .

Graham Christian, in The Playford Assembly says there is an even earlier version in Thompson's annual of 1790 (called La Triomphe), but, as yet, I have not found a copy of that work.

I have changed this from a triple minor to a duple. The 3s did nothing.

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.


Well's Humour

Well's Humour is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. cross over behind the 2. cu. and lead through the 3. cu. then cross again into their Places above and turn single; then 1. Man change Places with the 2. Wo. and the 1. Wo. with the 2. Man, Hands half round, then Right and Left till you come into the 2. cu. Place.

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.


Well's Humour ~ Duple

Well's Humour ~ Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1701 in The Dancing Master, 11th ed., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Playford writes:

The 1. cu. cross over behind the 2. cu. and lead through the 3. cu. then cross again into their Places above and turn single; then 1. Man change Places with the 2. Wo. and the 1. Wo. with the 2. Man, Hands half round, then Right and Left till you come into the 2. cu. Place.

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.


What a Beau Your Granny Was

What a Beau Your Granny Was is an English Country Dance. It was published by Longman & Broderip in 1790 in Longman and Broderip's Selection of...Country Dances, Reels &c., London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

I can't find Longman & Broderip, but in ~1800, in Dale's Selection of the Most Favorite Country Dances and Reels (dance 17), Joseph Dale gave the same figure and writes:

The three Ladies lead round the three Gent: at the same time the three Gent: set and hands three round.
The three Gentlemen lead round the three Ladies, at the same time the Ladies set and hands three round.
The first Cu: Poussette with the second Cu: into 2d. Cus. place and turn there Partrs. half round with both hands.
Right and Left at top.

The music consists of 2 four bar strains in cut time, both repeated. I presume they are to be played at 4 counts per bar as AABB, but I suppose it could be AAAABBBB at two counts per bar.

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.


What You Please - Skillern

What You Please - Skillern is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thomas Skillern in 1780 in Skillern's Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1780, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Skillern writes:
First and 2d. Cu Set change & Right hands across The same back again & Left hands across lead down the middle up again and cast off Hands 4 at bottom Right and Left at top

Skillern's instructions call for Rights and Lefts but only allow 4 bars for 4 changes - which usually take 8 bars. I have substituted a circular hey without hands as a faster way to do the same thing.

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.


What You Please - Skillern/Duple

What You Please - Skillern/Duple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thomas Skillern in 1780 in Skillern's Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1780, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Skillern writes:
First and 2d. Cu Set change & Right hands across The same back again & Left hands across lead down the middle up again and cast off Hands 4 at bottom Right and Left at top

Skillern's instructions call for Rights and Lefts but only allow 4 bars for 4 changes - which usually take 8 bars. I have substituted a circular hey without hands as a faster way to do the same thing.

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.


Willie with his Tartan Trews ~ Williams

Willie with his tartan Trues

Willie with his Tartan Trews ~ Williams or Willie with his tartan Trues is an English Country Dance. It was published by Johnson in 1750 in A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, Vol. 5th, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Johnson published this in his 5th volume of Country Dances (1750), and Rutherford published essentially the same figure in 1759. Both Johnson and Rutherford spell this dance as "Willie with his tartan Trues". The RSCDS credits this dance to Rutherford

Rutherford writes:
Hey Contrary sides Hey on your Own sides Cross over two Couple Lead up to Top, foot it And Cast off Foot it Corners & turn Foot it the Other Corners & turn Lead out Each side & turn your Partner ·

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.


Ye Social Powers

Ye Social Powers is an English Country Dance. It was published by Thompson in 1778 in Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1778, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Thompson writes:

Cast off 2d Cu: & set, cast off 3d Cu: & set same up again cross over two Cu: lead up to the top, cast off and hands 4 round at bottom set contrary Corners Right and Left at top

The A music has 8 bars, and the B 16. However Bare Necessities (album At Home, dance "Once a Night", says this music is AABBC for 40 bars, so I'm going to assume there should be a repeat mark 8 bars into the B section, and the rest is a C section. Therefore there should also be a " " mark after "lead up to the top".

While the first part of the B section takes 16 bars, but the second part looks to take 10 bars which can probably be squeezed into 8.

I'm a little confused by "cross over two Cu: lead up to top", "cross over" usually means cross and go below, here it probably means go below two couples. The only difficulty is there is no way mentioned for the 1s to get back to proper.

They could cross again at the bottom of the set (and lead up proper), or lead up improper and have the man assist the woman into a cross-over cast.

Then there is "set contrary corners right and left at top". I'm going to insert a comma after "corners" and assume that the 1s set, and then do rights and lefts (rather than that they set right and then left.

But "set contrary corners" isn't something I'm familiar with. I assume it means set to the corner on the right, then to the corner on the left. But that's 4 bars of setting, leaving 4 bars for the rights and lefts. Which is rather fast for rights and lefts.

If, however, the 1s are still improper, then three changes of rights and lefts (starting with neighbor) would make them proper and could be done in 4 bars.

So they probably shouldn't do a cross over cast (at the start of B2) after all.

But now the 2s are improper at the end, so have them two hand turn half after they lead up in B2.

The tune was published with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album At Home. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.

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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


Young Roger - Playford

Young Roger - Playford is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1710 in The Dancing Master, Vol. the Second, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Cu. cross over, the first Man cast off below the 3d Wo. and the first Wo. cast up Then Sett, the first Man cast up above the 3d Man, and the first Wo. cast off below the 2d Wo. Then first Man turn the 2d Wo. half round, then the 2d Man; the first Wo: turn the 3d Cu. at the some Time Then first Man leads his Partner to the Top, and cast off Then the first Cu. take Hands with the 2d Cu and go half round and turn single Then Hands back again and turn single The first Man Figure thro' the 2d and 3d Wo. to the Top, and the first Wo. at the same Time Figure thro' the 2d and 3d Men below the 3d Cu. and Sett Then the first Man cast off, and his Partner cast up at the same Time, and turn in the 2d Cu's Place

I think Playford is trying to put too much movement into D1, fitting 3/4s of a figure eight into 6 counts seems a stretch to me. So I have given the figure eight 12 counts and moved the set from the end of D1 to the start of D2 and removed the final hand turn.

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.


The Young Widow - Fentum

The Young Widow - Fentum is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Fentum in 1803 and published in A Favorite Collection of Country Dances for the Year 1803, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Fentum writes:

Left and Hands 3 on the Ladys side, the same on the Gents, down the middle up again, right hand and left.

What does "Left and Hands 3 on the Ladys side" mean. Perhaps the 1st+2nd lady left hand turn followed by a circle three? Or more likely three hands across?

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.


Zorinsky ~ Preston

Zorinski

Zorinsky ~ Preston or Zorinski is an English Country Dance. It was published by Preston in 1796 in Preston's Twenty-Four Country Dances for the Year 1796, London. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Preston writes:

Sett & half right & left the same back again, lead down the middle up again cast off & Allemande.

The final allemande is probably intended only for the 1s in the original, but I follow Jacqueline Schwab's interpretation in giving it to both couples.

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.


Blue Bonnets over the Border

Blue Bonnets over the Border is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was published by W. Smyth in 1830 in A Pocket Companion for Young Ladies and Gentlemen, Edinburgh. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Smyth writes:

First Lady and second Genlemen advance and retire, and pass back to back, the first Gentleman and second Lady the same Down the middle and up again, and poussette.

So where is the progression in this dance? Either in the poussette or in "down the middle and up again". If you look at Mrs McLeod (page 33) you will see "down the middle and up again" is progressive.

Smyth (an Edinburgh dancing teacher) classifies this as a "Scotch Country Dance".

An earlier version of the dance was published in 1827 by by Goulding & D'Almaine as Blue Bonnets are over the Border. I do not have access to the original text. but Robert Keller gives the figures as:
Change sides
Change sides (again)
Lead down and back
Poussette

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.


Circassian Circle ~ Lowes

Circassian Circle ~ Lowes is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Lowe in about 1831 and published in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide, Edinburgh. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is an improper duple minor longways dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

This is the original name for the dance we now call "Sicilian Circle", a term that has come to mean a way of dancing a minor set dance in a circle instead of longways. But once upon a time there was a dance with the name. (Circassia is (or was) a region on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea).

I do not have access to the 1822 version, the earliest I have found is Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide (Edinbourgh, ~1831) where they write:

The Circassian Circle

Is a circular Country Dance, for which the party is arranged, as for Quadrilles, across the room; the four at the top commence first, and change sides at the end of the firgures, they continue to repeat them with all the couples down the opposite sides of the room, crossing over at the bottom, and continuing till they arrive at their original places; all the other couples must also continue, after they commence, till they make the circuit of the room; and when all have regained their places, the dance is finished

First Circassian Circle

Ladies chain, set and turn partners, right and left, hands four half round, and turn partners, changing places.

I'm not sure I understand the Lowe's set-up description, but I think they are describing a hall full of two couple quadrille sets (that is improper duple minor lines), lined up along each side wall of a building. In keeping with the staggered start in use for country dances at the time, only one set start dancing, as they move down the first line the dancers behind them will also start, then when they reach the bottom instead of becoming 2s and working their way up, the cross over to the other line, and work their way up. When they reach the top of the other line they stop and wait until everyone else has reached their original position but in the other line.

The Lowes sometimes quoted Chivers word for word, so it is possible this is Chivers' version too.

The next version I've found is Wilson, 1852.

Wilson writes:

Couples vis-a-vis; form a circle round the room; figure, right and left or hands across; set and turn partners; ladies chain; waltz pass on to next couple; repeat.

Wilson defines "Right and Left" on page 15 of The Art of Dancing and it involves no hand clasps.

The tune is a traditional one from the US Revolutionary war, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

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 (no music plays during this slow set). 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.


The Guaracha

The Guaracha is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by H. D. Wilcock in about 1868 and published in Ball-Room Guide: A Manual of Dancing, Glasgow. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is an improper duple minor longways dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

This is a Spanish dance, published in Glasgow.

Wilcock writes:

Previous to commencing, the couples stand up, facing each other, in two lines, the ladies on one side, and the gentlemen on the other. The first and every fourth couple change sides before commencing the figure, and all begin together.

  1. All four advance and retire, and change places at the sides; advance and retire, and change places with partners. Repeat the last two movements. (16)
  2. All four join hands, balances, and each gentleman passes the lady at his left into his place. All four join hands, balances, and each gentleman passes his partner into his place. Repeat the same with lady on left, and again with partners, (16)
  3. Waltz pousette (16)

This is the first dance I have found which explicitly describes the modern way of starting a dance (all an once) rather than the traditional one (only the top couples start.

Note that although this is a duple minor, the instructions for starting are those for a triple minor. (Or, if you take them literally for a quadruple minor, but I think that's a typo).

I assume the music should be a waltz given that it includes a "waltz poussette". I've never heard of a "waltz poussette", and there is nothing in the book to describe it. It must progress, and take 16 bars. The simplest solution is just to have the two couples waltz around each other once and a half times until they have switched places.

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.


He'll Aye Be Welcome Back Again

He'll Aye Be Welcome Back Again is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

The RSCDS calls this this "You'll Aye Be Welcome Back Again".

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

1st man sets to the 2d woman & turns her the 1st woman does the same then the 1st pair dances down two couple & up again (the woman going down the midle the man behind backs, & returning the contrary way) then casts off; then the 1st man turns the 3d woman, then his own partner half round, then turns the 2d woman, the 1st woman does the same on the man's side att the same time; then the 1st pair leads out at the sides

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.


The Infare ~ Williams

Will Ye Marry Kitty

The Infare ~ Williams or Will Ye Marry Kitty is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was published by Castle Menzies in 1749 in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

1st man sets to the 2d woman & turns his partner with cross'd hands as in Jamaica then the 1st woman sets to the 2d man & then turns her own partner as above, then the 1st pair casts down one couple & turns each other half round as before; then the 1st woman goes round the 3d woman & comes into her own place; the 1st man does the same round the 3d man at the same time

The only dance called Jamaica that I know is from Playford's 4th (and subsequent) editions of The Dancing Master, and it does indeed have a crossed hand turn.

The first man take his wo. by the right hand, then the left, ans so holding hands change places, then do the same to the 2. wo. ...

Note that in Jamaica, the turn is only half. From the comment here on the third turn I assume that is intended in this dance too — however, that leaves the 1s on the wrong sides, however the description, the 1st woman goes round the 3d woman & comes into her own place; the 1st man does the same round the 3d man at the same time sounds more like a half figure eight than it does like a lead down, and that would fix things.

Jamaica gives four bars for the half turn. Modern interpretations spend those four bars thus: 1 bar to take right hands, 1 bar to take left, 2 bars to turn half. In a strathspey you could achieve the same effect in half the number of bars.

The 3s are merely posts and do nothing, so I have removed them. The 1s can half figure eight around the next 2s

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.


Let Glasgow Flourish ~ Williams

Let Glasgow Flourish ~ Williams is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by J. F. Wallace in 1872 and published in The Excelsior Manual of Dancing, Glasgow. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Wallace in his The Excelsior Manual of Dancing, ~1872, calls the dance "Let Glasgow Flourish"

  1. Four hands across at the top and back again, (8 bars)
  2. Six hands round and back (8)
  3. Top couple down the centre and up finishing in second couples place, (8)
  4. The first three couples promenade once round, (8)

Wallace gives no suggestions as to music.

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.


Menzies Rant ~ Menzies

Menzies Rant ~ Menzies is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

1st man turns 2d woman & casts off, then the 1st woman does the same then the 1st pair goes figure of eight through the 2d pair; then the 1st man sets to the 2d woman & turns her, then the 1st woman the same; then the 1st pair goes four hands round with the 2d pair & right & left

This is my attempt to make sense of what was written in the Castle Menzies Register.

First of all, I see nothing in the text that suggests it should start improper. The last improper dances published in England came out in 1726, more than 20 years before the register, and they were flagged as improper. So I shall assume this dance is like all the other dances of this period

Having made that assumption, the rest is pretty self-explanatory. The turns all need to be 2 bars (rather than 4) to fit into 32 bars.

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.


Montgomerie's Rant ~ Williams

Montgomerie's Rant ~ Williams is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy):

The 1st pair goes back to back & casts off then back to back again & 2d woman casts up, & the man down, then reels above & below then the 1st pair sets hand in hand to the 2d woman then to the 3d man then to the 3d woman & then to the 2d man; then leads out att the sides.

It may seem presumptuous for me to attempt to interpret this dance from Scotland when the RSCDS has already done so, but their interpretation pretends the dance is a modern Scottish Country Dance, while I see it as a Country Dance of the eighteenth century. I shall attempt to interpret it as I would any other country dance from that period.

The first thing I take issue with is the music. In the Register the dance is named The Montgomerie's Rant a Strathspey Reele so I assume it was originally intended to be done as a strathspey.

I also presume it should be done with a rant step, a step which seems to have vanished from Scottish Country Dancing.

I'm not sure why the RSCDS has converted the two back to backs into crosses. Perhaps simpley because it is hard to do a back to back in 2 bars at reel tempo.

back to back again & 2d woman casts up, & the man down "2d woman" is almost certainly a misprint. These directions are for the 1s. Anyway the 2d woman is currently at the top, it makes no sense for her to cast up.

I suspect that when the 1s are setting to the corners, the corners will not set back. This is a display move for the 1s which the corners should watch rather than copy.

The final figure is lead out at the sides. There seems debate as to what this label refers to and I know of at least four meanings. None of those meanings involves a reel however.

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.


The Nut ~ Williams

The Nut ~ Williams is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Lowe in about 1831 and published in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide, Edinburgh. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

The Lowes write:

The first Gentleman turns the second Lady by the right hand, which he retains, and gives his left to the second Gentleman; the first Lady passes through below the Gentlemen's arms, and her partner following, they go down the middle, up again, and pousette.

If you look at other dances by the Lowes you will find that "down the middle and up" is progressive, and "poussette" is not. This is at variance with the RSCDS which does the reverse, but is quite in keeping with 19th century dances.

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.


Open the Door to Three - Menzies ~ Williams

Open the Door to Three - Menzies ~ Williams is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was devised by Castle Menzies in 1749 and published in The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, Scotland. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars. It is in the key: G major.

Quoted from The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies (as transcribed by Jim Healy) writes:

1st & 2d women leads forward then falls back then leads through the 1st & 2d men; then repeats the same & the 1st & 2d man leads through them back to their places again; then the 1st pair crosses over two pair down, & crosses up one pair & falls into their places then the 1st man leads the 2d & 3d man forward, while the 1st woman does the same on the woman's side, then the 1st man turns the 3d woman & falls in between her & the 2d woman, the 1st woman in the meantime turns the 2d man & falls in between him & 3d man & leads forward as before & turns his partner, then they go six hands round with the 2d and 3d pair then back again to their own places.

It may seem presumptuous for me to attempt to interpret this dance from Scotland when the RSCDS has already done so, but their interpretation pretends the dance is a modern Scottish Country Dance, while I see it as a Country Dance of the eighteenth century. I shall attempt to interpret it as I would any other country dance from that period.

The first question which must be answered is the music. There is a traditional tune called Open the Door for Three which I presume is the intended music. This is a slip-jig, not a jig as the RSCDS would have it. There are several versions of this tune. Playford published a single strain 4 bar tune back in 1652, but by the eighteenth century a B strain had been added so I believe this should be danced to AABBAABB.

I assume that 1st & 2d women leads forward then falls back then leads through the 1st & 2d men should all take 4 bars or 12 counts. With the women advancing for two steps, falling back for two, and then leading through the men and casting back in eight steps.

I assume, as the RSCDS also has done, that then repeats the same is a misprint. There is no indication that the men repeat their version of the move. So I throw that line out.

Then then men do what the women did.

then the 1st pair crosses over two pair down, & crosses up one pair & falls into their places. "crosses over two pair down" probably means "cross, and cast down passing two couples". Then cross again, probably by the other shoulder, and cast up one couple whereupon the 2s will move up. I suspect this takes 8 bars (24 steps) but it might be intended to take only 4, we'll see how the rest of the dance times out.

then the 1st man leads the 2d & 3d man forward, while the 1st woman does the same on the woman's side, then the 1st man turns the 3d woman & falls in between her & the 2d woman, the 1st woman in the meantime turns the 2d man & falls in between him This seems a long-winded way of saying "lines of three on the sides lead in and fall back then 1s turn their 1st corners ending improper." Again I assume this all takes 4 bars, with the forward and back being 2 steps forward and 2 back followed by 8 steps for the turn. The RSCDS rightly uses a left hand turn as that will be easiest for ending improper.

leads forward as before & turns his partner Generally dance instructions from this period are addressed to the 1st man, so "turns his partner" probably means that the M1 should turn W1. RSCDS seems to think it is addressed to L1 and that she should turn the partner of the 2nd man (whom she just turned), and that the 1st man should turn the partner of the 3rd woman (whom he just turned). Again this should take 4 bars.

Then circle left and back to the right. Presumably this involves 4 bars in each direction.

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.


Rachel Rae ~ Williams

Rachel Rae ~ Williams is an old Scottish Country Dance. It was published by W. Smyth in 1830 in A Pocket Companion for Young Ladies and Gentlemen, Edinburgh. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Smyth, in 1830, page 32, writes:

Four hands across and back again, down the middle and up again, Ladies out side and back again, and pousette,

The Lowes, in 1831, page 107, writes:

Four hands across; down the middle; up again; lead out to the sides, three and three in line, (The Lady between the two Gentlemen, and the Gentleman between the two Ladies); back again, and pousette with the top couple.

These clearly describe the same dance.

It seems likely to me that the hands across, should be back again to fill out eight bars.

Both Smyth and the Lowes use "down the middle and up again" as a progressive move. (and poussette is not)

But if the Lowes are to be believed it should leave the 1s in 2nd place improper (note the 2s aren't improper, so the change can't happen in the hands across). So presumably they wheel around at the bottom rather than turning individually.

But how do the 1s become proper again? We could have the 1s do half a draw poussette, and half a regular poussette but I'm not aware of any draw poussettes in 19th century dances so that doesn't seem a good solution.

lead out to the sides ... back again usually takes 4 bars... Summing up all the figures leaves 28 bars, so perhaps a four bar movement was omitted?

Smyth (an Edinburgh dancing teacher) and the Lowes (also Edinburgh dancing teachers) classify this as a "Scotch Country Dance".

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.


Arkansas Traveller

Arkansas Traveller is an American Country Dance. It was published by Elias Howe in 1858 in The Complete Ball-Room Hand-Book, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Howe writes in 1858:

Balance first 6, chassa half round; balance again, chassa round to place; first 4 cross hands half round, swing partners; cross hands round to place; 1st couple swing quite round; down the centre, back cast off, right and left.

Schell writes in 1890:

Balance first six, chassé half round (4); balance, chassé back to place (4): first four cross right hand, half round (4); left hand back (4); down the centre and back, cast off (8); right and left (8).

(Note: Schell's version does not have a partner swing)

Burchenal writes:

(1-4) Balance Six
(5-8) Six Hands, Half Around
(9-12) Balance Six
(13-16) Six Hands, Half Around
(1-4) Right-Hand Mill
(5-8) Swing Partners
(9-12) Left-Hand Mill
(13-16) 1st Couple Swing
(1-8) Down the Centre and Back
(9-16) Right and Left

Mill is a translation into English of the French term Le Moulinet which they used for a hands-across star (I guess it looks like a windmill).

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.


La Belle Frêne

La Belle Frêne is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Cantelo writes:

Hands across & back again — lead down the middle up again and cast off — set 3. & 3. Top & Bottom & hand 4. round at top — set 3. & 3. sideways — and hands round 4 at Bottom swing Partners swing Corners —

There are 4 strains of music with 8,8,16 and 8 bars each. Each is marked with repeats. I think there is a slight misprint and set 3. & 3. sideways — and hands round 4 at Bottom should be set 3. & 3. sideways and hands round 4 at Bottom —. I also assume that swing Partners swing Corners is the same as Wilson's Swing Corners because that begins with turning the partner right.

That gives up five 8 bar chunks in terms of figures, which suggests that the strains are not repeated.

La Belle Frêne translates to "The Beautiful Ash(tree)"

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.


The Fair Emigrant

Mrs. Dawson's Delight

The Fair Emigrant or Mrs. Dawson's Delight is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Lady foot it & turn the 2d. Gen: — First Gen: Ditto with the 2d. Lady — Gallop down two Couple & foot it — Go up one Cu: — & turn — foot it & half turn with the right hand — Ditto with the left hand — foot it 6 in hand — go the compleat round to the Right —

I make no attempt to match the music to the instructions. The music has four 4 bar strains, all repeated. The instructions are for 64 bars.

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.


French Four ~ Howe

French Four ~ Howe is an American Country Dance. It was published by Elias Howe in 1858 in Complete Ball-Room Hand Book, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Howe writes:

First couple balance and cross over (go below one couple), balance again and cross back to places, 1st couple down the centre, back, cast off, right and left 4.

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.


Gordian Knot - Saltator

Gordian Knot - Saltator is an American Country Dance. It was published by Saltator in 1802 in A Treatise on Dancing, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 16 bars.

Saltator writes:

Two couples balance, the ladies give each other right hands, all swing round so as to range on a straight line cross-ways of the room, olivettes and the first couple fall below the second.

Saltator (latin for dancer (or jumper)) uses French terms in ways that I find unexpected. "Olivette" means "hey" (I believe it was the name of a traditional dance in the olive groves. I assume that dance contained a hey).

Saltator says "ladies give each other right hands, all swing round". I presume that swing just means a hand turn here. He says the ladies give hands but that "all swing", so I presume the men give hands too.

Saltator doesn't say whether the hey begins by neighbors changing or the center two changing. I think having the center two interacting makes sense because the neighbors have been interacting and its time for a change.

I think this dance would work well if started with 1s improper.

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.


The Hamiltonian

Lady Amelia Murray's Choice

The Hamiltonian or Lady Amelia Murray's Choice is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Lady foots it with the 2d. Gen: and turns · 1st. Gen: Ditto with the 2d. Lady Gallop down two Couple, up again, and cast off · foot it and go the Allemande round to the right foot it and turn four hands the round to the right with the 3d. couple · Right and Left with the first couple

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.


The Hamiltonian ~ Duple

Lady Amelia Murray's Choice ~ Duple

The Hamiltonian ~ Duple or Lady Amelia Murray's Choice ~ Duple is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Lady foots it with the 2d. Gen: and turns · 1st. Gen: Ditto with the 2d. Lady Gallop down two Couple, up again, and cast off · foot it and go the Allemande round to the right foot it and turn four hands the round to the right with the 3d. couple · Right and Left with the first couple

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.


Lady George Murray's Reel

Lady George Murray's Reel is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Cantelo writes:

Hands across the round to the left · Ditto to the Right Gallop down two Couple and foot it · up again & cast off set cross corners and turn · Ditto Hey on opposite sides · and turn to place or lead outsides and turn proper

I'm a little perplexed at the timing on this dance. The music is in 4 bar strains (rather than the usual 8), but the figures for the B music: Gallop down two Couple and foot it · up again & cast off each took 8 bars in The Monckton. So I'm going to assume that the gallop down is actually only 1 couple, not 2, and the foot it is only 2 bars, not 4.

Similarly I shall assume that the hey on opposite sides actually takes six bars and cuts across the D music, rather than the 4 bars the instructions give it.

I think set cross corners and turn means that the 1s should end on opposite sides after the corners set and turn. This means they don't need to cross over for the hey (whose timing is already tight).

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.


Lady George Murray's Reel ~ 3 Couple

Lady George Murray's Reel ~ 3 Couple is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 231. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Cantelo writes:

Hands across the round to the left · Ditto to the Right Gallop down two Couple and foot it · up again & cast off set cross corners and turn · Ditto Hey on opposite sides · and turn to place or lead outsides and turn proper

I'm a little perplexed at the timing on this dance. The music is in 4 bar strains (rather than the usual 8), but the figures for the B music: Gallop down two Couple and foot it · up again & cast off each took 8 bars in The Monckton. So I'm going to assume that the gallop down is actually only 1 couple, not 2, and the foot it is only 2 bars, not 4.

Similarly I shall assume that the hey on opposite sides actually takes six bars and cuts across the D music, rather than the 4 bars the instructions give it.

I think set cross corners and turn means that the 1s should end on opposite sides after the corners set and turn. This means they don't need to cross over for the hey (whose timing is already tight).

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.


Lady Jean Murray's Dance

La Buona Figuiliola

Lady Jean Murray's Dance or La Buona Figuiliola is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 64 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Cu: foot it with the 2d. Lady & turn — Ditto with the 2d. Gent. — Gallop down two Couple and foot it — Go up one Cu: Allemande & turn round to the right — foot it 6 in hand — go the compleat round to the right — foot it to your partner and turn with the right hand half round — Ditto and turn with the left —

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.


The Merry Haymakers ~ Howe

The Merry Haymakers ~ Howe is an American Country Dance. It was published by Elias Howe in 1858 in The Complete Ball-Room Hand-Book, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is an improper duple minor longways dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Howe writes in 1858:

All balance, swing four hands round to place — half promenade, half right and left — ladies chain — all forward and back, forward and pass on to the next couple (one couple raises their hands while the other stoops and passes through.)

Burchenal writes:

(1-4) Swing Partner
(5-8) Four Hands Around
(9-12) Half Promenade
(13-16) Half Right and Left
(1-8) Ladies' Chain
(9-12) Forward and Back
(13-16) Forward and Pass 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.


The Monckton

British white Feathers

The Monckton or British white Feathers is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Lady foots it with the 2d. Gen: and turns him to the Right · 1st. Gen: Ditto with the 2d. Lady Gallop down two Couple and foot it · Gallop up and cast off Four hands the round with the 3d. Couple · Right and Left at the top

The only difficulty in interpretation is in C1 which consists of a circle four that is supposed to take 8 bars. I presume this means a circle left followed by a circle right.

Monckton is a city in the Maritime Provinces. Or a place in Yorkshire.

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.


The Monckton ~ Duple

British white Feathers ~ Duple

The Monckton ~ Duple or British white Feathers ~ Duple is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Cantelo writes:

First Lady foots it with the 2d. Gen: and turns him to the Right · 1st. Gen: Ditto with the 2d. Lady Gallop down two Couple and foot it · Gallop up and cast off Four hands the round with the 3d. Couple · Right and Left at the top

The only difficulty in interpretation is in C1 which consists of a circle four that is supposed to take 8 bars. I presume this means a circle left followed by a circle right.

Monckton is a city in the Maritime Provinces. Or a place in Yorkshire.

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.


Mountain Hornpipe

Mountain Hornpipe is an American Country Dance. It was published by Elias Howe in 1862 in American Dancing Master, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Howe uses the word "swing" in A1, but when he says "swing" in other places he means turn. If he doesn't specify right or left he means two hand. I think.

Howe writes:

1st and 2d couples balance, swing partners, both couples down the centre, back, 1st couple cast off, cross right hands with 2d couple, left hands back, right and left with 3d couple.

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.


Mrs. Lt. Colonel Johnson's Reel

Mrs. Lt. Colonel Johnson's Reel is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Cantelo writes:

Right hands across to the Right round · Left hands Do. to the Left Gallop down two Couple and foot it · up again and Cast off set opposite corners and turn · Do. Foot it and turn half round with right hand · Do. & with the left hand or Hey opposite sides & turn to place.

The music comes in four bar chunks, and I don't think there is time to Gallop down two Couple and foot it in 4 bars so I'm changing it to a gallop down one couple.

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.


Old Dan Tucker ~ Link

Old Dan Tucker ~ Link is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Charles Link in 1893 and published in Unique Dancing Call Book, Rochester, NY. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022 and published in American Country Dances. It is a Custom dance. In this dance the men are permuted by: 4124 and the women by: 1234. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

Link writes in 1893:

Join hands & circle to the left 4 Circle to the right 4 All Balance 4 Swing 4 Tucker balance 4 Swing 4 Grand right and Left 8 Promenade all 8

Burchenal writes:

Formation: Any number of couples join hands in a circle, with one odd man (Dan Tucker) in the centre.
(1-2) Balance All (to Tucker)
(3-8) Turn left and Right (or "Allemande Left")
(9-16) Right Hand to Partner, and Grand Right and Left (Tucker joins in)
(1-8) Promenade All
(9-12) Forward and Back (13-16) All Hands Round

I assume that when Link says "Swing" he means a modern partner swing. This may not be the case, swing was used with all kinds of meanings in 1860 (don't know what it meant in 1893). Burchenal's version of the dance includes hand turns, and that is certainly a possible meaning for swing.

According to Burchenal, the grand right and left goes on until the caller says stop, at which point all the men scramble to find the nearest partner and promenade to her home. Tucker joins in the grand right and left. I'm not sure how that works for the man behind where tucker joins in, it seems to me that he is out the moment tucker moves in ahead of him.

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.


Portland Fancy ~ Howe

Portland Fancy ~ Howe is an American Country Dance. It was published by Elias Howe in 1862 in American Dancing Master, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2021. It is a Four Face Four dance. It is a double progression dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

Howe writes

Join hands and swing eight — head couple (gentleman opposite lady) down the middle, foot couple up the outside (at the same time), back to places — head couple down the outside, and foot couple up the middle — back to places — ladies chain at the head, right and left at foot, right and left at head and ladies chain at foot — all forward, forward and cross by opposite couples to face the next four.

In this context the "head couple" is defined to be the leftmost gentleman with his back to the band and his opposite (who is not his partner) in each minor set. While the foot couple is the leftmost gentleman facine the band and the woman opposite him. Similarly "heads" means the foursome stage left, and "feet" the foursome stage right.

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.


The Walton

The Walton is an American Country Dance. It was devised by Hezekiah Cantelo in 1785 and published in Twenty Four American Country Dances danced by the British during their Winter Quarters at Philadelphia, New York, & Charles Town. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Cantelo writes:

1st. and 2d. couple lead round each: lead down the middle, up again, and cast off, right and left with the top couple: Allemande right and left hand

I make no attempt to match the music to the instructions. The music shows an 8 bar A strain, an 8 bar B strain and a 16 bar C strain, all strains repeated. The instructions give a 32 bar dance.

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.


White Cockade - Saltator

White Cockade - Saltator is an American Country Dance. It was published by Saltator in 1802 in A Treatise on Dancing, Boston. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2022. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

Saltator writes:

Six olivettes, first couple down the middle, up brisè, first and second couples balance, promenade partners round, right and left atop.

Saltator (latin for dancer (or jumper)) uses French terms in ways that I find unexpected. "Olivette" means "hey" (I believe it was the name of a traditional dance in the olive groves. I assume that dance contained a hey). "Promenade" seems to mean a hand turn. "Brisè" means cast.

"Six olivettes" does not mean six heys. I think it means that six people hey, but it might mean six changes of a hey. I'm assuming this should be a mirror hey because that would be the most common hey to find at the beginning of a dance in England at this time. I have made it a cross-over hey just for fun.

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.


La Belle Anglaise

La Belle Anglaise is a European Contredanse. It was published by Pierre Trappeniers in 1777 in Recueil de Contredanses (Trappeniers), Brussels. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

La Belle Anglaise is a dance in the European (French) contredanse style, which derived from English Country dance.

It was written by a Belgian (though Belgium at the time was part of the Austrian Empire) who divised many other Contredanse.

Trappeniers writes:

no1 Les deux premieres Couples figurent et font le Moulinet.
no2 Défaire de même
no3 La premiere couple fair le grand Huit.
no4 On remonte de deux couples en dedans en on passe une couple è dos. no5 Le Cavalier figure avec la Dame de la Couple en bas et fait un tour de deeu mains,
ensuite la Dame fait le même ave le Cavalier de la même Couple.
no6 On fait un tour de rond avec cette même Couple.
no7 On fait la Chaine avec le Couple en haut.

Trappaniers gives 7 figures. Some appear to me to take 4 bars, some 8. The music consists of 2 eight bar strains. A simple addition of what I think the words mean gives me 44 bars of movement, which doesn't make sense. So I'm going to assume that "on fait un tour de rond" means circle left and then circle right; that will give me 48 bars.

Do I want AABBAB, AAABBB, or ABABAB? I expect AABBAB will annoy the musicians. AAABBB seems more interesting to me, but what do I know?

Many thanks to Johan Van Der Elst for placing Trappeniers's Recueil de Contredanses online.

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.


La Belle Anglaise ~ Duple

La Belle Anglaise ~ Duple is a European Contredanse. It was published by Pierre Trappeniers in 1777 in Recueil de Contredanses (Trappeniers), Brussels. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 48 bars.

La Belle Anglaise is a dance in the European (French) contredanse style, which derived from English Country dance.

It was written by a Belgian (though Belgium at the time was part of the Austrian Empire) who divised many other Contredanse.

Trappeniers writes:

no1 Les deux premieres Couples figurent et font le Moulinet.
no2 Défaire de même
no3 La premiere couple fair le grand Huit.
no4 On remonte de deux couples en dedans en on passe une couple è dos. no5 Le Cavalier figure avec la Dame de la Couple en bas et fait un tour de deeu mains,
ensuite la Dame fait le même ave le Cavalier de la même Couple.
no6 On fait un tour de rond avec cette même Couple.
no7 On fait la Chaine avec le Couple en haut.

Trappaniers gives 7 figures. Some appear to me to take 4 bars, some 8. The music consists of 2 eight bar strains. A simple addition of what I think the words mean gives me 44 bars of movement, which doesn't make sense. So I'm going to assume that "on fait un tour de rond" means circle left and then circle right; that will give me 48 bars.

Do I want AABBAB, AAABBB, or ABABAB? I expect AABBAB will annoy the musicians. AAABBB seems more interesting to me, but what do I know?

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.


Blac Dans ~ Landrin

Blac Dans ~ Landrin is a European Contredanse. It was devised by Landrin in about 1770 and published in Recueil Danglaise: Arrangees Avec Leurs Traits Telle Quel Se Danse che' la REINE, Paris. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 24 bars.

Landrin's works are undated. The Library of Dance says it was printed circa 1760. The Library of Congress says that Landrin was "active approximately 1760-1785". If we look at the list of English Country Dances we find the title "Black Dance" appearing first in Bride's Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1769, with the same figure continuing until Longman & Broderip in 1781. So I shall assume this was published after the first English occurance.

Landrin writes:

  1. Lors que l'air Commance, le premie Cus. Croisse les mains avec sa dames, il décende d'un Couple, dans le millieu
  2. Le Cus. en quittant sa dames, Croisse les mains avec la 3me. dame remonte a sa place, et de suite la remênent a la siene
  3. il reprend sa dames, et vient faire un rond de 4 entier, avec Ceux qui sont remontré a sa place et il se trouve - avoir gagnez une place

L'on Continue la même Figures alternative

Or, as I translate it...

  1. 1st couple cross
    turn partner
    lead down
  2. 1st man leaves his partner
    Takes a crossed hand hold with 3rd woman and leads her up 1st place
  3. 1st man gets his partner back (how?)
    and makes a circle with those who went to the top (the 3s?), a full circle
    and gain a place

I can't find Bride's version, but Straight & Skillern published the same figure (in 1775) and they write:

1st. & 2d. hands across half round the same back again 1st. Man leads his Part: down the middle & brings up the 3d. Wo. & leaves his Part: in her place then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left & the 1st. Man lead the 3d. Wo. down to her own place & bring his Part: up to the top & cast off into the 2d. Cus. place

While Rutherford (and Thompson) published a different figure.

Turn right hands and then left lead your Partner down and bring up the third Wo. then the first and third Cu. turn right hands & then left lead the third Wo. down and your Partner up & cast off.

The English version of the dance has 2 6bar strains of music. The French version has 2 4bar strains. I'm going to use the English music here because it seems to fit the timing better.

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.


L'Organiste

L'Organiste is a European Contredanse. It was published by Pierre Trappeniers in 1777 in Recueil de Contredanses (Trappeniers), Brussels. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2023. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.

L'Organiste is a dance in the European (French) contredanse style, which derived from English Country dance.

It was written by a Belgian (though Belgium at the time was part of the Austrian Empire) who divised many other Contredanse.

Trappeniers writes:

No1 Le premier Couple fair Chassé, Croisé
et chaque un tour do 2 mains avec le second Couple.
No2 Le Couple dansant, fait 4 pas et l'allemande.
et descend un Couple en dehors.
No3 Ce Couple se place entre le second.
Tous quatre, les mains enchaînées et dans cette figure vont en avant et en arrière.
No4 Le Couple dansant croise les mains.
et descend la colonme le Cavalier croise avec sa Dame,
et descend une Couple en dehores.
No5 On fait la Chaîne.

Trappaniers gives 5 figures. All but the 3rd appear to me to take 8 bars, so I shall assume that one does too, and repeat the described figure in the other direction. The music consists of 3 eight bar strains, all repeated, but that gives us 48 bars and we need 40. So I shall assume the final strain is only played once: AABBC

I shall assume that when Trappeniers says "Chassé" he means some form of setting.

I don't know what to make of "fait 4 pas et l'allemande". Is "faire 4 pas" another variety of setting? Whatever it means that leaves just 2 bars for the allemande. The English allemandes of that period take 4 bars...

No. 3 is just a line of four going up and falling back. I'm not sure what "les mains enchaînées" means. The easiest translation is just that they all take hands, but perhaps something more complicated is intended? Maybe hands are crossed in front of the body so that you join hands with the person furthest from that shoulder? (the line starts as M2 L1 M1 L2 facing up with M2 leftmost so M2 gives his left hand to L1, and she gives him her right, then she gives her left to M1 who gives her his right, then he gives his left to L2 who gives him her right. This is the only figure which appears to take four bars (lines of four in ECD usually go up a double and fall back a double. So to make it 8 bars I assume everyone should turn, go down a double and fall back.

I assume "Le Couple dansant croise les mains" means "in promenade hold". This figure has the lead couple go down two couples. Since, in those days, everything was within the minor set, that means the 1s must start the figure back at the top of the set to be able to go through their own 2s and 3s. I also assume that once they've gone below two couples they need to get back up to the top somehow, and probably this is where progression happens.

Many thanks to Johan Van Der Elst for placing Trappeniers's Recueil de Contredanses online.

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.