[MR] Name That Dance

[Sandi Rust]

Sounds like Hole in the Wall.. you folks need to remember that most "country dances" now 
   used to be "courtly dances" in the Middle Ages.. 
   
  Marie Hélène

"C. Brian Towey" <cbt at ib-ent.com> wrote:
  Dear dance masters,

I was at a party in rural Ireland recently, and there was a traditional
band. They struck up a lively 4/4 tune, and everybody got up to dance.
Maybe I missed it in the hubbub, but nobody named or called the dance.
Nevertheless, all the locals young and old seemed to know it. It was more
similar to dances I've seen in the SCA than to either contra dancing or
square dancing. Some variety of English Country Dance, perhaps. I'm hoping
that one of you gentles will be able to tell me the name.

Dancers formed up in ranks of four abreast, MFMF. There needed to be four
files (columns) and an even number of ranks (rows).

Odd ranks faced up the hall; even ranks faced down the hall. This gave
facing groups of eight.

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

Etc.

A Part (Verse) (8 bars)
=======================
1) In 8 beats, within each rank the two couples changed places sideways.
MFmf became mfMF.
2) Repeat, to restore the original rank.
3) Then, each pair of facing ranks divided like this.
MF mf
MF mf
The foursomes took hands, and they circled to the left for 16 beats. Most
made one circle in that time. Some foursomes of experienced dancers turned
twice as fast.

B Part (Chorus) (8 bars)
========================
4) As the music changed, they kept circling to the left for 16 more beats,
then took hands in their original ranks.
5) In 8 beats, the two facing ranks came together, double forward and double
back, holding hands within each rank.
6) In 8 beats, the ranks facing down the hall raised their joined hands and
the ranks facing up the hall passed under.

^ ^ ^ ^
v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 
^ ^ ^ ^ 

v v v v 

The music repeated every 16 bars (64 beats).

I didn't notice what happened to the orphaned ranks on either end, but with
each verse the odd ranks of four processed one place up the hall while the
even ranks of four processed down the hall.

I'm sure there is a more elegant way to describe it, but that's the best
this hoofer can do. I can try to post video if anyone wants more details.

Your servant,

Charles the dancing fool Fleming


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