Programme of early colonial dances for the Heritage Ball, National Folk Festival 2015.
These dances will appear in the first section of the Ball programme on Sunday 5th April at 8.00pm. A preparatory workshop will be held on Friday 3rd April at 3.50pm which will also include dances from the latter (more modern) section of the programme.
Scroll down for the full set of instructions. All dances, with the exception of the Melbourne Waltz, have a link to the page featuring the history relating to each dance.
A recording of the music is available by contacting: earlycolonialdance.1788@yahoo.com
Port Jackson
Botany Bay
Melbourne Waltz
Lord Sydney’s Fancy
Nancy Dawson
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PORT JACKSON
Thompson’s Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1796.
Country dance: duple minor longways.
32 bars AABB
| A1 | 1-4 | 1st and 2nd couples right hand turn, |
| 5-8 | 1st and 2nd couples right hands star. | |
| A2 | 1-4 | 1st and 2nd couples left hand turn. |
| 5-8 | 1st couple and 2nd couples left hands star, | |
| B1 | 1-6 | 1st couple lead down the middle and back, |
| 7-8 | 1st couple cast off one place WHILE 2nd couple move up into 1st place. | |
| A3 | 1-4 | 1st and 2nd couples allemande by the right. [stand right shoulder to right shoulder with partner, link right elbows reaching behind your partner’s back to take their left hand. Dance clockwise in this position, maintaining eye contact with partner.] |
| 5-8 | 1st and 2nd couples allemande by the left. [stand left shoulder to left shoulder with partner, link left elbows reaching behind your partner’s back to take their right hand. Dance anti-clockwise in this position, maintaining eye contact with partner.] |
BOTANY BAY
Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1788. T. Skillern, London.
Country dance: duple minor longways
AABB ad lib
| A1 | 1-8 | 1st couple lead down the middle, |
| 5-6 | 1st couple lead back to the top, | |
| 7-8 | 1st couple cast into second place WHILE 2nd couple move up. |
|
| A2 | 1-4 | 2nd couple lead down the middle, |
| 5-6 | 2nd couple lead back to the top, | |
| 7-8 | 2nd couple cast into second place WHILE 1st couple move up. |
|
| B1 | 1-4 | Circle left, |
| 5-8 | Circle right. | |
| B2 | 1 | 1st couple cross by the right shoulder, |
| 2-4 | 1st couple cast off one place and cross by the left shoulder, end facing up WHILE 2nd couple move up to first place, end facing down. |
|
| B2 | 5-8 | Four changes of a circular hey. Start by passing right shoulders on the side with neighbour. |
MELBOURNE WALTZ
J.Power’s Select Collection of Dances for 1820. [University of Melbourne Library]
Country dance: Longways set for 3 couples.
32 x 3
| 1-2 | 1st and 2nd men set to each other, WHILE 1st and 2nd ladies also set to each other, |
| 3-4 | 1st and 2nd couples cross to opposite side, the ladies passing between the men. |
| 5-6 | 1st and 2nd men set to each other, WHILE 1st and 2nd ladies also set to each other, |
| 7-8 | 1st and 2nd couples cross to opposite side, the ladies passing between the men. |
| 9-10 | 1st couple take two hands and chasse down 2 steps, |
| 11-12 | 1st couple chasse up 2 steps, |
| 13-16 | 1st couple cast into second place and come into face 1st corners. L1 faces M2, M1 faces L3. 2nd couple move up on 15 & 16 |
| 17-18 | 1st couple turn first corners by right hand, L1 turns M2, M1 turns L3 |
| 19-20 | 1st couple touch left hand to partner in passing, |
| 21-22 | 1st couple turn second corners by right hand, L1 turns M3, M1 turns L2 |
| 23-24 | 1st couple touch partner’s left hand in crossing to own side. |
| 25-28 | All three couples take right allemande hold with partner and turn once, |
| 29-32 | 1st couple cast to the bottom, WHILE 2nd couple left allemande, AND WHILE 3rd couple left allemande moving up into 2nd place while turning. |
LORD SYDNEY’S FANCY
Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1789. Longman and Broderip, London
Country dance: Longways set for 4 couples.
AABB x 8
| A1 | 1-8 | Hey on contrary sides. 1st couple starts by crossing down, the lady passing in front of her partner, to dance a hey for three on the opposite side of the set. |
| A2 | 1-8 | Hey on own sides. 1st couple crosses back, the lady passing in front of her partner, to dance a hey for three on their own side of the set. |
| B1 | 1-8 | 1st couple lead down the middle and back, cast off. 2nd couple moving up on bars 7 & 8. |
| B2 | 1-8 | 1st and 2nd couples rights and lefts. |
NANCY DAWSON
Benjamin Walker, Dancing Master 1790
This version from No Kissing Allowed in School! A Virginia Dancing School in 1784. Kate Van Winkle Keller & George A. Fogg.
Country dance: Longways set for 4 couples.
AABB x 8
| A1 | 1-4 | 1st couple cast off down the outside of the set, |
| 5-8 | cast back to the top. | |
| A2 | 1-3 | 1st couple cross right shoulder and cast one place, |
| 4-5 | cross left shoulder and cast one place, | |
| 6-8 | lead up to face 1st corners. 2nd couple move up on bars 3 & 4. | |
| B1 | 1-2 | 1st couple set to 1st corners, |
| 3-4 | 1st couple dance around 1st corners by the left shoulder, | |
| 5-6 | 1st couple in the middle, clap hands [own, own, partner’s], | |
| 7-8 | 1st couple two hand turn to face 2nd corners. | |
| B2 | 1-2 | 1st couple set to 2nd corners, |
| 3-4 | 1st couple dance around 2nd corners by the left shoulder, | |
| 5-6 | 1st couple in the middle, clap hands [own, own, partner’s], | |
| 7-8 | 1st couple two hand turn to own side. |
