Goodness gracious.

[rivka]

English Country Dances are just about always done in couples. Many are danced longways (a double line of however many couples want to dance), while others are written for (for example) three-couple sets.

wcg pointed me to a dance in the original 17th century collection of English Country Dances. It was written for sets of six people, but not for three couples - instead it distinctly calls for two men, who have two female partners each. Isn't that interesting.

Here are some excerpts from the dancing instructions:

Each man goes to his L, leads 2 women out, all turn round and lead back; men turn each other 1#/4 while each man's 2 partners turn each other. Each man leads his 2 partners out and back; men turn each other as do opposite women.
[...]
1st man faces half L towards 2nd man's 1st woman, they balance back, meet, and form arch; the others hands-4 round the 1st man, under the arch. 2nd man and 1st man's 2nd woman do the same; hands-4 round him.
[...]
Each man leads his top partner down and then up making an arch, while the other woman casts up outside, then goes down under arch; the 2 single women turn, while the men turn the women they have. Repeat with the other women.

Quaint English custom, or stage directions for a bisexual polyamorous orgy?

Comments

[mathochist.livejournal.com]

Hey, I think I've been to that orgy...

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i vote for both. :)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

i vote for both. :)

*snort* You people. Always trying to have your cake and eat it too.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

embrace the power of "and", that's what i say.

[adjectivemarcus.livejournal.com]

Always trying to have your cake and eat it too.

Baking industry relies on that, we can too!

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

<wiping away tears of laughter>

-gigglyJ

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I take it this *will* be part of an a.p.9 workshop, yes?

(It does look like a fun dance.)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I take it this *will* be part of an a.p.9 workshop, yes?

As quaint English custom or bisexual polyamorous orgy?

Either way, hon, you'd better start looking around for a copy of the music.

[geekchick]

As quaint English custom or bisexual polyamorous orgy?

Can I put in another vote for "both"? ;)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Does that mean you're going to delurk and come to alt.polycon.9, then? Cool!

[geekchick]

I was planning to go, as the majority of my partners happen to live in or near Boston and it seemed like a fine excuse to both meet people and make dates with my partners. =)

Re: As quaint English custom or bisexual polyamorous orgy?

[wcg.livejournal.com]

With you as 1st man's 1st woman?

[He replied, in the fine Irish tradition of answering one question with another.]

I'll get the music, even if I have to get some musicians to play it live and record the performance.

...and this marks the spot

[trinker.livejournal.com]

where Bill and Rivka nearly killed Trinker.

(Ow. Choking on French bread sopped in chicken barley soup is *painful* !)

Re: ...and this marks the spot

[rivka.livejournal.com]

*grin* Why? What on earth could you find to object to in a little Playford-style English Country Orgy?

*sigh* You've always been so conservative, Trinker.

Re: ...and this marks the spot

[trinker.livejournal.com]

...where Rivka tried to kill me, *again*.

THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW!

[wcg.livejournal.com]

The written music can be found here.

It's also available on Country Capers, by the New York Renaissance Band. Arabesque, 1984 [you'll have to type Country Capers into the search block, and select Album Name as search criterion.]
RealAudio and Windows Media sound files are available.

And supposedly on volume 4 of Dances from the Courts of Europe, by Nonesuch.; and on something called Playford Replay'd. But I can't find either of those in a quick web search.