Here We Go Round

Powdered your wig yet? Oh, no matter. My week-long tribute to 18th Century dance in preparation for Her Majesty's Ball continues with some spin.

I declare set dances most enjoyable, dearest readers, but the circles give me great pleasure as well. I do not have the opportunity to caper as many of them as I would like because they tend to be a little more challenging to learn. Like a song, they have choruses and verses, meaning one repeats the steps in the chorus but the verses change.

I give you a lively dance known as "Gathering Peascods," as performed by some talented students in eight-person sets. Do note though, this dance can accommodate many more.



Here is a breakdown of the steps.

I learned this dance on the fly at last year's Arizona Renaissance Fair in Apache Junction with some help from a beautiful, encouraging and enthusiastic partner!

Now let us watch a quadrille -- a dance for four-couple sets. It is the precursor of what we now know as square dancing, but without the caller. Notice how these dancers glide right through a number, the name of which I know not. Whatever it is, they perform it beautifully.



My dearest readers, note in both these fine examples how the figures flow into one another nearly seamlessly. A main goal -- and I admit this is a continuing effort for myself -- is to make sure one uses all of the music, moving exactly to the beat and not tarrying about or hastily stepping to catch up.

However, as you can see from the above dances, often the ladies and gentlemen find themselves waiting a few bars by design as their partners perform some fancy figures. So lads, what shall we do while the ladies caper? Clap for them in encouragement -- and encourage your fellow gentlemen to do the same so you do not find yourself in an isolated state of bliss. Perhaps you might add a well-timed "Huzzah!" for merry measure.

Keep your clocked stockings on. More shall follow!