Source: J. Johnson from Caledonian Country Dances 3rd Edition 1733
Formation: Longways Duple Minor
Interpretation: Bernie Culkin, 2020
| A1: | 1-4 | Partners back-to-back |
| 5-6 | Neighbours back-to-back | |
| A2: | 1-4 | Partners 2H turn |
| 5-6 | Neighbours 2H turn | |
| B1: | 1-2 | Balance forward in the centre and back. Use a step close step |
| 3-4 | Set R & L.. Use a step close step | |
| 4-6 | Turn single [6] | |
| B2: | 1-2 | 1/2 figure eight down [6] |
| 3-4 | Cross & move down | |
| 5-6 | Partners 2H turn [6] |
This is a tune that I adore but I have never been able to fit the figures to the music so I decided to take another look at the original instructions and review the different interpretations.
Colin Hume has described his interpretation at https://colinhume.com/instr.htm#EasterThursday. Here he points our that the A music has three clear phrases, 2 bars each. Both Colin Hume and Bernard Bentley say that these back to backs take 9 steps each. However, I have found that this doesn’t feel right and watching videos on YouTube you see many dancers taking 6 steps for the back to back and standing for 3.
Colin suggests doing one back-to-back in one phrase of the music (6 steps) and the other in two phrases (12 steps). I have taken this recommendation and chosen to do the first back to back in 12 steps and the second in 6 steps. I find this fits the music nicely and gives a nice contrast between a long leisurely back to back and a quick back to back.
I have also changed the order of who you start each figure; partner first then neighbours. I found that this flowed better from the last figure of partners two hand turn into a back to back.
The step close for the figures was introduced to me by Louise Siddons when she called this dance. It fitted so nicely that I kept this in my interpretation.