11: Lightly Love |
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longways for as many as you
please |
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mms pages 16 to 18 |
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Playford
version: none |
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Music: |
Light o'Love |
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Structure: for N couples, it comes out to:
((AABBx6))xN)xN + AABB |
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Part 1 |
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Verse, Part A |
1: |
Lead up [a double] |
2: |
[Fall back a double] |
3-4: |
Lead up [a double and fall
back a double] again |
Verse, Part B |
1-2: |
Set [and turn, left] |
3-4: |
Set [and turn, right] |
Chorus, Part A |
1-4: |
The first man goes to the
bottom of the set to stand near the last lady. The length of the line of couples says
whether this is a straight dash, or a flirtingly casual amble. |
Chorus, Part B |
1-2: |
The first man sets [and
turns, left] to the last woman. |
3-4: |
The last man sets [and
turns, left] to his partner. |
Chorus, Part C |
1-2: |
The first man sets [and
turns, right] to the last woman [amping it up!]. |
3-4: |
The last man sets [and
turns, right] to his partner again, trying to keep her interested |
Chorus, Part D |
1-2: |
The first man turns the
last woman all the way around |
3-4: |
The last man turns his
partner all the way around |
Chorus, Part E |
1-2: |
The first man sets [and
turns, left] to the last woman [one last triumphant time] |
3-4: |
The last man sets [and
turns, left] to his partner again [possibly defeated] |
Chorus, Part F |
1-2: |
The first man turns the
last woman all the way around again [as a victory lap!] |
3-4: |
and this time leads her up
to the top and puts her in his partner's place, the other women slipping down
a place to make room |
Continuation: |
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The dance continues until
the first man brings up his partner again, and then "There is nothing
but the same till every man shall have done all the woemen rounde",
meaning that the "first man" position must change once he leads up
his own original partner again. |
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But that's not all - there
is an additional instruction that says that the first man may, "only if
he please", salute (kiss) the lady he is dancing with "(if he like
her,)", but if he does, then the last man must do the same. |
To finish up: |
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Empirical evidence suggests
that the verse needs to be done one more time (a last repeat of the AABB
music) so that the last man, having fetched up his original partner, can
return to last place again. |
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Conclusion: |
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This is a kidnapping dance,
like Chirping of the Nightingall. The
posturing that happens as the first man "woos" the last woman, and
the last man tries to keep her attention, is likely what makes this dance
even more interesting. |
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And then, there's the extra
competition of the 'salute' and forcing the last man to copy the
gesture. Intriguing! |
Music: |
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Light o'Love is a Broadside
Ballad tune that works well with this dance, which makes this one of the few
"new" period ECDs we are able to dance in the 21st century! |
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