Me: "Lansdowne Lane" (my own
name for it) |
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Arrangement:
four
couples in a line, last two couples improper |
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Music: Structure - A = 4
measures, B = 4 measures, each part AABB, total AABBx3 |
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Argeers works, for example … |
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Lansdowne 1115 - fourth dance |
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Part 1 |
Verse 1, Part A |
1: |
First two couples lead up a
double, last two couples face down and lead a double that way; face your
partner. |
2: |
Everyone fall back a
double; first two couples face down, last two face up. |
3: |
Everyone walk a double in
the direction you are facing; face your partner again. |
4: |
Everyone double toward your
partner; first two couples face up, last two face down. |
Verse 1, Part B |
1-4: |
The same again. |
Chorus 1, Part
A |
1: |
Couple 2 lead up a double
between couple 1 to end up above them, couple 3 do the same going downward
between couple 4. |
2: |
Couple 2 splits and casts
off to end up on either side of couple 1, who have switched places in a
double at the same time, forming a single line four abreast, MWMW (2121),
facing down; couples 3 and 4 do the same at their end - their line will end
up facing up. |
3: |
The two lines double toward
each other. |
4: |
Man 2 and woman 2 cast off
the ends of the line and fall into the top of the line, while couple 1
switches places in the second position, man 3 and woman 3 cast off the ends
of their line and fall into position at the bottom while couple 4 switches
places again in the third position. |
Chorus 1, Part
B |
1-4: |
The same again but with the
roles switched so that everyone ends up back in their starting positions. |
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Part 2 |
Verse 2, Part A |
1: |
Face your partner; do a
large double "to the wall", passing your partner [by right
shoulders] and continuing so that the lines are separated by a good amount of
space. |
2: |
Man 1 and woman 4 meet [and
cross] a double "outside" of the two others on their side (man 1
will end up to the left of woman 4, facing woman 3), while woman 1 and man 4
do the same (meet [and cross]) on their side. |
3: |
The two new couples go
under the arms of the other two on their sides to meet their own in the
middle |
4: |
[Couples 1 and 4 switch
places with their partner,] the people in couples 2 and 3 turn single; the
new perpendicular lines face each other. |
Verse 2, Part B |
1: |
Lines do a large double
forward, passing the person in front of you [by left shoulders] and
continuing forward to put distance between the lines. |
2: |
The 'corners' (couples 2
and 3, currently split on the opposite ends of the lines) meet [and cross]
above and below couples 1 and 4 [so that each man is to the left of the
woman, facing their opposite genders of couples 1 and 4] |
3: |
These corners go between
couples 1 and 4 and meet in the middle |
4: |
[Couples 2 and 3 switch
places with their partners, while] couples 1 and 4 turn single |
Chorus 2, Part
A |
1: |
Couples one and two facing
up the line, couples three and four facing down the line; couples one and
four open (two small(ish?) side singles away from your partner - don't drop
hands until the very end of the measure), as couples two and three close (two
very small side singles toward your partner). |
2: |
Couples one and four fall
back a double to 'meet' back to back, as couples two and three go forward a
double into the end couples' places - the opening and closing should leave
enough room for forward-moving couples to pass the backward-moving couples. |
3-4: |
Couples two and three
separate a bit so they can arm with each other; couples one and four face the
one you haven't quite bumped backs with (in a double - measure 3), take both
hands with them and slide into the middle (measure four). |
Chorus 2, Part
B |
1: |
Upper two couples face up
the line, lower two face down the line; end couples open (two side singles
away from your partner), as the middle couples close (two side singles toward
your partner). |
2: |
End couples fall back a
double as middle couples go forward a double. |
3-4: |
Formerly middle couples one
and four, back in their places, arm with each other; formerly end couples
turn to face the one you haven't quite bumped backs with (in a double -
measure 3), take both hands with them and slide into the middle, back where
you started the dance (measure four). |
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Part 3 |
Verse 3, Part A |
1: |
Couples one and four take
their partners by both hands and slip sideways up/down the line to meet side
by side in the middle; man 2 and woman 3 take both hands, woman 2 and man 3
take both hands, these two pairs slip sidways out of the middle a double. |
2: |
Everyone drop hands and do
a double forward, changing places with the person they slipped with and
remaining back to back with that person. |
3: |
Couples one and four do a
double to half-turn and face their partner; couples 2 and 3 double into place
at the ends of the line, couple 3 at the top of the line, couple 2 at the
bottom, facing their partner. |
4: |
Turn your partner all the
way around in one double. |
Verse 3, Part B |
1: |
End couples take their
partners by both hands and slip a double sideways to meet in the middle; the
middle couples take their side neighbor by both hands and slip a double
sideways out of the middle. |
2: |
Everyone drop hands and do
a double forward, changing places with the person they slipped with and
remaining back to back with that person. |
3: |
Newly-middle couples
half-turn to go face to face again, while the people double up and down to
meet their partners at the appropriate ends of the lines (we have now
reversed the line and reversed each couple's original positions as well!) |
4: |
Turn your partner all the
way around in one double. |
Chorus 3, Part
A |
1: |
End couples take their
partners by both hands and slip a double sideways to meet in the middle; the
middle couples take their side neighbor by both hands and slip a double
sideways out of the middle. |
2: |
Everyone drop hands and do
a double forward, changing places with the person they slipped with and
remaining back to back with that person. |
3: |
Newly-middle couples
half-turn to go face to face again, while the people double up and down to
meet their partners at the appropriate ends of the lines (couples order 2, 4,
1, 3 with the upper two improper) |
4: |
Turn your partner all the
way around in one double. |
Chorus 3, Part
B |
1: |
End couples take their
partners by both hands and slip a double sideways to meet in the middle; the
middle couples take their side neighbor by both hands and slip a double
sideways out of the middle. |
2: |
Everyone drop hands and do
a double forward, changing places with the person they slipped with and
remaining back to back with that person. |
3: |
Newly-middle couples
half-turn to go face to face again, while the people double up and down to
meet their partners at the appropriate ends of the lines (the set has
returned to its original, starting position) |
4: |
Turn your partner all the
way around in one double. |
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Conclusion: |
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This dance bears some
structural resemblances to Playford's Lull Me Beyond Thee, but they aren't
quite similar enough to be related (there's no real verse-chorus structure
here, for example) |
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And despite the setup
similarity between this (and Lull Me) and Ten Pound Lass (last two couples
improper - those are the only two Playford dances with that setup), Ten Pound
Lass is even more "normal" than Lull Me … |
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