David writes:
Sounds like the version of the dance Jeff encountered
has been considerably folk
processed! In Ted's original dance, there's no partner swing-- I know, a
shocking omission. There are other dances with the "lady round two, gent cut
through figure," but Ted was the first to incorporate that figure (from
Appalachian dancing) into a contra.
Into a modern American contra, but not into a longways duple minor formation.
"Cheshire Rounds" (in Mr. Playford's 1701 edition) has a figure Charles
Bolton
describes as:
The first lady casts down behind her neighbour, crosses the set,
and moves into her partners place. The first man follows her,
but cuts up between the second couple, and moves into her place.
I worked that out; it's "lady round two, gent cut through". In 1701.
(I also have a dim memory of one of the dances in John Millar's "Country Dances
of Colonial America" having that figure, but I can't find it now.
-- Alan
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Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
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