Country: Denmark
Type: set dance
Formation: 4 couple quadrille. Head couples (couples 1 and 2) respectively have their backs to or face the music.
Side couples: couple 3 stands on the side to the right of couple 1, and couple 4 faces couple 3. W stands to R of M.
Steps:
chassé (change step),
gangtrin (walk),
sideløbstrin (slip step)
Sheet music:
(1) løsblad.dk Amerikansk Lanciers
(2) Biersted Folkedansere Amerikansk Lanciers
[a medley of Hønsefødder og gulerødder and
“Oh ja, hvor pigen er dejlig“, both trekant tunes in 6/8 time.]
Recordings:
mp3
| Bars | Sequence | Dance progression: |
| 1-8 | 1 (a) | Kreds (circle): All form closed circle and circle CW (1-4), 8 walking steps. Ditto CCW (5-8), 8 walking steps. |
| 1-8 | (b) | Damemøller (W half-chain): All W form R-hand star, and circle CW half-way to opposite M (1-2), 4 walking steps. Courtesy turn with opposite M (3-4), 4 walking steps. Repeat to return to original place (5-8). |
| |:9-16:| | (c) | Kæde og sving (chain & swing): All turn away from partner, give L hand to corner, and turn once round CCW (9-12), 8 walking steps,
give R hand to partner and dance R-hand chain once round the set (13-16, 9-12), 16 walking steps, and take waltz hold with partner and swing on the spot (13-16), 8 buzz steps. |
| 17-18 | (d) | Opførrende par på visit (active couple visits): Couple 1 [the active couple, holding inside (MR/WL) hands] approaches to face couple 3 [couple on own R], 4 walking steps, and give brief courtesy (nod), to which couple 3 responds with a nod. |
| 19-20 | Couple 1 repeats visit with couple 2, 4 walking steps. | |
| 21-21 | Couple 1 repeats visit with couple 4, 4 walking steps. | |
| 23-24 | Couple 1 returns to original place and finishes facing the music [ie facing out of set], 4 walking steps. Meanwhile, couples 4 and then 3 go to stand behind couple 1 [and in front of couple 2], 4 walking steps. Finish with all 4 couples, one behind the other, facing same direction. | |
| 17-24 | (e) | Kolonnerne suser (column-wise slip steps): Holding inside hands with partner, couples dance to own R (17-18), 4 slip steps. Ditto to L to place (19-20),
4 slip steps.
Repeat (e) (21-24), 8 slip steps. |
| 25-32 | (f) | Gåsegang (chase): Active couple (M1 & W1) turn about to face down the set, take outside (ML/WR) hands, and walk down between
the lines of M and W. All other couples follow in order.
At bottom of the set, W1 turns to L, M1 turns to R, and all proceed up the outside of the lines to place at start of figure. Finish again in two lines, one of M and one of W, facing partner, with space between the lines. 16 walking steps. |
| 25-32 | (g) | Rækkerne frem og tilbage - sving egen (lines advance, retire & swing): Lines advance (25-26), 1 chassé step followed by 2 walking steps. Retire ditto (27-28), 1 chassé step and 2 walking steps. Lines again advance, 1 chassé step, take waltz hold with partner and swing, 6 buzz steps. During swing, couples move back to original place in quadrille formation. |
| 2 (a)-(g) | Couples repeat (1 (a) to (g)). Couple 2 is the active couple. | |
| 3 (a)-(g) | Couples repeat (1 (a) to (g)). Couple 3 is the active couple. | |
| 4 (a)-(g) | Couples repeat (1 (a) to (g)). Couple 4 is the active couple. | |
| |:1-8:||:9-16:| | 5 (a)-(c) | Couples repeat (1 (a) to (c)) after which the dance is finished. |
See video from/with Herlev Gamle Danse 2022-11
Provenance: There is some doubt as to whether or not, despite the name, this dance has come from the USA. The music is at any rate a medley of two Danish 'trekant' tunes.
Source: løsblad.dk Amerikansk Lanciers
Translation: L. Ruus, Oakville, 2023-08-20.
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