Bøhmerdans

Country: Lolland-Falster & Vendsyssel, Denmark
Sheet music: (1) 'Det sorte lam' 358:168 (2) Eliasen, John/ Sving egen! - 40 danske folkedanse 1:st (English version). s.l.: Danske Folkdansere, 1993. pp.89-90.
Recordings: D.U.K. Miss Millegan's miscellany track 04; Ramsø Spillemandslaug Så rykker det (RSL CD07) track 03; Rejseorkestret Sving egen cd II (2004 ed.) track 19; Spillemandslauget TRAMP (SLPS 1279), track A3; Viser på valse 2 1909 [YouTube]; Zar Tusind tanker (TM5133872) track 3 [YouTube]; unattributed [YouTube].

    Bøhmerdans, Rykkerup, Oreby and Ravnsø, Lolland
Type: longways progressive set dance
Formation: reversed longways set of couples, W to the right, M to the left, as seen from the music. Couples numbered from the top of the set as couple 1, 2, 1, 2, etc.
Steps: balancé, chassé (change step), hurretrin (buzz step).
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-4:| (a) Promenade: Beginning with R foot, and holding inside hands, couple 1 dances down the set with 4 chassé steps (1-4), turns CCW as a couple without dropping hold, and dances back up the set with 4 chassé steps (1-4). Finish level with and between couple 2, facing own partner.
|:5-8:| (b) Balancé: Beginning with R foot, couple 1 dances 4 balancé steps (5-8). [On the last balancé step] M1 and W1 then turn individually 1/2 turn CW on another balancé step, so that M1 faces W2 and W1 faces M2. Couples 1 and 2 dance 4 balancé steps, beginning with R foot (5-8). [On the last balancé step] M1 and W1 again turn individually 1/2 turn CW to face partner.
9-12 (c) Smedetur: Couple 1 claps own hands, partner's R hand (9), own hands, partner's L hand (10), own hands, partner's two hands (11), and own hands 3 times (12).
9-12   Swing: Couple 1 takes waltz hold, still between M2 and W2, and turns with 8 hurretrin on the spot.
    Repeat from (a) as desired.
When the music repeats, couples 1 and 2 dance down the set, couple 1 in the lead, 4 chassé steps, while the remaining couples step up. Couple 2 turns CCW and dances up the set, 4 chassé steps as in (a) above. Meanwhile, couple 1 continues, with 4 chassé steps, to the bottom of the set, finishing on own sides respectively.

See video from KØST2017

Provenance: The dance was first described by Johannes Egedal in 1917 based on information from Mrs. Allert, Ravnsø, as well as by Erik Jensen, based on information from smallholder and musician Lars Henriksen, Rykkerup. At the end of th 1950s, Erik Jensen wrote "Part (b) has been danced slightly differently in various parts of the county, and similarly it is said in western Lolland that there were always 8 couples in [each set], although this may have been for practical reasons. Different tunes have also been used. I have used this tune and description because in my opinion it is the most original, the tune being from N. Chr. Nielsen from Oreby Strandhuse (passed away about 80-90 years ago), an appointed stadsmusikant (city musician). The dance has been danced in this version at høstgilder [harvest feasts] in Orebygaard [Oreby manor]."

Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme/ Gamle danse fra Lolland-Falster. København: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme, 1996. 2 udg. pp.. 62-63.
See also: Eliasen, John/ Sving egen! - 40 danske folkedanse 1:st (English version). s.l.: Danske Folkdansere, Danske Folkdanseres Spillemandskreds, Danske Gymnastik- og Ungdomsforeningar, 1993. pp.89-90.

   
    Bøhmerdans, Vendsyssel
Type: progressive longways set
Formation: longways set. couples in two lines. Men to the R and women to the L as seen from the music, facing partner. Numbered 1-2-3, etc. from the music (top of the set).
Steps: hurretrin (buzz step), sideløbstrin (slip step), walk
Bars Part Dance progression:
1-4 (a) Promenade: Couple 1 takes 2-hand hold and dances down the set, between the rows, 8 slip steps.
1-4   Couple 1 returns to the top of the set with 8 slip steps.
:5-8: (b) Chain: Couples 1 and 2 chain: M1 takes W1 R hand in R hand and the couple turns 1/2 way round CW, after which M1 gives his L hand to W2, R hand to W1, For couple 2, it is a normal R-hand chain, 1-3/4 round the set of 4 people, so that at the end of the chain, couples 1 and 2 have changed places [couple 1 has progressed]. At the end of the chain, couple 2 turns half-way round to return to own side. 16 walking steps.
9-12 (c) Smedetur: Couples 1 and 2 face and clap: own hands (9), R hands (&), own hands (10), L hands (&), own hands (11), both partner's hands (&), 3 claps in own hands (12).
9-12   Swing: Couples 1 and 2 take waltz hold with partner and turn on the spot, 8 buzz steps. Finish on own side, in original rows, with couple 1 now below couple 2.
When the music repeats, couple 1 dances with couple 3. The third time, couple 1 dances with couple 4, and couple 2 with couple 3, etc.
Alternatively, couples 1, 3, 5, etc., may all start simultaneously.

See videos from Varde 2019 and YouTube from/with Folkedanserbal i Roskilde 2016, Jensen & Bugge & Os fra Stevns (at 3:24).

Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Vendsyssel og Læsø. 2nd ed. København: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF), 1982, pp. 9-10

Provenance: There are several descriptions of the dance, which was known in much of the country. Urup located a similar tune in an ms notebook entitled Danse anglois 1791 in which dance nr. 14, "Hollands", a contredanse anglaise, has a similar description to the above [Urup, pp. 105-106]. An identical tune is to be found in the collections of Hans Pedersen Adrian, Hillestrup [ms notebook dated 1915].

See also:
-- Urup, Henning/ Dans i Danmark: danseformerne ca. 1600 til 1950.København: Museum Tusculanums Forlag, 2007. pp.105-106, 163, 178, 207, 212, 216.
-- Lund, Jørgen Gad/ Terpsichore, eller En Veiledning for mine Dandse-Elever. Andet forbedrede Oplag. Slagelse, 1827. p. 47.
-- Balling, Vilhelm/ Anvisning til at danse "Menuet", "Les Lanciers", "Française", "Jule-Kvadrille", "Le Prince Impériale", "Eugenie-Kvadrille", "Sekstur", "Jernbane-Kvadrille", samt 50 forskellige selskabsdanse tillige med 150 meget interessante og let udførlige Kotillons-Ture. 7 opl. reprint 2019 København: Herdahl, 1875
Translation: L. Ruus, Oakville, 2015-10-20, rev. 2022-08-23.


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