Fandango, Odsherred

Country: Odsherred, Sjælland, Denmark
Type: couple dance
Formation: any number of couples in an open circle, holding inside hands.
Steps: chassé (change step), balancé/pas de bas, polka, gangtrin (walk).,
Sheet music: (1) 358:277 (fandango fra Salling); (2) Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Sjælland. 4 oplag. København: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme, 1998. p. 5.; (3) Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Old Danish folk dances. trans. by Finn Dyhr. Copenhagen: Association for the promotion of folk dances (Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme), 1960. p.11.; (4) documentation prepared for Nordlek 1976 in Trondheim.
Recordings: Bror Kalles Kapel [Internet Archive]; Holstebro Folkedanserforening Folkedans med Arne Bech track 27; Råbergs Spillemandskvartet Gammeldavsaften track A5; Skævingekvartetten Gamle danse fra Sjælland I track 01.

Bars Part Dance progression
1-4 (a) Promenade: Couples dance 3 chassées followed by 2 walking steps forward in LOD, beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot. Joined arms moving slightly forward and back as in tyrolerwaltz.
5-8   Couples turn individually, [towards partner] (M to the R and W to the L), and repeat 3 chassées and 2 walking steps in RLOD. Finish facing parter, with M's back to the center of the dance floor.
9-12   All dance 1 chassé to the L (beginning with L foot), 2 walking steps, and 2 pas de bas, to R then L.
13-16   All dance 1 chassé to the R (beginning with R foot), 2 walking steps, and 2 pas de bas, to L then R. Finish in waltz hold with partner.
17-18 (b) Polka: All touch ML/WR heel in the floor forward (17:1), pause (17:2), then close toe to other foot (18:1), pause (18:2), and
19   dance one polka step, turning CCW,
20   and quickly touch heel of MR/WL foot in the ground forwards (20:1), and close toe to the other foot (20:2)
21-23   All dance 3 polka steps turning CW (M begins with R foot, W with L foot), and finish facing LOD.
24   All dance 2 walking steps forward in LOD (M begins with L foot, W with R foot).
17-24   Repeat from (b).
    Repeat from (a) as desired.

See YouTube video with Knud med venner.

Provenance: This fandango, a couple dance, is more in the tradition of the original fandangos of Spain and Portugal in the 1700s, rather than the later progressive longways set dances (contredanses anglaises), characterized by a 'dancing around the Christmas tree' figure. The Lopp and Silvester sources below also contain 'fandangos' which appear to be couple dances. Note: "The 'Spanish fandango' is a waltz sequence couple dance composed by Charles Wood around 1950, at the height of the Old Time Dancing revival in England." [Wood web site]

Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Sjælland. 4 oplag. København: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme, 1998. pp. 5-6
See also:
-- 'Fandango' in Wikipedia
-- 'Fandango basque' by Henri Rinck in: Lopp, Washington/ La Danse. Paris: A. Lahure, 1903. p.239.
-- 'Los Bailes' Friné I(9), April 1918 (publ. Madrid: Friné).
-- Wood, Charles 'Spanish fandango' in: Silvester, Victor/ More old time dances. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1951. p.81.
-- Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Old Danish folk dances. trans. by Finn Dyhr. Copenhagen: Association for the promotion of folk dances (Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme), 1960. pp. 11-12.
-- Hofman, Huig 'Fandango' in: Stockton Folk Dance Camp/ Syllabus of dance descriptions 1964. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1964. pp. 4, 129.
-- documentation prepared for Nordlek 1976 in Trondheim.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2014-09-06, rev. 2022-10-04.


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