Russisk kontra fra Læsten, Randersegnen & Salling


Country: Læsten & Salling, Midtjylland Denmark
Type: set dance

    Russisk kontra, Læsten, Randersegnen, Midtjlland
Formation: 4 couple quadrille. Head couples (couples 1 and 2) have respectively backs to or face the music. Side couples (couples 3 and 4) stand respectively to R of couples 1 and 2.
Steps: hurretrin (buzz steps), gangtrin (walk)
Sheet music: (1)
358:246, (2) from N.P.S.Willumsens notebooks, (3) Hamborg, Svend/ Beskrivelser & noder til Thydanse [vol.] I. [Thisted]: Thy Spillemandslaug, [1981]. p.26, 25. (4) 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.29. See also Jens Karl Førbys polka
Recordings: Begley, Séamus & Oisin Mac Diarmada 'The Danish polka' An Irish Christmas soundscape [YouTube]; Dwight Lamb's Orkester [YouTube]; Råbergs Spillemandskvartet Gammeldavsaften track A6; Trunderup Spillemændene Dansk spillemandsmusik II track 15 [YouTube]; Talkoopelimannit Talkoopelimannit ja Karpalot track 10 [YouTube].
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| 1 (a) Circle: Couples form closed circle and dance CW once around the set, 16 walking steps.
9-16   (b) Cross-overs: Couples 1 and 2, beginning with R foot, dance half-8s around couples 4 and 3 respectively, ie the couple on their left: M passes behind the woman on his left, through that couple 4 (on the L), in front of M and on to opposite place. Meanwhile, W passes in front of W on the L, passes through that couple, and behind that M to opposite place. 8 walking steps.
Simultaneously, couple 2 dances similarly through couple 3.
Meanwhile, couples 3 and 4 open to allow couples 1 and 2 to pass through: W diagonally forward to R, M diagonally forward to L, and retire to place. 4 walking steps.
17-24   Couples 1 and 2 take waltz or polska hold, and swing on the spot, 8 buzz steps.
9-24   Couples 1 and 2 repeat (b) to return to place, couples 3 and 4 opening as above.
|:25-40:|   Repeat (b), couples 3 and 4 crossing and couples 1 and 2 opening.
    Part (b) is the same in all sequences.
|:1-8:| 2 (a) Swing: All take waltz hold with partner and swing on the spot, 16 buzz steps.
|:1-8:| 3 (a) W 1-hand star: All W form R-hand star, and circle CW, 16 buzz steps.
|:1-8:| 4 (a) M 2-hand star: All M form 2-hand star, and circle CW, 16 buzz steps.
|:1-8:| 5 (a) W back basket: All W form back basket, and circle CW, 16 buzz steps.
|:1-8:| 6 (a) M back basket: All M form back basket, and circle CW, 16 buzz steps.
|:1-8:| 7 (a) Circle: All couples form closed circle, and circle once round, 16 walking steps.`
|:1-8:|   Swing: All couples take waltz hold, and swing on the spot, 16 buzz steps.

See YouTube videos from/with Spillemandsdansen på Lindegaarden 21-09-2010, Rebild Spillemændene 2019, Rebild Spillemændene 2017, Spillemandslauget Østjydern plays Russisk Kontra from N.P.S. Willumsens notebooks. Krak, Beck & Bugge, Bugge, Høirup & Fox, de Fries, Hennings, Svolgart, Tarp, Poulsen, Tobiasen & Blåvandshuk Folkedanserforening.

This was one of the combined dances at Nordlek 1985 in Åbo, Finland.

Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Randersegnen. 4:e opl. København: Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 1997, pp. 26-27.
See also:
-- Hamborg, Svend/ Beskrivelser & noder til Thydanse [vol.] I. [Thisted]: Thy Spillemandslaug, [1981]. pp.18, 26.
-- 'Russian contra' in: 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.29-30.

   
    Russisk kontra, Salling aka Gammel ottemandsdans fra Thy
Formation: 4 couple quadrille. Head couples (couples 1 and 2) have respectively backs to or face the music. Side couples (couples 3 and 4) stand respectively to R of couples 1 and 2.
Steps: chassé (change step)
Sheet music: (1)
358:271, (2) Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle Salling-danse. 4 opl. København: Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 1980, p. 32,
May also be danced to tune 2 for 'otte mands dans', played with a repeat of part (A) [p. 35 of Gamle Salling-danse].
Recordings:
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| 1 (a) Circle: Couples form closed circle and dance CW, 8 chassé steps. Ditto CCW, 8 chassé steps.
9-12   (b) Cross-overs: Head couples, beginning with L foot, cross over: W passes in front of her partner, contuinues through the couple on her L, and meets her partner in opposite place. M dances behind his partner, continues through the couple on his R, and meets his partner in opposite place. 4 chassé steps.
Meanwhile, side couples open: side couples dance away from partner, forward, towards partner, and retire to place. 4 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with walking steps in cross-overs (part (b)).
13-16   Head couples take waltz hold, and swing on the spot, 4 chassé steps.
9-16   Head couples cross over again, to return to place. 4 chassé steps.
|:9-16:|   Side couples repeat (b), head couples opening as above.
|:25-40:|   Repeat (b), couples 3 and 4 crossing and couples 1 and 2 opening.
Part (b) is the same in all sequences.
|:1-8:| 2 (a) Head W 1-hand swing: Head W take R-in-R hand hold and turn CW, 8 chassé steps. Ditto CCW in L-in-L hand hold, 8 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 3 (a) Side W 1-hand swing: Side W take R-in-R hand hold and turn CW, 8 chassé steps. Ditto CCW in L-in-L hand hold, 8 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 4 (a) Head M 1-hand swing: Head M take R-in-R hand hold and turn CW, 8 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a). Ditto CCW in L-in-L hand hold, 8 chassé steps.
|:1-8:| 5 (a) Side M 1-hand swing: Side M take R-in-R hand hold and turn CW, 8 chassé steps. Ditto CCW in L-in-L hand hold, 8 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 6 (a) W 2-hand star: All W form 2-hand star, and circle CW and CCW, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 7 (a) M 2-hand star: All M form 2-hand star, and circle CW and CCW, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 8 (a) W back basket: All W form back basket, and circle CW and CCW, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 9 (a) M back basket: All M form back basket, and circle CW and CCW, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:| 10 (a) Circle: All form closed circle and dance CW and CCW, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).
|:1-8:|   Swing: All couples take waltz hold, and swing CW on the spot, 16 chassé steps.
In some places, this has been danced with buzz steps in part (a).

See video from KØST2017

Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle Salling-danse. 4 opl. København: Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 1980, pp. 32-33, 35.

Note: see also Otte mands dans fra Vendsyssel, and Berlinerkontra from Vejleegnen. <
Translation: L. Ruus, Oakville, 2020-06-26, rev. 2022-12-01.


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