Country: Denmark
Type: set dance
Formation: longways progressive set, M to the R and W to the L as seen from the music, numbered 1-2-3 etc from the top of the set.
Steps: balancé,
chassé (change-step)
demi-contretemps (step-hop).
Music: V.D.W. Sønderbybogen ms. 1772/1776(?). p. 115 [of the pdf file]
or any jig (6/8-time) with AABBCC structure (ie a 48-bar jig)
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1-8 | (a) | Cast and cross: Couple 1 casts off, M1 dancing outside M2, and W1 dancing outside W2. Cross below couple 2, and cast around couple 3, M1 dancing CW around W3, amd W1 dancing CCW around M3, Finish in 3rd place on opposite sides. 1 demi-contretemps followed by 7 chassé steps. |
| 1-8 | Couple 1 casts up, M1 dancing outside W3, and W1 dancing outside M3. Cross above couple 3, and dance around couple 2, M1 dancing CCW around M2, amd W1 dancing CW around W2, Finish in 1st place on own sides. 1 demi-contretemps followed by 7 chassé steps. | |
| 9-16 | (b) | Down, cast, up, cast: Couple 1, holding inside hands, dances down between lines, and casts around couple 3 to finish in 2nd place on own side. Couple 2 stepping up on bars 12-13. 1 demi-contretemps followed by 7 chassé steps. |
| 9-16 | Couple 1, holding inside hands, dances up to the top of the set, and cast off around couple 2, finishing in 2nd place. 1 demi-contretemps followed by 7 chassé steps. | |
| 17-24 | (c) | Turn first corner: M2 with W1, and M1 with W3, dance 2 balancé steps, give R-hand in R, and dance once round CW with 1 demi-contretemps followed by 5 chassé steps. |
| 17-24 | Turn second corner: M1 with W2, and W1 with M3, dance 2 balancé steps, give R-hand in R, and dance once round CW with 1 demi-contretemps followed by 5 chassé steps. | |
| Repeat from (a) as desired.
When the dance repeats (from (a)), couple 1 dances with couples 3 and 4, while couple 2 rests. In the third repeat, couple 1 dances with couples 5 and 6 and couple 2 dances with couples 3 and 4. If done in sets of 3 couples, couple 1, at the end of part (c) dances outside couple 3, and finishes at the bottom of the set. If many couples are dancing, every 4th couple may start. |
Provenance:
From a musician's notebook found in Sønderby, Denmark. The book belonged to Søren Christian Rønning (possibly 1743-1809)
and can be dated to 1772, as one of the covers has this date imprinted.
It is not known how the book ended up in Sønderby. The book contains 79 'Contres dançes angloises', 29 'Contres dançes françoises',
and 6 cotillons,
with recorded choreography in the form of diagrams and/or descriptive text as well as sheet music.
[Translator's note: although no information about steps is given, the accompanying sheet music is 6/8-time, wherefore the translator suggests the dance
be done with chassé steps.]. I am interpreting the double dots as balancé steps, and the single dot above/below the active couple as a demi-contretemps.
Printed source: V.D.W. Sønderbybogen ms. 1772/1776(?). p. 9 [of the pdf file]
Description: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2020-02-13, rev. 2021-02-10.
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