Syvspring/Syvenspring/Vide-vide-vit!

Country: Vendsyssel & Avernakø, Denmark
Type: couple dance
Sheet music: (1) 358:2, (2) Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Avernakø og Korshavn. 1 udg. København; Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 2001, p. 45. (3) 'Siebensprung' in:Stahl, Wilhelm/ Niederdeutsche Volkstänze. Reprint 1998. Hamburg: Paul Harting Verlag, 1921. p 32. [in German]
Recordings: Jump seven 1 [sic] on: Original music from Denmark Sonoton, track 09 [YouTube]; National Folk Dance Players Syvspring on: European national dances [YouTube]; National Folk Dance Players Syvspring on: European national folk dances vol. 1 [YouTube];

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    Syvspring fra Vendsyssel
Formation: any number of couples in open circle. Two-hand hold with partner. M facing out of circle, W facing in.
Steps: balancé, hoptrin (step-hop).
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| (a) In 2-hand hold with partner, turn CW on the spot, 8 step-hops (1-8). Ditto CCW, 8 step-hops (1-8).
9-16 (b) Beginning with outside (ML/WR foot), all dance 4 balancé steps moving forward in LOD.
9-16   All dance 4 balancé steps moving in RLOD.
17-18 (c) All stamp with R foot, lifting R foot on (17) and stamping on (18).
    The music is played 7 times. Each time parts (a) and (b) are played and danced unchanged, while bars 17-18 are played one additional time with each repeat:
on 1st playing, stamp with R foot,
on 2nd playing, add - stamp with L foot,
on 3rd playing, add - kneel on R knee,
on 4th playing, add - kneel on L knee,
on 5th playing, add - lean on R elbow,
on 6th playing, add - lean on L elbow,
on 7th playing, add - touch forehead to floor,
    The music is played an additional 6 times. Each time parts (a) and (b) are played and danced unchanged, while bars 17-18 are played one less time with each repeat:
on 8th playing, lean on both elbows, lean on R elbow only, kneel on both knees, kneel on R knee only, stamp with L foot, stamp with R foot,
on 9th playing, lean on R elbow, kneel on both knees, kneel on R knee only, stamp with L foot, stamp with R foot,
on 10th playing, kneel on both knees, kneel on R knee only, stamp with L foot, stamp with R foot,
on 11th playing, kneel on R knee only, stamp with L foot, stamp with R foot,
on 12th playing, stamp with L foot, stamp with R foot,
on 13th playing, stamp with R foot.
    In some places, the dance was done by 2 M, and eg in Klaksted near Horsens, it would be danced by a number of couples in a closed circle.
In Odsherred, occasionally, one M, instead of touching his forehead to the floor, would somersault over the back of the other man. Provenance: According to Berggreen, from whom this description is taken (p. 377, see citation below), he saw in Kullen [Skåne, now Sweden] a dance which corresponds to his description. He adds that the dance occured not only in Denmark but also in Sweden, Switzerland and France.
Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Beskrivelse af gamle Danske folkedanse hefte I. 7 opl. København; Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 1976, pp. 7-8.
   
    Syvenspring fra Avernakø
Formation: any number of couples in closed circle.
Steps: reeltrin (jig step), walk
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| 1 (a) All circle CW, 8 walking steps (1-8). Ditto CCW, 8 walking steps (1-8).
9-16   (b) Beginning with outside (ML/WR foot), and turned to face partner, all dance 8 reeltrin.
9-16   With a stamp M turns over L-shoulder, W over R-shoulder (no stamp), to face corner. All dance 8 reeltrin.
Finish facing centre.
17   (c) All stamp, M with L foot, W with R foot.
17   The music is played 7 times.
Parts (a) and (b) are the same in all sequences.
Bar 17 is played one additional time with each repeat up to sequence 7, then one less time for each sequence 8 through 13.
17 2 (d) In addition to (c), M stamp with L foot, W with R foot.
17 3 (e) In addition to (c) & (d), M kneel on L knee, W on R knee.
17 4 (f) In addition to (c), (d) and (e), M kneel on R knee, W on L knee.
17 5 (g) In addition to (c) through (f), M swing L arm in an arc over their heads and slap floor with L hand, W ditto with R hand.
17 6 (h) In addition to (c) through (g), M swing R arm in an arc over their heads and slap floor with R hand, W ditto with L hand.
17 7 (i) In addition to (c) through (h), all turn a somersault towards centre of circle.
17 8 (j) Repeat sequence 6.
179 (k) Repeat sequence 5.
1710 (l) Repeat sequence 4.
17 11 (m) Repeat sequence 3.
17 12 (n) Repeat sequence 2.
1713 (o) Repeat sequence 1.
|:1-8:|  The dance finishes with all in a closed circle, all facing out. 16 walking steps CW.
Provenance: There are dance descriptions by both Viggo Hertel and H.C. Michelsen in 1911. The sheet music is from a collection of music from Avernakø.
Source: Foreningen til Folkedansens Fremme (FFF)/ Gamle danse fra Avernakø og Korshavn. 1 udg. København; Foreningen til Folkdansens Fremme, 2001, pp. 45-47.

Provenance: according to Stahl, this very old dance, possibly of pre-Christian origin, was known throughout Germany, as well as in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
See also:
-- Berggren, A.P./ Danske folkesange og melodier: med et tillæg af Islandske og Færøiske. 3:e opl. Reitzels Forlag, 1869.
-- Nørgaard, Kjeld Om Berggreens danse, del 2. in: Dansens og musikkens rødder, nr 57, Feb. 2001.
-- 'Siebensprung' in:Stahl, Wilhelm/ Niederdeutsche Volkstänze. Reprint 1998. Hamburg: Paul Harting Verlag, 1921. p 32. [in German]
-- Thyregod, S. Tvermose/ 'Nr 154 Vide-vide-vit!' in Danske sanglege. København: Det Schønbergske Forlag, 1931. pp. 367-368.
-- Vedel, Klavs "Folkedansens historie", p. 86 in Holm, Ralph & Klavs Vedel, red. Folkedansen i Danmark. København: Forlaget "Vort Land", 1946.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2012-09-14, rev. 2022-02-17.

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