Åtta man engel/Kahdeksan miehen enkeliska, Korsholm

Country: Korsholm/Mustasaari, Österbotten/Pohjanmaa, Finland
Type: set dance
Formation: 4 [or 8] couples in quadrille (square) set. Head couples: couple 1 has backs to music, couple 2 faces couple 1. Side couples: couple 3 stands to L of couple 1, couple 4 standing to R of couple 1, facing couple 1.
Holds: (1) M stands behind partner, both facing into set. M holds partner's R in R hand and L in L hand, high up at partner's armpits (or reverse, M in front, W behind, facing into set, same hold); (2) during couple turns, facing partner, holding L hand in L, R hand on partner's R shoulder (or reverse); (3) front basket with R arm over and L arm under when moving CW, or reverse when moving CCW.
Steps: galopp (gallop), hop onto both feet, polska steg 1 (buzz & reverse buzz step), gångsteg (walk)
Sheet music:
(1) Andersson, Otto & Greta Dahlström/ Nr. 1357 in: Folkdans: A2. yngre dansmelodier. (Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 466; Finlands Svenska folkdiktning, VI) Åbo: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 1975. p.419.
(2) Brages Folkdanslag/ nr 34 in: II: Dansmelodier till 45 folkdanser. Helsingfors: Brages Förlag, 1949. p.24.
(3) Hukkanen, Timo/ Tanhuvakan sävelmistö. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. p.120.
(4) documentation for Nordlek 2018: åtta man engel, polska
(5) 'engel & polska' John Chambers abc collection
Recordings: Andersson, Jan-Anders [YouTube]; Etelä-Hämeen Pelimannit Suomalaisia tanhuja track B4 [YouTube]; Karvinen, Antti 'Kahdeksan miehen enkeliska' Suomalaisia Kansantanhuja 2 track B3 [YouTube]; Finlands Svenska Folkdansring Årsprogram 2005-2006 track 12; Finlands Svenska Folkdansring Årsprogram 2006-2007 track 07; Rytmi-kvintetti Tanhumusiikkia track A10.

Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| 1 (a) Head couples gallop, side couples turn:
Head couples dance sideways to R, with 8 short gallop steps (1-4), dance sideways to L, passing original place, with 8 longer gallop steps (5-8),
again dance sideways to R, with 8 long gallop steps (1-4), and again dance sideways to L, to finish in original place, with 8 short gallop steps (5-8).
Meanwhile, Side couples: W3 and M4 begin with R foot, advance with 4 walking steps, M passing partner on R, give L hand to vis-á-vis, place R hand on vis-á-vis' R shoulder (1-2),
turn CW in the centre with 12 buzz steps (3-8).
drop handhold [when facing own partner], and beginning with L foot, advance to own partner with 4 walking steps (1-2). Finish holding R hand in R, L hand on partner's L shoulder.
Turn CCW on the spot with 12 reverse buzz steps (3-8). Finish in original place with original hold.
[In the version from Replot, the hold is a two-hand hold. See Heikel pp. 65-67.]
|:9-16:|   (b) Side couples gallop, head couples turn: side couples repeat gallop in 1 (a).
Meanwhile, W1 and M2 dance turns as in 1 (a). M1 and M2 finish in front of partner, with original hold.
|:1-8:|   (c) Head couples gallop, side couples turn: head couples repeat gallop in 1 (a).
Meanwhile, W4 and M3 dance turns as in 1 (a). M3 and M4 finish in front of partner, with original hold.
|:9-16:|   (d) Side couples gallop, head couples turn: side couples repeat gallop in 1 (a).
Meanwhile, W2 and M1 dance turns as in 1 (a). Finish in original position.
1-8   (e) Chain: all dance R-hand chain, once round the set, 16 walking steps.
1-8   All take L hand in L with partner, R hand on partner's R shoulder, and turn CW on the spot, 16 buzz steps.
Finish with M facing CW and W facing CCW around the set.
9-16   All dance chain, beginning with L hand, once around the set, to original place, 16 walking steps.
9-16   All take R hand in R with partner, L hand on partner's L shoulder, and turn CCW on the spot, 16 reverse buzz steps.
Finish with M facing CW and W facing CCW around the set.
1-4 2 (a) 'Trinddans' aka polska: All form front basket (R arm over, L arm under), and beginning with R foot dance 12 walking steps CW. M1 signals by stamping on last two steps (11-12), and
1-4   all dance CW with 12 buzz steps. Finish by dropping handhold.
5-6:1   (b) All jump 3 times on both feet while clapping own hands 3 times,
6:2-8   all form front basket (L arm over, R arm under) and dance CCW, 9 walking steps. M1 signals by stamping on last two steps (8-9).
5-8   all dance CCW with 12 reverse buzz steps. Finish by dropping handhold.
|:1-4:|   All repeat 2 (a), beginning walking steps with L foot.
|:5-8:|   All repeat 2 (b).

See videos from/with Samdans Finland for NORDLEK 2018 [demo], Suomen Nuorisoseurat for BARNLEK 2014 [demo], Pargas Folkdansare 2010, Österbottningar, Europeaden 2017, Helsingin pitäjän tanhuujat ja spelarit 2013, Seurasaaren Kansantanssijat 2015, Vinteliska , Kuortane. Lapuan Spelit 2010, Skansens Folkdanslag 2011, Penedon Pippurit 2007, Jämsän tanhuujat ja pelimannit 1995, and a version Väkitukko Lappajärveltä to Säkkijärven polkka.

This was one of the combined dances at Nordlek 2018 in Falun.

Source: Heikel, Yngvar/ nr 124 in: Folkdans: B. dansbeskrivningar sammanställda av Yngvar Heikel. (Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 268; Finlands Svenska folkdiktning, VI) Faksimilutgåva 1982. Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 1938. pp. 67-69.
See also:
-- Rausmaa, Esko/ Tanhuvakka: suomen perinnetanssit. 3rd ed. [Helsinki]: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. p.40.
-- Brages Folkdanslag/ nr 34 in: 45 folkdanser Helsingfors: Föreningen Brage, 1949. pp. 62-65.
-- Blomberg, Marcus/ material prepared for Nordlek 2018 [sheet music, mp3 file & video],
-- Blomberg, Marcus/ Åtta man engel (2017). [in Swedish]
-- [Daley, Susanna] / Åtta man engel 1977. [in Englsh]
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2017-10-12, rev. 2023-04-21.


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