Country: Svartsmara, Åland/Ahvenanmaa, Finland
Type: longways non-progressive set dance
Formation: 6-8 couples, in 2 lines of couples facing couples, holding hands in lines. End dancers have free hand(s)
on hip.
Steps: engelska steg (jig; forward, backward, and on-the-spot)),
trampsteg (step on-the-spot)
Sheet music:
(1) Ålands Ungdomsförbund r.f./ Musik till Åländska folkdanser.
[Finström]: Ålands Ungdomsförbund r.f., [1981]. p.21.
(2) Lundblad, Mats engelska från Svartsmara,
[A 3-part variant of "Soldier's joy".]
Recordings:
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-4:| | (a) | Circle: All form closed circle, and dance CW, 16 forward jig steps.
Ditto CCW, 16 forward jig steps.
Finish in original lines.
M4 W5
W4 M5
M3 W6
W3 M6
M2 W7
W2 M7
M1 W8
W1 M8
A-line B-line
music
|
| 5-6 | (b) | Advance and retire: Line A advances, beginning with L foot, with 7 forward jig steps. Meanwhile line B dances 7 jig steps on the spot, beginning with R foot. Finish by closing free foot, and a brief courtesy (6:4). |
| 7-8 | Line A retires, beginning with R foot, with 7 backward jig steps. Meanwhile line B dances 8 jig steps on the spot, beginning with R foot. [Line A finishes by closing L foot (8:4). | |
| 5-8 | Repeat (b). | |
| |:9-12:| | Repeat (b) with line B as the active line, and line A dancing on the spot. | |
| |:1-4:| | (c) | Arches: Line B makes arches, and marks beat in place (trampsteg).
Meanwhile, M1 leads line A, weaving in and out through the arches first between W5 and M5, then between M5 and W6, etc.,
and back to original place. 32 forward jig steps.
Meanwhile, Line B, marking time on the spot beginning with L foot and arms raised, which they lower as soon as the last dancer in line A has passed. |
| |:5-8:| | Repeat (c), with B-line as the active line, led by W5, and line A making the arches. 32 forward jig steps. | |
| |:9-12:| | (d) | Chain: Each line, separately, dances R-hand chain, 32 forward jig steps. |
| |:1-4:| | (e) | Circle: Repeat (a).
See YouTube videos from/with: 'sex man engelska från Svartsmara' - Folkdanslaget Hålligång, 2014, Skansens Folkdanslag, 1992, Skansens Folkdanslag, 2013 (4 couples) Provenance: originally described by Viking Sundberg in 1949, based on information from Maria Skogberg, born 1880. Parts A and B of the tune were transcribed by Emil Johansson, as played by Otto Andersson, a farmer (born 1893) in Svartsmara. Part C was sung by Matts Svedal of Svartsmara for Paul Idman and transcribed by Ragnar Boman. Source: Ålands Ungdomsförbund r.f./ Beskrivning av Åländska folkdanser. [Finström]: Ålands Ungdomsförbund r.f., [1982]. p.47. |
| Simplified version
Type: longways non-progressive set dance Formation: 6-12 couples, in 2 lines, W to L as seen from the music, M to R, holding hands in lines. Steps: engelska steg (jig; forward, backward, and on-the-spot)), hoppsteg (step-hop) Sheet music: Lundblad, Mats engelska från Svartsmara, Recordings: |
||
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-8:| | (a) | Circle: All form closed circle, and dance CW, 16 step-hops. Ditto CCW, 16 step-hops.
Finish in original lines. |
| 9-16 | (b) | Advance and retire: W-line advances toward M-line, 8 step-hops followed by a brief courtesy (9-12). W line retires to place with 8 jig steps (13-16). Meanwhile, M dance 8 jig steps in place. |
| 9-16 | Repeat (b). | |
| |:17-24:| | M, in line holding hands, repeat (b). Meanwhile, W dance jig steps in place. | |
| |:1-8:| | (c) | Arches: M line makes arches, and marks beat in place. Meanwhile, W line, beginning from the end farthest from the music, weaves in and out through the M-line's arches and returns to place, 32 step-hops. |
| |:9-16:| | Repeat (c), with W-line making arches, and M-line weaving in and out, beginning from the end furthest from the music. 32 step-hops. | |
| |:17-24:| | (d) | Chain: Each line, separately, dances R-hand chain, 32 step-hops. |
| |:1-8:| | (e) | Circle: Repeat (a).
Source: Lundblad, Mats Engelska från Svartsmara Aug. 2020 |
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