Hylkeenhyppely/Själaskuttan

Country: Kemiö/Kimito, Åboland, Finland
Type: couple dance
Formation: any number of couples in a double queue, one behind the other. Holding inside hands, free hand on hip. Couple 1 is furthest from the front, all couples face away from the front.
Hold: holding inside hands
Steps: potkumazurka, liukupolska (glide step)
Sheet music:
(1) Hukkanen, Timo/ Tanhuvakan sävelmistö. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. p.22.;
(2) Rausmaa, Pirkko-Liisa & Esko Tanhuvakan sävelmistö. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 1998. p.17.;
(3) nr 8 in: Väisänen, Yrjö/ Kisapirtti: 125 suomalaista kansantanssia - sävelmistö. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, [1962]. p.4.;
(4) Collan, Anni/ nr 58 in: Suomalainen kisapirtti - nuotit. 4 painos. Helsinki: V. Söderström, 1946. p.65.;
(5) Brages Folkdanslag/ nr 8 'Själaskuttan' in: II: Dansmelodier till 45 folkdanser. Helsingfors: Brages Förlag, 1949. p.6.;
(6) Heikel, Yngvar/ nr. 81 in: Folkdans: B. dansbeskrivningar sammanställda av Yngvar Heikel. Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 1938. p.352.;
(7) Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 1998-1999. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 1998. p.9.;
(8) Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 1999-2000. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 1999. p.26.;
(9) Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 2004-2005. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 2004. p.37.;
(10) Heikkilä, Sari (ed.)/ Old Finnish folk dances. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävä r.y., 1988. pp. 41-42.
(11) Aronen, Juha-Matti (Jussi) & Lennu Yläneva/ Hylkeen hyppely. s.l.: Folk Dance Federation of California, 2000.;
(12) Komulainen, Orvokki (ed.)/ Old Finnish folk dances. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävä r.y., 1973. pp. 17-19.;
(13) Collan, Anni & Yngvar Heikel/ Dances of Finland. (Handbooks of European National Dances) 2nd ed. New York: Chanticleer Press, [1948] 1950. pp.36-39.;
(14) Burchenal, Elizabeth (trans.)/ 'Själaskuttan' in: Folk-dances of Finland, containing sixty-five dances.... New York, NY: G. Schirmer, 1915. p. 13.
Recordings: Finlands svenska folkdansring Årsprogram 1998-1999 track 04; Finlands svenska folkdansring Årsprogram 2007-2008 track 20; Helsingin Musiiking Ystävät Old Finnish folk dances track 17; Komulainen, Jari & Panu Helke Halihiljaa track 10; Suomen Nuorison Liitto track A6. See also midi file

Bars Part Dance progression:
1-3 1 (a) Potkumazurka: Beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, 3 potkumazurka steps forward.
4   Step forward with ML/WR, hop onto both feet with lightly bent knees, and turning towards partner.
5-8   Repeat (1 (a)), but turning away from partner on bar 8.
9   (b) Potkumazurka: Starting with ML/WR foot, 1 potkumazurka step forward.
10   Step forward with ML/WR, hop onto both feet with lightly bent knees, and turning towards partner.
11-12   Repeat (1 (b)), but turning away from partner on bar 12.
13-16   Repeat (1 (a)),
1-16   Repeat (1 (a) and (b)),
During above, line moves in LOD and progress towards the front. During the last 4 measures, M and W move away from each other to form two straight lines about 4 steps apart, facing each other and perpendicular to the front. No bent knees during the last bars.
1 2 (a) Couple turn: All lift arms to shoulder height, elbows bent and out to the sides and forearms forming a straight line across chest. Hands, back to back, hang limply infront of chest, like the flippers of a seal. This position is maintained to the end of the dance.
Dance 3 glide steps towards partner.
2   M hook joined hands ('flippers') under those of partner, maintaining above hold, and couples dance one full turn CW on the spot with 3 glide steps.
3   All drop hold with partner, and dance 3 glide steps backwards to place.
4   Mark time on the spot, 'bobbing' up and down with each beat.
5-8   Repeat (2 (a)).
9-10   (b) Couple turn: Dance 4 glide steps towards partner. Turn half-way round (M turning CCW, W turning CW) with a hop onto both feet (10:3), to finish back-to-back with partner.
11-12   Mark time on the spot for 4 beats. Turn half-way round (M turning CW, W turning CCW) with a hop onto both feet (12:3), to finish face-to-face with partner.
13-14   Hook 'flippers' with partner as in bar 2 above, and dance one full turn CW on the spot, 6 glide steps.
15-16   Drop handhold with partner, and dance 3 glide steps backwards to place, marking time on the spot for the remaining beats of the 16th bar.
1-16   Repeat (2 (a) and (b)).
Note: if many couples are dancing, this can be danced in a large circle. Part 1 is danced moving in the LOD, and in part 2, M form an inner circle facing out, and W an outer circle facing in.

Provenance: According to Heikel, at least parts of the above dance have been known since the 1830-1840s; Adèle Weman learned part 1 of the dance in about the 1850s, from a dairy maid by name Amande, from Gunnarby. The dance was later augmented with part 2, similar to "Gammalpigornas polska", also from Kimito, in conjunction with programs at Wrethalla, in order to create a longer dance. In the 1890s, N.O. Jansson, in Vreta, Kimito, revived a number of dances, including this one, which were learned by Arne Dahl in about 1901-1902, at Finska Folkdansens Vänner, where it was documented by Anni Collan. Heikel documented the dance in 1924 as danced by members of the local youth organization, under Jansson's leadership. According to Rausmaa, it was taught at SKY in 1901. Published in the first edition of Kisapirtti in 1905. One of the combined dances at Nordlek 1985 in Åbo. Taught by Martti Vanhapelto, Vancouver, 1987-02-07.

Source: Brages Folkdanslag/ 45 folkdanser utgivna av Brage. Helsingfors: Brages Förlag, 1949 pp. 19-21.
See also:
-- Rausmaa, Esko/ Tanhuvakka: suomen perinnetanssit. 3rd ed. [Helsinki]: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. pp.70-71.
-- Rausmaa, Pirkko-Liisa & Esko/ Tanhuvakka. Porvoo: W Söderström, 1977. pp. 153-154.
-- Väisänen, Yrjö/ Nr 8 in: Kisapirtti: 125 suomalaista kansantanssia. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Oy, [1962]. pp. 31-34.
-- Collan, Anni/ nr 58 in: Suomalainen kisapirtti. 4 painos. Helsinki: V. Söderström, 1946. pp.111-114.
-- Heikel, Yngvar/ nr. 81 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. 351-353, 448, 463.
-- Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 1998-1999. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 1998. p.47.
-- Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 1999-2000. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 1999. p.83.
-- Finlands svenska folkdansring/ Årsprogram 2004-2005. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 2004. pp. 54-55.
-- Blomberg, Marcus/ 'Själaskuttan' in: Årsprogram 2007-2008. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring rf, 2007. pp. 26-27.
-- documenation prepared for Nordlek 1985 in Åbo.
-- Komulainen, Orvokki (ed.)/ Old Finnish folk dances. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät r.y., 1973. pp. 17-19.
-- Collan, Anni & Yngvar Heikel/ Dances of Finland. (Handbooks of European National Dances) 2nd ed. New York: Chanticleer Press, [1948] 1950. pp.36-39.
-- Heikkilä, Sari (ed.)/ Old Finnish folk dances. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävä r.y., 1988. pp. 41-42.
-- Aronen, Juha-Matti (Jussi) & Lennu Yläneva/ Hylkeen hyppely. s.l.: Folk Dance Federation of California, 2000.
-- Aronen, Juha-Matti (Jussi) & Lennu Yläneva 'Hylkeen hyppely' in: Syllabus of dance descriptions 1999. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1999. p. 3 & Errata p. 2.
-- Daley, Susanna 'Hylkeenhyppely' in: Stockton Folk Dance Camp/ Syllabus of dance descriptions 1977. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1977. pp. 31-32 & Errata p.3.
-- Daley, Susanna 'Hylkeenhyppely' in: Stockton Folk Dance Camp/ Syllabus of dance descriptions 1976. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1976. p. 117.
-- Burchenal, Elizabeth (trans.)/ 'Själaskuttan' in: Folk-dances of Finland, containing sixty-five dances.... New York, NY: G. Schirmer, 1915. pp. 13-14.
Description: Laine Ruus, Vancouver, 1987-02-07.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2012-06-19, rev. 2023-01-31.


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