Country: Gamlakarleby/Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
Type: set dance
Formation: 4 couple quadrille. Head couples have backs to and face music, side couples stand to R of head couples.
Sheet music: (1) [Andersson, Otto] 'Not och tuhr book för Anders Lund.' Brage årsskrift VII, 1913. p. 43.;
(2) Hammarström, Ulla - reconstruction of 'Bonsieu' prepared for Nordlek 2012 historic ball.
[or any 2/4-time reel/kadrilj/katrilli in AABBCCDD (A=B=C=D=8) structure and appropriate tempo.]
| Bonsieu - LR's reconstruction:
Steps: fotombytesteg/tresteg (chassé, change-step), promenadvals [Translator's note: although the only step specified in the source is 'vals', the accompanying sheet music is 2/4-time, wherefore the translator suggests the dance be done with chassé or change steps as the travelling step.] |
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| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-8:| | 1 (a) | Circle: In closed circle, all dance CW, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| 9-16 | (b) | Advance, retire, half-chain: Head couples advance, retire [4 chassé steps], and dance half-chain to opposite place [4 chassé steps]. |
| 9-16 | Side couples repeat (b) [8 chassé steps]. | |
| 17-24 | (c) | Advance, retire, half-chain to side: Head couples and side couples on their R, advance, retire [4 chassé steps], and dance half-chain to opposite place [4 chassé steps]. |
| 17-24 | Repeat with head couples [in side couple position] and new side couples on R [in head couple position], to return to original place. | |
| 25-32 | (d) | Chain: All couples dance R-hand chain half way round the set to opposite place [8 chassé steps]). |
| 25-32 | Promenadvals: All couples dance promenadvals back to original place [8 chassé steps]. | |
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Parts (b), (c) and (d) are the same in all sequences.
[The Lindhé source (see below) specifies that all quadrilles consist of the following sequences:
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| |:1-8:| | 2 (a) | One hand to partner: With R-in-R hand with partner, all dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto CCW, L-in-L, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 3 (a) | Two hands to partner: In 2-hand hold with partner, all dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 4 (a) | Women's star: All W take R-hand star, and dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto L-hand star, turning CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 5 (a) | Men's star: All M take R-hand star, and dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto L-hand star, turning CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 6 (a) | Women's circle: All W form closed circle, and dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto turning CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 7 (a) | Men's circle: All M form closed circle, and dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8). [Ditto turning CCW, 8 chassé steps]. |
| |:1-8:| | 8 (a) | L'allemande: Couples stand R-shoulder to R-shoulder facing in opposite directions, arms joined
behind their backs, all dance CW on the spot, [8 chassé steps] (1-8).
[Ditto L-shoulder to L-shoulder, turning CCW, 8 chassé steps].
[According to the Åkerhjelm source (p. iii) l'allemande could be danced in 2-hand hold with partner, front crossed hold, back crossed hold, or L or R elbow hook.] [The above represents my attempt to reconstruct the dance. Other interpretations are possible.] Printed source: [Andersson, Otto] 'Not och tuhr book för Anders Lund.' Brage årsskrift VII:27-51, 1913.
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| Bonsieu - Hammarström's reconstruction:
Steps: växelsteg (chassé, change-step), gångsteg (walk), promenadvals |
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| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-8:| | 1 (a) | Circle: In closed circle, all dance CW 16 walking steps (1-8). Ditto CCW, 16 walking steps to return to place. |
| 9-16 | (b) | Advance, retire, half-chain: Head couples, beginning with L foot, advance with a change-step (9)
and point R-foot across in front of L (10). Retire ditto, beginning with R foot, and closing R to L (11-12).
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| 9-16 | Side couples repeat (b). | |
| 17-24 | (c) | Advance, retire, half-chain to side: Head couples turn to side couples on their R, and all couples repeat (b). |
| 17-24 | Repeat with head couples [in side couple position] and new side couples on their R [in head couple position], to return to original place. | |
| 25-32 | (d) | Chain: All couples dance R-hand chain, beginning with L foot, half way round the set, 4 walking steps per on-coming dancer, to finish in opposite place. |
| 25-32 | Promenadvals: All couples take 2-hand hold with partner, and dance promenadvals half way
round the set to original place [8 chassé steps].
Printed source: Hammarström, Ulla - reconstruction of 'Bonsieu' prepared for Nordlek 2012 historic ball. |
Original description: St. R. Prim. paren gör aprohe, retraite och 1/2 schene till contra plats. Sec. paren gör det samma. Prim. par och högra sec. par gör aprohe, retraite och 1/2 schene till hvarandras plats, så på samma sätt till sin förra plats, så stora schene till contra plats och vals tillbaka.
Provenance:
From a handwritten musician's notebook found in the year 1905 by Otto Andersson in the attic of a farmhouse near
Gamlecarleby. The octavo format ms notebook consists of 56 pages and was written by Anders Lund between June 30, 1802 and
1806. Other individuals named in the ms, who are known to have been more or less involved in the musical life of the city,
include Anders Lundson (aka Anders Lund junior), Johannes Lund, Gerhardt Granstedt, Johan Grankrantz, Fr. Halin, etc.
The notebook contains a variety of named dance tunes, some of which are accompanied by descriptions, likely
of dances of which some are thought to have been brought over from Sweden about the end of the 1700s. The
dances are assumed to have been danced among the upper classes in the city and its surroundings.
The Andersson article contains a total of 35 tunes, of which 17 are accompanied by descriptions.
Of the dances with descriptions, 16 begin with a circle, implying that these are quadrilles or
contredançes françaises. Three (numbers 7, 9 and 34) may be contredançes anglaises and one (number 7)
possibly an ecossaise; however, since descriptions of these dances are lacking, this assumption is based on their names,
rhythms and structures. Among the other tunes without descriptions or names, there are 3 minuets, a polonaise, 4 'vals'
(waltzes), a couple of 'qvadrilles' and a 'långdans', possibly intended as a 'kehraus' - in 3/8 tempo, it is the
last tune in the article.
Description: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2022-05-05, rev. 2023-01-21.
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