Fandango frå Austlandet

Country: Austlandet or Østlandet (south-eastern), Norway
Type: longways progressive set dance
Formation: even number of couples facing couples in longways set, facing, numbered 1, 2, 1, 2, etc from the music. Inside hands held at a little over shoulder height except as noted below. Distance between the two rows should be sufficient that two couples (4 dancers) can stand side by side. 

            M2      W2
            W2      M2	
            M1      W1
       A    W1      M1   B	
      side  M2      W2  side
            W2      M2	
            M1      W1
            W1      M1			
              Music
Steps: bytomfotsteg frå turdans (change-step), walk, waltz
Sheet music: Norwegian description prepared for Nordlek 2003. See also Semb, Klara Norske folkedansar II: turdansar. Oslo: Noregs Boklag/Det Norske Samlaget, 1991. pp. 205, 378-383. (NFII 1991) Note that all 3 editions of Norske folkedansar III: slåttar contain sheet music for Fandango from Austlandet and from Trøndelag, which have all been used interchangeably for Fandango frå Namdalen and Fandango frå Austlandet. In the later editions of NFII, Klara Semb wrote the music should be fast.
Recordings: Bas & Bordun Fandango Norske folkedansar: kontradansar frå Austlandet Grappa 1994; Christiania Thour- og Runddansensemble Fandango (alternative) Norske folkedansar: kontradansar frå Austlandet Grappa 1994; Vårdal, Vegar Fandango Norske turdansar 5: turdansar frå Trøndelag Grappa 2012;

Bars Part Dance progression:
1-4 (a) Beginning with R foot, and holding inside hands, all advance with 2 change-steps (1-2), and retire ditto (3-4).
5-8   All drop hand-hold do deep and slow curtsey/bow towards opposite: curtsey/bowdown (5-6), rise (7-8).
1-2   Holding inside hands (ML/WR), and beginning with L foot, couples numbered 1 advance with 2 change steps.
3-4   Each couple 1 with opposite couple 1 form closed circle, and circle CW, 4 walking steps.
5-6   In closed circles, couple 1's turn on R foot and circle CCW, 4 walking steps.
7-8   The two couple 1's drop hold and finish side by side facing away from the music [on own side], while simultaneously switching places with partner so that M has his partner on his L side. All 4 hold inside hands a little over shoulder height, M on outside of the row with R hand at waist, while W on outside of the row holds her skirt. 2 change steps.
9-12 (b) Beginning with L foot, the lines of couple 1's dance down the set, 4 change steps. All 4 turn CCW (over L shoulder) on R foot to finish facing up the set.
13-14   All 4 dancers dance up the set [toward the music], 2 change steps.
15-16   The two couple 1's drop hold with opposite couple and advance to the couple 2 on own side. 3 walking steps and a brief curtsey/bow on the last beat.
9-16   The facing couples 1 and 2 begin with L foot and dance R-hand chain, 8 change steps. A brief curtsey/bow to partner on the last beat.
|:17-24:| (c) All take waltz hold with partner and dance turning waltz twice round opposite couple, 16 waltz steps. On the last 2 bars, couples finish in original rows, with couples 1 and 2 on same side having changed places, ie progressed.
    Repeat from (a) as desired.

See YouTube video with Folkedanslaget Springar'n

Note 1: NFII 1971 still describes the original version, in which couples on each side are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. Couples 1 dance first with couples 2; at the next repeat, couples 1 dance with couples 3; at the second repeat, couples 1 dance with couples 4 and couples 2 dance with couples 4, etc. Ms Semb notes "In later years, we have numbered every second couple as an active couple. The top M1 numbers off the couples as couple 1, couple 2, couple 1, etc. One avoids standing around for so long when all active couples begin at the same time."
Note 2: In editions of NF II up to and including the 1971 edition, Klara Semb described a variant in which, at the end of part (a) bars 7-8, only M1 from the B side guides his partner to his left side. Thus the line consists of M1-W1-W1-M1, ie the two W in the centre of the line. M1 from the A side must, in part (b) bars 15-16, turn 1/2 turn with his partner so that they change places, otherwise they will be in the wrong places for the R-hand chain.
Note 3: this was one of the combined dances for Nordlek 2003 in Næstved.

Provenance:
First published in the 1922 edition of Norske folkedansar II (NF II) and included in all subsequent editions. Klara Semb provided no specific location of origin for the dance, and one reason may have been that it was known in all towns and villages in Austlandet.


Printed sources:


Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2021-06-10

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