Göingekadriljen

Composed by Karl-Erik Eklund, 1965

Historical note: dance composed by Karl-Erik Eklund to commemorate the 17th century rebel Snapphanar in the Göinge forests of southern Sweden.

Original introduction: This dance, while a new composition, is in the style of the old dances, and is based on the lifestyles of the Snapphanar in the Göinge forests, where they lived outlawed and oppressed. Because of the constant harrying by the occupying Swedish forces, they had difficulty living a normal life, and were forced to travel by stealth to smaller as well as larger meetings. The circle (1 a) symbolizes community and togetherness. The repeated choruses symbolize their constant movement to avoid detection. The women's and men's crosses symbolize the difficulties of maintaining contact with each other, and depict the brevity of meetings, as well as the intricacy of the forest paths, which sometimes succeeded in leading the enemy astray. The chain also symbolizes the strong sense of community, and the occassional brief periods of happiness. The arches signify the need to get together for festive and celebratory occassions, but which of necessity consisted of only small get-togethers. Only very occassionally could they assemble for a big celebration (the final circle). I have based the dance on extensive research in the literature about the Snapphanar, which chronicles the sufferings of these landless people, who had all their possessions seized and were declared outlaws. Karl-Erik Eklund

Translators note: original mimeographed source gives date as 1965, other sources give the date of composition as 1975.

Formation: 8 couple quadrille (can also be done by 4 couples). Premiär (=head) couples have backs to the music, or face music; sekond (=side) couples are on the sides to right and left of premiär couples. Men have their partner on their right side.

Holds: (1) open hold, holding nearer hands (MR/WL) and outside arms hanging loose, (2) Man behind woman, WL in ML hand, MR hand around woman's waist, WR hand hanging loose, and reverse (3) mazurka hold: like waltz hold, but ML/WR hands at man's left side waist.

Steps: 'soft' polka (= chassé), step hops, buzz steps (L foot in front)

Music: <http://www.folkdansaren.se/dans/html/goinge.html>

:1-8: 1 a Circle:
In a closed circle, dance 8 polka steps CW (to the left), and 8 polka steps CCW (to the right), ending in a square quadrille formation.

:9-16: 1 b Chorus:
Premiär couples start with outside foot (ML/WR) dance (9-10) 2 polkas towards and through the opposite couple, turning to face partner and holding inside hands (MR/WL) on the 1st polka, and facing forward with arms hanging loose on the 2nd polka. Women pass on the inside. Once through the opposite couple, (11-12) four step hops to turn into the opposing premiär M/Ws place respectively, W turning left, and M turning R behind his partner. Repeat (13-16) to return to original place.
Sekond couples (9-16) repeat.

17-24
17-24
17-24 2 a Women's cross:
Premiär women dance (17-18) 2 polka steps in to centre of the set (starting with L foot), take R hands, turn 90 degrees CW to face new sides, dance (19-20) 2 polka steps out to sekond sides, woman in front going to the man to her R, and woman behind going to man on her left. Sekond men take approaching women with L in L hand, R hand around her waist, and (21-22) turn her a half turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Premiär women then begin the sequence again, dancing into the centre with (23-24) 2 polka steps as before, and repeat sequence a total of 3 times, with each side of the set in turn (premiär, sekond, etc.), until they repeat the buzz step turn with own partners.
Meanwhile, sekond women dance (19-20) in with 2 polka steps, passing the outward bound premiär women on the right, and dance (21-24) the same sequence as the premiär women, offset by 2 measures, a total of 4 times to finish with buzz step turn with own partners, turning with men on the premiär, sekond, premiär, and own sekond sides.
NB: in an 8-couple set, each women is alternatingly the woman in front, and the woman behind.

:25-32: 2 b Chorus: Repeat 1 b.
NB: sekond women will be doing the (25-26) buzz step turn with their own partners while the premiär couples are beginning the chorus.

1-8
1-8
1-8 3 a Men's cross:
Men repeat women's cross: premiär men dance (1-2) 2 polka steps in to centre (starting with L foot), take R hands, rotate 90 degrees CW to face sekond sides, dance (3-4) 2 polka steps out to sekond sides, man in front going to the woman to his R, and man behind going to woman on his left. sekond women take approaching men with L in L hand, R hand around his waist, and (5-6) turn him a half turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Premiär men then dance into the centre with (7-8) 2 polka steps as before, and repeat sequence 3 more times, with each side of the set in turn, until they repeat the buzz step turn with own partners.
Meanwhile, sekond men (19-20) dance in with 2 polka steps, passing the outward bound premiär men on the right, and dance (21-24) the same sequence as the premiär men, offset by 2 measures, a total of 4 times to finish with buzz step turn with own partners.
NB: in an 8-couple set, each men is alternatingly the man in front, and the man behind.

:9-16: 3 b Chorus: Repeat 1 b.
NB: sekond men will be doing the (9-16) buzz step turn with their own partners while the premiär couples are beginning the chorus.

:17-24:
:17-24: 4 a Chain:
L hand to partner, R hand to next, dance (17-18) chain (L and R polka steps) to 3rd person. Man takes L in L hand with approaching woman, R hand around her waist, and (19-20) turns her a full turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Repeat, starting L in L hand each time, and turning with every second person, ie each person one gives L hand to in the chain.
NB: the music should be played at a somewhat slower tempo throughout the chain.

:25-32: 4 b Chorus: Repeat 1 b.

:1-8: 5 a Arches:
Corner couples dance with each other to start, the R couple on each side progressing CCW, the L couples progressing CW. Holding inside hands (MR/WL), and starting with L foot, dance (1-2) 2 polka steps, woman turning CCW under the joined arms, and man turning one-half turn infront of his partner to her other side, so that the couple has switched places, and faces the oncoming couple. Man reaches L hand and woman her R hand under their joined hands, to take hands with the woman and man respectively of the oncoming couple. The couple drops the handhold with their own partner, and with (3-4) 2 polka steps changes places with the oncoming couple, women dancing CW under the arm of the man facing, and men passing outside the women. Take hands in a closed circle. Repeat three times, with a new couple each time, to finish on the opposite side of the 8-couple set from which one started (in a 4-couple set, couples will return to start position).

:9-16: 5 b Chorus: Repeat 1 b.

17-24
25-32 6 a Circle and polka:
In a closed circle, dance (17-24) 8 polka steps CW (to the left). Couple-wise (25-32) polka steps, mazurka hold, CCW back to place.

Source: mimeographed copy of dance description, with minor corrections. Learned by L. Ruus in Göteborg, Sweden, in 1982/1983.
Translation: Laine G.M. Ruus, Toronto, 2011-05-19

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:1-8:	1 a	Circle: In a closed circle, dance 8 polka steps CW (to the left), and 8 polka steps CCW (to the right), ending in a square quadrille formation.
:9-16:	1 b	Chorus: Premiär couples start with outside foot (ML/WR) dance (9-10) 2 polkas towards and through the opposite couple, turning to face partner and holding inside hands (MR/WL) on the 1st polka, and facing forward with arms hanging loose on the 2nd polka. Women pass on the inside. Once through the opposite couple, (11-12) four step hops to turn into the opposing premiär M/Ws place respectively, W turning left, and M turning R behind his partner. Repeat (13-16) to return to original place. Sekond couples (9-16) repeat.
17-24 17-24 17-24	2 a	Women's cross: Premiär women dance (17-18) 2 polka steps in to centre of the set (starting with L foot), take R hands, turn 90 degrees CW to face new sides, dance (19-20) 2 polka steps out to sekond sides, woman in front going to the man to her R, and woman behind going to man on her left. Sekond men take approaching women with L in L hand, R hand around her waist, and (21-22) turn her a half turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Premiär women then begin the sequence again, dancing into the centre with (23-24) 2 polka steps as before, and repeat sequence a total of 3 times, with each side of the set in turn (premiär, sekond, etc.), until they repeat the buzz step turn with own partners. Meanwhile, sekond women dance (19-20) in with 2 polka steps, passing the outward bound premiär women on the right, and dance (21-24) the same sequence as the premiär women, offset by 2 measures, a total of 4 times to finish with buzz step turn with own partners, turning with men on the premiär, sekond, premiär, and own sekond sides. NB: in an 8-couple set, each women is alternatingly the woman in front, and the woman behind.
:25-32:	2 b	Chorus: Repeat 1 b. NB: sekond women will be doing the (25-26) buzz step turn with their own partners while the premiär couples are beginning the chorus.
1-8 1-8 1-8	3 a	Men's cross: Men repeat women's cross: premiär men dance (1-2) 2 polka steps in to centre (starting with L foot), take R hands, rotate 90 degrees CW to face sekond sides, dance (3-4) 2 polka steps out to sekond sides, man in front going to the woman to his R, and man behind going to woman on his left. sekond women take approaching men with L in L hand, R hand around his waist, and (5-6) turn him a half turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Premiär men then dance into the centre with (7-8) 2 polka steps as before, and repeat sequence 3 more times, with each side of the set in turn, until they repeat the buzz step turn with own partners. Meanwhile, sekond men (19-20) dance in with 2 polka steps, passing the outward bound premiär men on the right, and dance (21-24) the same sequence as the premiär men, offset by 2 measures, a total of 4 times to finish with buzz step turn with own partners. NB: in an 8-couple set, each men is alternatingly the man in front, and the man behind.
:9-16:	3 b	Chorus: Repeat 1 b. NB: sekond men will be doing the (9-16) buzz step turn with their own partners while the premiär couples are beginning the chorus.
:17-24: :17-24:	4 a	Chain: L hand to partner, R hand to next, dance (17-18) chain (L and R polka steps) to 3rd person. Man takes L in L hand with approaching woman, R hand around her waist, and (19-20) turns her a full turn CCW on the spot with 4 buzz steps. Repeat, starting L in L hand each time, and turning with every second person, ie each person one gives L hand to in the chain. NB: the music should be played at a somewhat slower tempo throughout the chain.
:25-32:	4 b	Chorus: Repeat 1 b.
:1-8:	5 a	Arches: Corner couples dance with each other to start, the R couple on each side progressing CCW, the L couples progressing CW. Holding inside hands (MR/WL), and starting with L foot, dance (1-2) 2 polka steps, woman turning CCW under the joined arms, and man turning one-half turn infront of his partner to her other side, so that the couple has switched places, and faces the oncoming couple. Man reaches L hand and woman her R hand under their joined hands, to take hands with the woman and man respectively of the oncoming couple. The couple drops the handhold with their own partner, and with (3-4) 2 polka steps changes places with the oncoming couple, women dancing CW under the arm of the man facing, and men passing outside the women. Take hands in a closed circle. Repeat three times, with a new couple each time, to finish on the opposite side of the 8-couple set from which one started (in a 4-couple set, couples will return to start position).
:9-16:	5 b	Chorus: Repeat 1 b.
17-24 25-32	6 a	Circle and polka: In a closed circle, dance (17-24) 8 polka steps CW (to the left). Couple-wise (25-32) polka steps, mazurka hold, CCW back to place.