Gustafs skål or Collin/Gustafs skål, Ytterby socken, Västergötland


Country: Sweden
Type: set dance
Formation: 4 couple quadrille. Head couples respectively have backs to and face music. Side couples stand respectively to R of couples 1 and 3. Holding inside hands.

    Gustafs skål or Collin
Steps: balancé, chassé (change step), pas de rigaudon, walk
Sheet music: (1) C.M. Bellman's version, (2) nr 139 in: Åkerhjelm, Fredrik/ Baron Fredrik Åkerhjelms dansbok 1785. Stockholm: Arkivet för folklig dans, 1986. (3) after Wilhelm Englund Göteryds, Småland, in: Sjöberg, Henry/ Folklig dans 2. 1600-1700-talens dansformer. s.l.: Brevskolan, 1974. p.26
Recordings: Adolphson, Olle Stora snapsviseboken [YouTube]; Bellman Boys 'No. 8. Gustafs skål!' Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795): Sånger och epistlar [YouTube]; Petri, Sten Magnus [YouTube].
Bars Part Dance progression:
|:1-8:| (a) Circle: All form closed circle, and circle CW, 16 walking steps (or 8 chassé steps). Ditto CCW, 16 walking steps (or 8 chassé steps).
Hand hold in closed circle is low. Turn on repeat of bar (1).
9-16 (b) Arches: Head couples advance (9-10), 4 walking steps. Small curtsey/bow to partner, then opposite.
Take inside (MR/WL) hand with opposite and advance to nearest side couple [to M's L] (11-12). 4 walking steps.
Pass under arches formed by side couples, drop hold, and return (M to L, W to R) to place (13-16). 8 walking steps.
9-16   Side couples repeat (b).
|:1-8:| (c) Half-chain: Head couples turn to R to face side couple, while side couples turn to L to face head couples. Facing pairs of couple dance half-chain across (R hand to opposite, pass through and courtesy turn) and back (1-8), 8 chassé steps or 16 walking steps.
Head couples turn to L to face other side couple, while side couples turn to R to face other head couple. Facing pairs of couple dance half-chain across and back (1-8), 8 chassé steps or 16 walking steps.
9-16   (d) Pousette & arches: Head couples turn to face and take 2-hand hold with partner. Both dance pousette on the sides, M forwards and W backwards (9-10), 2 chassé steps or 4 walking steps, then W forwards and M backwards (11-12), 2 chassé steps or 4 walking steps.
Side couples make arches. Head couples pass under the arches (W to L, M to R, W passing in front of partner), and meet partner in opposite place (13-16). 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
9-16   Side couples repeat (d).
Note: all couples are now in opposite place.
|:1-8:| (e) Balancé & pas de rigaudon: All take 2-hand hold with partner, and dance a balancé to R and to L, followed by a pas de rigaudon (1-4).
All drop hold with partner, turn [into set], and take 2-hand hold with corner, and turn CW on the spot (5-8), 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
Facing corner, dance a balancé to R and to L, followed by a pas de rigaudon (1-4).
Drop hold with corner, turn [into set], and take 2-hand hold with partner, and turn CW on the spot (5-8),
[Sjöberg describes this as: head couples, in 2-hand hold, dance 2 pas de rigaudon type 3 steps (1-4). Head M take R-in-R hold with corner W, who turns under the joined arms, so that both have changed places (5-8). Repeat to return to previous places (1-8).]
|:9-16:|   (f) Half-chain & circle: Head couples dance half-chain across to original place (9-12), 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
All take 2-hand hold with corner, and turn CW on the spot (13-16), 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
Side couples dance half-chain across to original place (9-12), 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
All take 2-hand hold with corner, and turn CW on the spot (13-16), 4 chassé steps or 8 walking steps.
[Sjöberg describes this as: head couples, dance half-chain across (9-12), with courtesy turn (13-16). Side couples ditto (9-16).]
Note: all couples are now in original places.

See videos on YouTube with Menuett Akademien and Seurasaaren Kansantanssijat, Sällskapet Gustafs Skål

Provenance: The tune was likely known well before 1772, and theories place it's origins as, possibly an Austrian military march commemorating the Austrian victory over the Prussians at Collin in 1757, and/or a Swedish drinking song [Swedish] Wikipedia. The Swedish lyrics were written by Carl Michael Bellman in 1772, flattering King Gustaf III of Sweden [see also English translation of lyrics}.

Source: Danssällskapet Branicula reconstruction
See also:
-- nr 139 in: Åkerhjelm, Fredrik/ Baron Fredrik Åkerhjelms dansbok 1785. Stockholm: Arkivet för folklig dans, 1986.
-- Sjöberg, Henry/ Folklig dans 2. 1600-1700-talens dansformer. s.l.: Brevskolan, 1974. pp. 25-26.

   
    Gustafs skål, Ytterby socken, Västergötland
Steps: omdansningssteg, walk
Sheet music: (1) Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Musik till svenska folkdanser. Del I.. 2:a uppl. Stockholm: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, [1975]. p. 22., (2) Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. p.166., (3) Hellgren, Otto/ Sånglekar från Nääs. Stockholm: Abr. Lundquist, Förlag, 1920. pp. 54-55. (4) Burchenal, Elizabeth/ Dances of the people: a second volume of folk-dances and singing games, Containing twenty seven folkdances of England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland. New York: G. Schirmer, 1913. p. 56.
Recordings: Andersson, Bengt version from Uppland on nyckelharpa [YouTube]; Gunnar Hahns Folkdance Ensemble Skandia: a definitive collection of traditional nordic rhythms (1997 ed.) track 16; Gösta Cederberg's Folkdance Orchestra [Internet Archive]; Skaraborgs Kammarensemble Herrskapsdanser nr. 1: musik från 1700- och 1800-talen track 04; Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur Musik till 'Danslåtar från Bohuslän' track 03; unattributed [Internet Archive].
Bars Part Dance progression:
1-8 (a) Advance & retire: Head couples advance (1-2), beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, 4 walking steps. Small curtsey/bow [to opposite]. Head couples retire ditto (3-4).
Side couples repeat (a) (5-8).
1-8   Repeat (a).
9-12 (b) Arches: Head couples advance, beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot. Small curtsey/bow [to opposite]. Meanwhile, side couples form arches.
Head couples take inside (MR/WL) hand with opposite and advance to nearest side couple [to M's L] .
Pass under arches formed by side couples, drop hold, and return (M to L, W to R) to place (9-12).
When a W had come through the arch, it was not uncommon for another M, not part of the set, to 'steal' the place as her partner and swing in his stead. Her former partner had then until the next set of arches to either 'steal' another W or his original partner back. Or for a couple not part of the set, to 'steal' the place of an active couple.
13-16   Swing: Head M clap their hands once, and couples take closed waist-shoulder hold and turn on the spot with omdansningssteg.
9-16   Side couples repeat (b).
{:1-8:| (c) Promenade: All couples take front crossed side hold, facing CCW around the set. Beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, all promenade 15 walking steps CCW around the set. On the 16th step, all turn, without dropping hold, and promenade CW around the set. back to place, 16 walking steps.
|:9-16:|   Swing: All couples take closed waist-shoulder hold and turn on the spot with omdansningssteg.
The tempo of the music may be increased somewhat for the repeat.

Swedish lyrics:
|:Gustafs skål, den bästa skål av alla skålar,
Gustafs skål, den bästa skålen är.
Tra-lala ... [etc.] :|

See video on YouTube with Skansens Folkdanslag, Folkdansringen Stockholm.

Provenance: the dance has without doubt it's roots in the dances of the upper classes. Among the Swedish peasantry, it was very popular and wide spread, especially as a song-dance [see lyrics above].
The origin of part C of the dance is unknown - it is not included in Hellgren (1920) but is included the description in Karlson (1944) and later descriptions.
The same tune is used in Gustafs skål -- Termaleikki in Korpo, Finland. The Danish dance from Bornholm Tjiva dajnsijn aka Tyvedansen, is danced to a variant of this tune and the dance is very similar to this version.

Source: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Beskrivning av svenska folkdanser. Del I.. Stockholm: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, [1975]. pp. 163-164.
See also:
-- Sjöberg, Henry/ Folklig dans 2. 1600-1700-talens dansformer. s.l.: Brevskolan, 1974. pp. 31-32.
-- Hellgren, Otto/ Sånglekar från Nääs. Stockholm: Abr. Lundquist, Förlag, 1920. pp. 54-55.
-- Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. pp. 58, 166.
-- Skandia Music Foundation/ Gustafs skål or Gustavs skål 1997
-- 'Gustaf's skoal' in: Burchenal, Elizabeth/ Dances of the people: a second volume of folk-dances and singing games, Containing twenty seven folkdances of England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland. New York: G. Schirmer, 1913. pp. 56-57.
-- 'Gustaf's skoal' Beliajus, Vyts in: Stockton Folk Dance Camp/ Syllabus of dance descriptions 1966. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1966 p. 84.
-- Carnie, Andrew Folk dance musings: Andrew Carnie's folk dance instructions

Translations: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2022-02-08, rev. 2022-02-10.


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