Country: Sweden
Type: couple dance
Formation: couples in open circle, holding inside hands, facing LOD [CCW in circle]
Steps:
dalsteg (step-swing),
sidsteg (side step),
valssteg (waltz)
Sheet music:
(1) Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Musik till gillesdanser i Norden - fiol.
[Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur], 1970. p.14.
(2) FolkWiki mignon
[Commonly danced to same tune as
Spinn, spinn, spinn dotter min]
Recordings:
Finlands Svenska Folkdansring r.f. Årsprogram 2001-2002 track 19;
Holstebro Folkedanserforening Dansk og skandinavisk folkedans med Arne Bech track 18;
Thy Spillemandslaug 'Mignon' Thy Spillemandslaug 3 track A3;
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1-2 | (a) | Promenade: Beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, 2 step-swings in LOD (1), then RLOD (2). |
| 3-4 | With 2 waltz steps on the spot, M makes full turn CCW, W turning CW. | |
| 5-8 | Repeat (a). | |
| 9-12 | (b) | Waltz: Take waltz hold with partner, ML/WR arms straight. Dance 2 sidesteps in LOD (9-10), followed by 2 side-steps in RLOD (11-12). |
| 13-16 | Dance 4 turning waltz steps, turning CW, and moving in LOD.
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] |
See videos from/with Dansgänget Hässleholm 2012.
Provenance: Purportedly composed by Oscar Morley around 1896; however, in Sweden an early version of the lyrics is included as nr 12 (p.314) in Eva Wigström's Folkdiktning published 1880. Mignon may be a rendition of a folk song/lullaby. It is known, usually as 'Mignon' in Denmark, [miljon] Estonia, Norway and Sweden and as kehruvalssi in Finland. Popularized as a new social dance in 1896.
Source: Acla portalen Mignonvals eller Spinn spinn
See also:
-- Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Beskrivning av gillesdanser i Norden.
[Stockholm]: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1970. pp. 45-46.
-- Finlands Svenska Folkdansring/ 8 gamla salongsdanser. [Helsingfors]: Finlands Svenska Folkdansring r.f., 1973. p.7.
-- Morley, Oscar/ 'Mignon' [in Russian and French],
[in Russian and German]. 1896.
-- Crompton, R.M. & Oscar Morley/ The Arcadian, New and Original Round Dance. London: E. Ascherberg & Co., 1897. p.7+.
-- Wigström, Eva/ Folkdiktning, visor, sägner, sagor, gåtor,
ordspråk, ringdansar, lekar och barnvisor, samlad och upptecknad i Skåne. Köbenhavn: Karl Schönbergs bokhandel, 1880. p.314.
-- [for additional sources, see Library of Dance/ Vintage dance manuals]
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2023-09-27.
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