THE
COUNTRY DANCE BOOK PART V
CONTAINING THE RUNNING SET
COLLECTED IN KENTUCKY, U. S. A.
AND DESCRIBED
BY
CECIL J. SHARP
AND
MAUD KARPELES
london: NOVELLO AND COMPANY, Ltd.
new york: THE H. W. GRAY Co.
sole agents for the U. S. A.
Copyright, 1918, by Novello & Co., Ltd.
MADE IN ENGLAND
TO
THE PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
CONTENTS
Introduction
The Steps
The Music
The Caller
General Instructions
Technical Terms and Symbols
Construction
General Figures
The Grand Promenade
The Little Promenade
Do-si-do-and-Promenade-Home
The Dance
The Introduction
Figure  1. Hands-four
“   2. Hands-three
“   3. Shoot the Owl
“   4. Chase the Squirrel
“   5. The Wild Goose-Chase
“   6. Box the Gnat
“   7. Going down Town
“   8. Bird in the Cage
“   9. Treat ’em All Right
“ 10. Rights and Lefts
“ 11. The California Show Basket
“ 12. Figure Eight
“ 13. Ladies in the Centre
“ 14. Wind up the Ball Yarn
Tucker
Notation
Appendix:
A. ADDITIONAL FIGURES:
Figure 15. The Waltz-Swing
“ 16. Cutting off Three, Two, and One
“ 17. Hands-across
B. Variants:
The Grand Promenade
The Introduction
Figure  5. The Wild Goose-Chase
“   6. Box the Gnat
“   8. Bird in the Cage
“ 17. Hands-across
Method of Progression
C. Directions Used by the “Caller”
INTRODUCTION
In the course of our travels in the Southern Appalachian
Mountains in search of traditional songs and ballads,
we had often heard of a dance, called the Running Set, but,
as our informants had invariably led us to believe that it
was a rough, uncouth dance, remarkable only as an exhibition
of agility and physical endurance, we had made no
special effort to see it. When at last we did see it performed
at one of the social gatherings at the Pine Mountain
Settlement School it made a profound impression
upon us. We realized at once that we had stumbled upon
a most interesting form of the English Country‑dance
which, so far as we knew, had not been hitherto recorded,
and a dance, moreover, of great æsthetic value. On that
occasion, the dance was sprung unexpectedly upon us by
Miss Ethel de Long, and, being quite unprepared, we were
unable to make any attempt to note it.
Shortly afterwards we again saw the Running Set at
Hindman (Knott Co., Ky.) at an evening party especially
arranged in our honour by Mr. Burnham Combs. On
that occasion, however, the executants, being unaccustomed
to dance together, differed so widely in their individual
movements that although we were able to add
very considerably to our knowledge we could do no more
than make a few notes of a general character.
A few weeks later we saw the dance on two different
occasions at Hyden (Leslie Co., Ky.). The first of these
was organized for our benefit by Mr. Lewis and Mr.
Asher and was held at Mr. Westcott’s house under the
most favourable conditions. The executants were picked
dancers, there were no onlookers to disturb us, and we were
able to note the dance with all its intricacies at our leisure,
and afterwards to clear up doubtful technical points by
reference to Mr. Lewis.
The second time we saw the Running Set at Hyden was
at a “frolic,” the sequel to a “bean‑stringing,” given by
Mr. Lee Morgan. The guests assembled by twos and
threes in the afternoon from four o’clock onwards and, on
arrival, were set to work to string the beans which lay in
heaps upon the floor of every room. This preliminary
task occupied some hours, and it was nine o’clock before
preparations for the dance were made and the “frolic”
proper began. One of us took part in the first Set that
was “run” that evening—the dancing continued well into
the small hours—and gained thereby a practical and first‑hand
acquaintance with the dance which we have since
found invaluable.
In the following month Mr. Sewell Williams explained
to us the way in which the Running Set was danced at
Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.), and from him we gathered
some additional figures as well as several variants of those
that we had already seen and noted (see Appendix, A
and B).
The version of the dance described in the following pages
is that which we noted at Hyden, although in our general
instructions, concerning style, etc., we have drawn very
largely upon what we observed at Pine Mountain, where
the dance was executed more perfectly and with greater
finish than elsewhere.
The only kind of dancing other than the Running Set
that we have as yet seen in the mountains is a species
of step- or clog‑dance, locally known as the hoe‑down.
We happen to know, however, that many forms of the
Country‑dance—e.g., Square‑eights and Longways dances—still
survive in the Appalachians and other parts of
America, and these we hope eventually to investigate and,
perhaps, to publish in a second edition of this volume.
Apart from its innate beauty and its many artistic
qualities, the Running Set is especially interesting in that
it represents one particular phase in the development of
the Country‑dance of which, hitherto, nothing has been
known. It is, in a sense, a new discovery. A few words
concerning the history of the Country‑dance and of our
sources of information regarding it will make this clear.
The English Country-dance is the lineal descendant of
the May‑day Round, a pagan quasi‑religious ceremonial
of which the May‑pole dance is, perhaps, the most typical
example. Except for a few stray references to the Country‑dance
in early literature nothing is known of its history
prior to 1650, in which year the first book on the
subject, Playford’s English Dancing Master, was published.
This modest little book, containing the description of
104 dances, won so great a popularity that, under the modified
title of The Dancing Master, it ran through eighteen
editions, the last of which, dated 1728, contained upwards
of seven hundred dances. A critical examination of these
successive editions shows that the dance degenerated very
rapidly during the period covered by them, and the large
number of dance‑manuals subsequently issued by Walsh,
Thompson, Waylett, and others furthermore proves that
this decline continued during the two following centuries
until, at the beginning of the present century, the only
dances that remained were those—chiefly of the Longways
variety—that were still being danced by the peasantry in
remote country districts of England and Scotland.
Now the Running Set in its structure (with one partial
exception to which reference will presently be made)
and in many other important particulars differs materially
from any other known form of the Country‑dance.
It is built on much larger lines than any other of which
we have cognizance. The Promenade movements, which
bind the figures together and give continuity to the dance,
occur nowhere else; while The Wild Goose‑chase, The California
Show Basket, and Wind up the Ball Yarn are figures
which hitherto have only been found in children’s singing‑games.
Moreover, the forceful, emotional character of
the dance; the absence from it of all the courtesy movements,
i.e., the Set, the Side, the Honour, and the Arms;
the speed with which the evolutions are executed, and the
unconventional way in which the dancers comport themselves—all
tend sharply to differentiate the Running Set
from the Playford dances and all other known forms of the
English Country‑dance.
From these considerations we are led to infer that the
Running Set represents a stage in the development of the
Country‑dance earlier than that of the dances in The
English Dancing Master—at any rate in the form in which
they are there recorded.
The fact, for instance, that the movements of courtesy,
which occur in almost every one of the Playford dances,
are conspicuously absent from the Running Set is of itself
the strongest testimony in favour of the priority of the
latter. For it is extremely unlikely that these movements,
which were obviously due to the influence of the drawing‑room
and reflect the formal manners and conventional
habits of the upper ranks of an organized society, could
have found their way into the dance many years before
1650. Indeed, it might be maintained, that it was the
intrusion of these and similar movements into the Country‑dance
which initiated and ultimately led to its decline.
The only dance in The English Dancing Master which,
in its construction, bears any resemblance to the Running
Set is Up Tails All (1st ed., 1650; The Country Dance Book,
Part iii), This is a “Round for as many as will” and
consists of an Introduction and three Parts. Each Part
contains a fresh figure, which is led successively by each
couple in turn, as in the Running Set; but there is no general
movement, corresponding to the Promenade, between
the repetitions of the figure or between the Parts. As Up
Tails All is the only Round of its kind in The Dancing
Master it is fair to infer that it represents a late and—in
comparison with the Running Set—a corrupt example of an
earlier and almost extinct type, rather than the forerunner
of a fresh development.
The three figures, hitherto known only in children’s
singing games, of which mention has already been made,
are one and all derived from ancient pagan ceremonials.
The California Show Basket is an adaptation to the
dance of a children’s singing‑game, Draw a pail of water,
which is a dramatic representation of several incidents
connected with the ceremony of well‑worship. The only
one of these ritual acts which survives in the dance‑figure
is the passing first of the women under the arms of the
men and then of the men under the arms of the women,
in imitation of the creeping of the devotee under the
sacred bush, which was frequently found by the side of the
holy well (see Alice B. Gomme’s Traditional Games of
England, etc., i, p. 100; ii, p. 503).
Wind up the Ball Yarn is a variant of one of the “winding
up games” such as The Eller Tree, or Wind up the
Bush Faggot. Games of this type originated in the custom
of encircling a tree or other sacred object as an act of
worship, the connection of the worshippers, by means of
linked hands, with the central object, being intended to
communicate life and action to it (Traditional Games of
England, etc. i, p. 119; ii, pp. 384, 510).
The Wild Goose-chase is one of the many serpentine
movements—e.g., the Hey in its many
forms—which are
so often found in dances of religious or magical significance
(cf. the movement in Morris Off in The Morris Book,
1st ed.), Lady Gomme (Traditional Games of England,
etc., ii, p. 511) cites an Irish custom recorded by Lady
Wilde in which young men and maidens with clasped
hands described curves very similar to those in the dance figure.
Wind up the Ball Yarn, it is interesting to record, has
been appropriated and used very effectively by the Russians
in one of their ballets.
The ring-movement around a central dancer in The Bird
in the Cage and Tucker is not unlike one of the figures
in the Scottish Eightsome‑Reel (itself a Nature dance)
and is probably derived from some sacrificial ceremony.
The dancer within the ring may be the victim about to be
seized and sacrificed as in several of the Sword‑dances
(cf. The Grenoside Sword‑dance) and in the Morris Dance,
Brighton Camp (The Morris Book, iii, p. 55).
The fact that these indubitably ancient figures are incorporated
as organic movements in the Running Set
and (with the exception of Tucker and The Bird in the
Cage) occur in no other recorded dance, still further
strengthens the claim that the Kentucky dance belongs to
a stage in the development of the Country‑dance earlier
than that of any dance known to us.
If this contention be conceded we have next to enquire
now and at what period the Running set found its way to
America. Now the fact that the dance could not have
reached America before 1650 (unless it came over with the
Pilgrim Fathers in the Mayflower!) does not in reality conflict
with our hypothesis, although at first sight it may
seem to do so. For, bearing in mind the physical difficulties
of communication between one part of the country
and another in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it is
extremely improbable that the successive developments
of the Country‑dance proceeded uniformly at one and the
same time in every part of England.
Now The English Dancing Master was published in
London and addressed primarily, if not exclusively, to
Londoners, or at most to those resident in the Southern
and Midland counties of England. In what form, however,
the Country‑dance existed at that period in other
parts of England, we have no means of knowing, although,
as the civilization in the North has always lagged behind
that of the South, we may assume that it was of a less
advanced type. It may be, therefore,—indeed, it is
extremely probable—that dances of the same species as
the Running Set were, in the middle of the seventeenth
century and for many years later—i.e., for some while
after they had been discarded or superseded in the South—still
being danced in the Northern counties of England
and the Scottish Lowlands, the very districts from which
the forefathers of the present Southern Appalachians
originally emigrated.
Although, then, we may be unable to ascribe to the Running
Set a definite date, we may with some assurance claim:—that
it is the sole survival of a type of Country‑dance
which, in order of development, preceded the Playford
dance; that it flourished in other parts of England and
Scotland a long while after it had fallen into desuetude in
the South; and that some time in the eighteenth century
it was brought by emigrants from the Border counties to
America where it has since been traditionally preserved.
This explanation at any rate accords with, and follows
logically from, the facts so far as they are at present known.
Further investigations, however, in the Southern Highlands
and in other parts of America may, perhaps, lead
to the discovery of more examples of this particular type
of Country‑dance, and it may then become necessary to
modify the theory above enunciated.
It is interesting to note that the dancers who were
“men” and “women” in Playford’s book have become
“ladies” and “gentlemen” in the Running Set (see Appendix
C) which, by the way, is also the title given
to them in the eighteenth‑century dance‑books. The
“Promenade,” too, is, I take it, also an eighteenth‑century
expression. This adoption of an eighteenth‑century
nomenclature in the description of a sixteenth- or seventeenth‑century
dance is at first sight a little disconcerting,
but it really proves no more than that the jargon of the
dance travelled more quickly to the North of England
than the dance movements themselves, a fact for which
we have every reason to be thankful.
It is not easy to give a satisfactory derivation of Do-Si,
or Do‑si‑do, the name by which one of the most characteristic
movements of the Running Set is universally
known in the mountains. The obvious explanation is
that it is a corruption of the French dos‑à‑dos, but, if
this be so, it is, of course, a misnomer because the Do‑si‑do
of the Running Set is quite a different evolution from that
which is ordinarily understood by the Back‑to‑back. The
French derivation may, nevertheless, be the correct one,
for it is quite in accordance with the habit of the mountaineer
to call things by their wrong names, e.g., Laurel
for Rhododendron; Ivy for Laurel; Vine for Ivy; Biscuit
for Scone, etc.
When the last book of English folk-dances was published—now
some years ago—it looked as if the available
material were at last exhausted, and that our knowledge
of existing traditional dances had practically reached its
limit. That further and most valuable material acterally
existed at that time in a country several thousand miles
away from England, patiently awaiting the call of the
collector, certainly did not occur to me, nor, I am sure, to
any of my friends or collaborators. And even when, later
on, I had penetrated into the Southern Appatachians and
found the old Puritan dislike, fear, and distrust of dancing
expressed in almost every log‑cabin I entered, the possibility
seemed more remote than ever. My surprise, then,
can be imagined when, without warning, the Running Set
was presented to me, under conditions, too, which immensely
heightened its effect. It was danced, one evening
after dark, on the porch of one of the largest houses of the
Pine Mountain School, with only one dim lantern to light
up the scene. But the moon streamed fitfully in lighting
up the mountain peaks in the background and, casting its
mysterious light over the proceedings, seemed to exaggerate
the wildness and the break‑neck speed of the
dancers as they whirled through the mazes of the dance.
There was no music, only the stampings and clappings of
the onlookers, but when one of the emotional crises of the
dance was reached—and this happened several times during
the performance—the air seemed literally to pulsate with
the rhythm of the “patters” and the tramp of the dancers’
feet, while, over and above it all, penetrating through the
din, floated the even, falsetto tones of the Caller, calmly
and unexcitedly reciting his directions.
The scene was one which I shall not readily forget and,
in the impression which it made upon me, it recalled to
my mind the occasion when I first saw the Handsworth
Sword‑dance, a dance, with which in a curious, subtle sort
of way, the Running Set has a close affinity.
Whether the dancers and others to whom this book is
addressed will agree with the high estimate of the æsthetic
qualities of the Running Set that I have myself formed remains
to be seen, but I shall be very surprised if within a few
months of its publication, the members of the English Folk
Dance Society here and in England are not dancing it merrily
in every one of the Society’s Branches and Centres.
The dance has already been publicly performed in New
York and Boston and on both occasions won the approbation,
certainly of the performers and, I think, also of the
Spectacors. A new dance, especially one so characteristic
as the Running Set and so unlike any other folk‑dance, was
sure to strike different people in different ways. Of the
many criticisms that have been expressed in my hearing.
two stand out over and above the rest and seem worthy
of record. The first of these was the comment of an on‑looker,
school‑teacher:—“Yes, it is a beautiful dance, but
terribly difficult. And what’s the use of it anyway? You
couldn’t teach it!” The other was a remark breathlessly
made by one of the executants at the conclusion of a
performance:—That’s what I call a lovely dance! You
needn’t bother yourself about style, or anything. You
have only to forget everything and let yourself go!”
C. J. S.
Hotel Algonquin,
New York,
Christmas, 1917.
THE STEPS
The normal step used in the Running Set is a swift,
short, and exceedingly smooth Country‑dance running‑step,
the spring from foot to foot, though never omitted,
being so slight as to be scarcely noticeable. The step,
indeed, is so smooth that the dancers, as we saw them,
seemed at times to be moving, or gliding, on wheels.
When the tempo of the dance is at its fastest, the step
becomes almost indistinguishable from that of the Rapper Sword‑dance.
There are no skipping or slipping-steps although,
especially in the Promenades, the dancers often improvise
step‑variations of their own, e.g. kick up their heels,
drag their feet lazily on the floor, or do a hoe‑down step
or two, i.e., a heel‑and‑toe, shuffle, or clog‑dance step.
THE MUSIC
At Hyden the accompanying music was played on
the fiddle; at Hindman on the fiddle and banjo. At
Pine Mountain there was no music at all.
Throughout the dance the onlookers and the performers
also, when not actually dancing, should enforce the
rhythm of the music by “patting,” i.e., alternately
stamping and clapping. “Patting” is done in various
ways, but the usual method is to stamp with the right
foot on the strong accent and clap the hands on the weak
one, the executant throwing his head back, inclining his
body to the left and emphasizing the movements of feet
and hands so that the rhythm may be seen as well as
heard. In 6/8 time the hands are usually clapped on the
third and sixth quavers, but the “patter” will often strike
his thighs, right hand on right thigh on the second and
fifth quavers, and left hand on left thigh on the third and
sixth, stamping, of course, on the first and fourth quavers.
As an accompaniment to the dance, the “patting”
is almost as effective as the music; so effective, indeed,
that at Pine Mountain, where the dancers were wholly
dependent upon it, the absence of instrumental music was
scarcely felt.
The fiddler and the banjo-player each have an assistant,
a “beater,” who, sitting at right‑angles to the instrumentalist,
“beats” the strings between the bridge and
the player’s left hand with two pencil‑like, wooden sticks.
These sticks being flexible, strike all the strings simultaneously
and this produces a rhythmical, drone effect which
if the “beater” is deft in his movements and skilfully
varies his rhythms, adds depth to the tune and gives
material aid to the dancers.
The tunes should be jig-tunes, not Country-dance
airs, which are too suave and lack the insistent beat
characteristic of the Running Set. The tunes we heard
at Hindman, Hyden, and elsewhere were not very good
ones, far inferior, for instance, to those of the English
peasant‑fiddlers; though the players in Kentucky generally
managed, notwithstanding the melodic poverty of the
tunes, to play them with such force and abandonment
that they made excellent accompaniment to the dance.
It seems possible to find other airs which, while equally
satisfying the requirements of the dance, shall be superior
to the Kentucky tunes in melodic interest. An attempt
is this direction has been made in the collection of airs
(Country Dance Tunes, Set 9) published in connection
with this volume.
As in many of the Sword-dances, the music controls
the steps only and not the evolutions which may begin,
or end, at any part of a musical phrase. It is desirable,
however, that the dance‑phrases should, whenever possible,
be brought into coincidence with those of the music
and, with the exercise of a little ingenuity on the part
of the dancers, this can often be done, e.g., in the two
eight‑step movements in the Grand Promenade. Some
of the Figures, such as “The California Show Basket,”
or “Going down Town,” can be danced throughout
phrase by phrase with the music as accurately as in a
Country‑dance.
In the Running Set the instrumentalist is just an
accompanist and no more. The dancers set the tempo,
varying it from moment to moment at their pleasure,
and these variations it is the duty of the player to follow
as though he were accompanying a song.
The tunes given in the music volume may be played
in any order that the accompanist pleases, and changed
as often as he may elect.
THE CALLER
It is customary for one of the company, not necessarily
one of the dancers, to “call” the dance as it proceeds,
that is, to name the figures and describe them, movement
by movement, and thus to do for the dancers what the
prompter at the opora does for the singers. Normally,
the “caller” recites certain prescribed verbal phrases, a
mixture of prose and doggerel rhyme that in the course
of time has become stereotyped (see Appendix C, p. 48).
He does not always, however, restrict himself exclusively
to the use of these, but will sometimes improvise remarks
of his own, after the manner of the chantey‑man, and
crack jokes, chaff the dancers, and so forth. Mr. Taylor,
who “called” the dance at Pine Mountain and was
himself the leader of the dance, gave out his directions
in a high, falsetto monotone which was very effective.
Whether or not this is the traditional method of “calling”
we have not been able to discover.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
In its general effect, in the continuous movement, the
periodic recurrence of circular evolutions, the short,
quick step of the dancers, and, above all, in its tense,
restrained emotion, the Running Set resembles the Sword‑dance
rather than the Country‑dance with which, nevertheless,
for technical and historical considerations, it
must logically be classified.
The outstanding characteristic of the Running Set
is the swift, lightning speed with which the figures are
negotiated. Indeed, at first sight it may appear as
though the dancers were wholly absorbed in the execution
of the figures in the shortest possible time, regardless of
manner or style. The half‑turns in the Promenade, for
instance, are done most perfunctorily, and never with
straight arms as in the Country‑dance; sometimes, indeed,
the hands of the dancers will scarcely touch one another,
or the man will place his hands on the shoulders or upper
arms of his partner. But this apparent negation of style
is quite illusory, as the critical observer will discern, and
as the dancer will soon find out for himself. For, paradoxical
as it may seem, it is precisely in its style—or
lack of style—in the unconventional way in which the
figures and evolutions are executed, that the character
and, it may be added, the extraordinary charm of this
unique dance lie.
It cannot be too strongly emphasized that despite
the break‑neck speed and the rush of it, the dance must
in its every movement be performed smoothly, quietly,
almost nonchalantly; in the hands of unskilled dancers
it may easily degenerate into a disorderly romp.
The technical equipment needed by the dancer in
the Running Set is not to be acquired without trouble
and practice. He must have a highly developed sense
of direction—a step at a wrong angle may, as in the
Sword‑dance, throw a whole movement out of gear;
great agility, combined with consummate neatness, a
keen intelligence, and an instinct for thinking ahead,
that is, realizing what is coming and preparing for it.
The body should be held erect, motionless, with every
limb loose and relaxed, and inclined in the direction
of motion, as in skating. The arms, when not actively
engaged, should hang loosely by the sides, swinging
naturally this way or that in rhythm with the motion of
the body. This reposeful carriage, together with the
swift, gliding movement already described, gave to the
dancers, as we saw them at Pine Mountain, an impersonal,
detached appearance, as though they were moving in a
dream or under hypnotic influence.
Finally, it must never for one moment be forgotten
that the Running Set is, first and last, a team‑dance,
and that individual proficiency will not of itself suffice
without close co‑operation on the part of the dancers in
the co‑ordination and timing of their movements.
TECHNICAL TERMS AND SYMBOLS
In the following description of movements, figures,
etc., it will be necessary to make use of certain technical
terms and symbols. These will now be defined.

= man.

= woman.
The area enclosed by the dancers is known as the Set,
or the General Set.
In movements in which two couples only are engaged,
the terms contrary man and contrary woman are used to
denote the man or woman other than the partner.
In ring-formation, contrary or contrary partner is the
woman on the left of the man, or the man on the right
of the woman.
To cross hands the man takes the right and left hands
of the woman with, respectively, his right and left hands,
the right hands being above the left.
To pass by the right is to pass right shoulder to right
shoulder; by the left, left shoulder to left shoulder.
When two dancers meet and pass each other they should
always, unless otherwise directed, pass by the right.
To make a quarter-turn is to turn through 90°.
To make a half-turn is to turn through 180°.
To make a three-quarter turn is to turn through 270°.
To make a whole-turn is to make a complete revolution.
The terms clockwise and counter-clockwise are self-explanatory
and refer to circular movements.
To cast of is to turn outward and dance outside the
Set, or outside the area enclosed for the moment by the dancers.
To cast back is to make a half-turn outward and move
in the opposite direction.
To lead or move is to dance forwards.
To fall back is to dance backwards.
The double is three steps, forward or backward, followed
by “feet‑together.”
To arm with the right, or arm-right, two dancers link
right arms and swing once round, clockwise.
To arm with the left, or arm-left, two dancers link left
arms and swing once round, counter‑clockwise.
To turn, two dancers face, join both hands, and swing
once round, clockwise.
Hands-three, hands-four, etc. Three or more dancers,
as directed, join hands, dance round in a ring, clockwise,
and make one complete circuit.
Right-hands-across, or left-hands-across. Two couples
face. The two men and the two women, joining right or
left hands, as directed, dance round, clockwise, holding
their hands close together, chin‑high, and facing in the
direction of motion.
CONSTRUCTION
The Running Set is most effective when the number
of dancers is limited to four couples, although, if certain
Figures be omitted, that number may be exceeded.
The performers stand in a circle, thus:—
The construction of the dance is very similar to that
of the Rapper Sword‑dance. It consists of an Introduction,
followed by an indefinite number of Parts, each of
which contains its own distinctive Figure, preceded by
the Grand Promenade, a circular movement in which
all the dancers take part. Except in two cases (Figs. 10
and 13) the special Figure which distinguishes each Part
is executed four times, led successively by each of the
four couples, the Little Promenade (a shortened form
of the Grand Promenade) being interposed before each repetition.
The division of the dance into Parts and Figures is
quite arbitrary and is done merely for the sake of convenience
and clearness. No pause, however, is made
between the Parts, nor between the successive repetitions
of the Figures, the dance being one continuous movement
from beginning to end.
GENERAL FIGURES
Before entering upon a technical description of the
several movements and Figures in their proper order,
it will be as well, perhaps, first to explain certain evolutions
which continually recur in the course of the dance.
There are three of these:—the Grand Promenade, the
Little Promenade, and the Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
THE GRAND PROMENADE
Men turn their partners half-way round (four steps),
turn their contraries (i.e., the women on their left) half‑way
round (four steps), rejoin their partners, cross hands
(right over left) and all move round the circle eight steps
counter‑clockwise, men on the inside (i.e., on the left of
their partners).
It will be found that in making the two half-turns each
dancer describes a complete circle clockwise.
Without releasing hands, all reverse their direction, the
men making a half‑turn clockwise, the women a half‑turn
counter‑clockwise, and move round the circle eight steps
clockwise, the men being on the inside (i.e., on the right of
their partners.)
Men turn their partners half-way round (four steps), turn
their contraries half‑way round (four steps), rejoin their partners,
cross hands and dance round the circle with them,
counter‑clockwise, to places.
THE LITTLE PROMENADE
Men turn their partners half-way round (four steps), turn
their contraries half‑way round (four steps), rejoin their partners,
cross hands and move once round, the circle with them,
counter‑clockwise, to places, men on the inside (i.e., on the
left of their partners).
Do-Si-Do-and-Promenade-Home
Two couples face. Men turn their partners half-way
round with left hands, pass each other by the right (moving
sideways, right shoulders forward, and back‑to‑back),
turn their contraries half‑way round with right hands
and return to places, passing each other by the left (back‑to‑back,
left shoulders forward), This movement, which
is known as the Do‑si‑do, or the Do‑si, is then repeated.
At the conclusion of the repetition, men turn their
partners once round with left hands, cross hands with
them and dance round a small circle, counter‑clockwise,
each couple breaking off and proceeding to its original
station.
The half-turns in the Do-si-do must be executed at great
speed and with bent arms, each performer describing as small
a circle as possible. In crossing over between the turns the
men should arch their backs and pass as closely to each other
as they can.
THE DANCE
THE INTRODUCTION
All take hands and dance round twelve steps, clockwise,
each man raising his right hand (and with it his partner’s
left hand) above his head, and inclining his body slightly
to his left. Releasing hands, men turn their partners
half‑way round, turn their contraries half‑way round,
rejoin their partners, cross hands and dance round with
them counter‑clockwise to places.
First and third couples hands-four.
First and third couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
Second and fourth couples hands-four.
Second and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 1
Hands-Four
First and second couples hands-four.
First and third couples hands-four.
First and fourth couples hands-four.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 2
HANDS-THREE
First man, moving toward the centre, turns his partner
with the left band.
First man goes hands-three with the second couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the third couple;
while first woman does the same with the second couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the fourth couple;
while first woman does the same with the third couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First and fourth couples hands-four.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 3
SHOOT THE OWL
First man, moving toward the centre, turns his partner
with his left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the second couple
half‑way round and, facing centre, “pops under” the
arch made by the second couple, second man and second
woman resuming their proper places.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the third couple and
“pops under” as before; while first woman does the same
with the second couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the fourth couple,
“popping under” as before; while the first woman does
the same with the third couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First and fourth couple hands-four.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 4
CHASE THE SQUIRREL
First man and first woman, joining inside hands, move
(the man behind the woman) between second man and
second woman, turn to their left and pass, counter‑clockwise,
round the second woman; while the second
woman moves forward four steps and falls back four
steps to her place.
Breaking away from her partner, first woman passes
between second man and second woman, and moves round
a small circle, clockwise, the second man following her
round to his place; while the first man executes a pas seui.
First man and first woman turn.
First man and first woman go hands-four with the
second couple.
The first couple repeats all these movements with
the third couple.
The first couple docs the same with the fourth couple.
The first and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 5
The Wild Goose-Chase
First man, taking his partner’s left hand in his right
and leading her behind him, passes between second man
and second woman, turns to his left and moves, counter‑clockwise,
round second woman.
First man, still leading his partner behind him, moves
in front of, and a step or two beyond, second man, casts
back, making a half‑turn to his right, passes between
second man and second woman, turns to his right, clockwise,
round second man, and then goes hands‑four with
the second couple; while the second man, as the first couple
passes by him, breaks away, moves clockwise round
his partner to his place, timing his movement so that he
shall reach his station just as the four‑ring is being formed.
Releasing his left hand, first man breaks away from
second woman and, followed by his partner and the second
couple, passes between third man and third woman and
repeats the same movements with the third couple that he
had previously done with the second (the third man doing
as the second man did), concluding with hands‑six with
she third couple.
Releasing his left hand, first man breaks away from
third woman and, followed by his partner, second and
third couples, passes between fourth man and fourth
woman and once again repeats the same movements, concluding
with hands‑eight with the fourth couple.
Upon the conclusion of the hands-eight, the first man,
releasing his left hand, breaks away from the fourth
woman, casts back, making a half‑turn to his left, and,
leading the other seven dancers behind him, moves round
in a circle (back to centre), counter‑clockwise to his place.
First man casts back, making a half-turn to his right,
and leads the other dancers round in a circle (faces to
centre), clockwise, to places.
During the performance of this Figure each dancer must be
careful to follow exactly in the track of the dancer in front.
FIGURE 6
Box the Gnat
First man turns his partner half-way round with the
tight hand and once round with the left hand.
First man turns right and left in like manner with
second woman; while his partner does the same with
second man.
First man turns his partner half-way round with the
right hand and once round with the left hand.
First man turns right and left in like manner with third
woman; while his partner does the same with third man.
First man turns his partner half-way round with the
Tight hand and once round with the left hand.
First man turns right and left in like manner with fourth
woman; while his partner does the same with fourth man.
First and fourth couples hands-four.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 7
Going Down Town
The first couple, facing the opposite (i.e., the third)
couple, moves forward four steps.
The first couple falls back four steps to places; while
the third couple moves forward four steps.
The third couple falls back four steps to places; while
the first couple moves forward and passes between third
man and third woman.
First man casts off to his left behind the fourth couple
to his place; while first woman casts off to her right behind
the second couple to her place.
All the men turn their partners half-way round, turn
their contraries half‑way round and, staying with their
contraries, cross hands and dance once round with them
counter‑clockwise.
The above movements are now repeated three times,
first man and fourth woman facing third man and second
woman in the first repetition; first man and third woman
facing third man and first woman in the second; and first
man and second woman facing third man and fourth
woman in the third. The men are now in their own places.
FIGURE 8
Bird in the Cage
First man leads his partner forward toward second
couple and goes hands‑three with second couple round her.
First man, breaking with second woman, goes hands-five
with second and third couples round his partner.
First man, breaking with third woman, goes hands-seven
with second, third, and fourth couples round his
partner, and then, immediately the ring is formed, changes
places with his partner, stands in the centre facing his
station and executes a pas seul while the others dance
round him to places.
The first woman should edge toward the centre as the
successive rings are formed around her, so that when the
seven‑ring is made she shall be in the centre of the Set.
FIGURE 9
Treat 'Em All Right
First man turns his partner once round with the left
hand, and then turns second woman in like manner.
First man turns his partner with the left hand and then
third woman in like manner.
First man turns his partner with the left hand and then
fourth woman in like manner.
First man turns his partner with the left hand, then
fourth woman with the left hand, third woman with the
right hand, second woman with the left hand and, finally,
his partner with the right hand.
FIGURE 10
Rights and Lefts
Circular-hey,[*] handing, once round, partners facing.
The circular-hey is then repeated, the dancers, instead
of handing alternately with right and left, arming once
round alternately with right and left arms.
This latter evolution is known as The Lock Chain Swing.
* See The Country Dance Book, Part IV., p. 22.
FIGURE 11
The California Show Basket[*]
First and second couples hands-across once round
clockwise, men joining both hands, and women joining
both hands, the men’s hands being above the women’s.
The men, raising their hands over the heads of the
women and lowering them to waist‑level, enclose the
women and all four go once round clockwise.
The women lift their hands over the heads of the men
and rest them on the men’s shoulders; while the men raise
their hands to the level of the women’s necks. In this
position all move round once clockwise.
First man turns second woman into her place; while
first woman turns second man into his place.
The first couple repeats these movements with the
third couple.
The first couple repeats these movements with the
fourth couple.
It is suggested that the second circuit (i.e., when the men
are enclosing the women) should be executed counter‑clockwise.
* Sometimes called The Old Shuck Basket.
FIGURE 12
Figure Eight
The first couple join inside hands and move toward the
second couple.
First woman, passing in front of her partner, moves
counter‑clockwise round second woman; while first man
moves clockwise round second man.
First man turns his partner with the right hand.
Passing in front of his partner, first man moves
counter‑clockwise round second woman; while first
woman moves clockwise round second man.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First and second couples hands-four.
The first couple repeats the same movements with
the third couple.
The first couple repeats the same movement with the
fourth couple.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 13
Ladies in the Centre
Men turn their partners three-quarters round and
place them back‑to‑back in the centre of the Set.
The men dance once-and-a-quarter round the women,
counter‑clockwise, and then turn the women opposite
to them, i.e., the women standing on the left of their partners.
The men again dance once-and-a-quarter round the
women, counter‑clockwise, and then turn each the woman
next on the left, cross hands, and dance once round with
her counter‑clockwise.
The men turn the women they have just danced with
and place them back‑to‑back in the centre of the Set.
The men dance once-and-a-quarter round the women,
counter‑clockwise, and turn each the woman on the left
of the one they have just turned into the centre.
The men dance once-and-a-quarter round the women,
counter‑clockwise, and then turn their partners, this turn
initiating the Grand Promenade, which begins the following Part.
This Figure is sometimes repeated, the women putting the
men into the centre, etc.
FIGURE 14
Wind up the Ball Yarn[*]
All join inside hands except first man and fourth woman.
Fourth man and fourth woman make an arch.
First man, followed by his partner, second and third
couples, passes under the arch, turns to his right and
moves round in a circle clockwise. As the third woman
passes under the arch, the fourth man turns on his axis
three‑quarters round, clockwise, and places his right
hand over his left shoulder. The fourth man is now
said to be “locked.”
Fourth man and third woman now make an arch under
which the first man passes, followed by his partner, second
couple, and third man, turning to his right as before.
This locks the third woman.
This circular movement is repeated until the first
woman is locked.
Fourth woman places her right hand over her left
shoulder; while first man makes a whole turn clockwise;
places his right hand over his left shoulder and clasps the
fourth woman’s right hand with his left.
All dance round, clockwise, to places.
The path which the first man traces after passing under
each arch should be as nearly as possible a circle.
The dancers, as they are locked, should move in toward
the centre, so that when the first man links up with the fourth
woman the eight dancers may be in a circle.
Unwind the Ball Yarn
At the conclusion of the last repetition of the preceding
Figure (led by fourth man), the dancers may, if they
please, unwind themselves, as follows:—
Fourth man, releasing his left hand, raises his right
arm, unwinds himself by making a whole turn clockwise,
then passes under an arch made by fourth woman and first
man, turns to his right, and moves round in a circle,
clockwise, as in the preceding movement, unlocking fourth woman.
Fourth man, followed by his partner, passes under
an arch made by first man and first woman, turns to his
right as before and unlocks first man.
These movements are repeated until all the dancers
are unlocked.
Hands-eight to places.
* Sometimes known as Killiecrankie or The Grapevine Twist,
or Winding up the Maple Leaf.
TUCKER
At the conclusion of the Running Set it is customary to
dance Tucker, a variant of the well‑known children’s
singing game, The Jolly Miller, as follows:
A fifth man joins the dancers and stands in the centre
of the Set, He is called Tucker.
Hands-eight once round.
Men turn their partners half-way round, their contraries
half‑way round, move forward, rejoin their partners,
cross hands with them and dance round counter‑clockwise.
During the turning movements—i.e., when the dancers
are for the moment disengaged—Tucker endeavours to
dispossess one of the men of his partner and capture her
for himself. If he is successful, the man, whose partner
has been stolen, takes his place in the centre and becomes
Tucker in the next round.
While the dancers are circling round him, Tucker should
dance a hoe‑down, or perform any fancy steps that he pleases.
NOTATION
As already explained, the order in which the Figures
are performed is determined by the Caller. In this
Notation the Figures are presented in the order in which
they happened to be danced at Hyden.
INTRODUCTION (p. 26)
Part 1
Grand Promenade (p. 26).
Fig. 1, Hands-Four (p, 26), led by first couple.
Little Promenade (p. 26).
Fig. 1, led by second couple.[*]
Little Promenade.
Fig. 1, led by third couple.[*]
Little Promenade.
Fig. 1, led by fourth couple.[*]
* In this, and in all similar cases, it must be understood that the
leading couple always begins the Figure by engaging the next couple
on the right, that is, moving round counter‑clockwise.
Part 2
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 2, Hands-Three (p. 26), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 2, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 2, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 2, led by fourth couple.
Part 3
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 3, Shoot The Owl (p. 27), led by first couple,
Little Promenade.
Fig. 3, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 3, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 3, led by fourth couple.
Part 4
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 4, Chase The Squirrel (p. 27), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 4, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 4, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 4, led by fourth couple.
Part 5
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 5, The Wild Goose-Chase (p. 28), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 5, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 5, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 5, led by fourth couple.
Part 6
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 6, Box the Gnat (p. 29), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 6, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 6, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 6, led by fourth couple.
Part 7
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 7, Going Down Town (p. 30), led by first couple.
Fig. 7, led by second couple.
Fig. 7, led by third couple.
Fig. 7, led by fourth couple.
The construction of this Figure being somewhat irregular,
the Little Promenade, which ordinarily separates
the repetitions of the Figure, is incorporated in the
Figure itself and does not, therefore, appear in
the above Notation. The concluding movement of
the last repetition of the Figure, led by fourth man,
becomes the initial movement of the Grand Promenade
which begins the next Part.
Part 8
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 8, Bird in the Cage (p. 30), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 8, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 8, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 8, led by fourth couple.
Part 9
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 9, Treat 'Em All Right (p. 31), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 9, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 9, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 9, led by fourth couple.
Part 10
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 10, Rights and Lefts (p. 31).
Part 11
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 11, The California Show Basket (p. 32), led by
first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 11, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 11, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 11, led by fourth couple.
Part 12
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 12, Figure Eight (p. 32), led by first couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 12, led by second couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 12, led by third couple.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 12, led by fourth couple.
Part 13
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 13, Ladies in the Centre (p. 33).
Part 14
Grand Promenade.
Fig. 14, Wind up the Ball Yarn (p. 34), led by first man.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 14, led by second man.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 14, led by third man.
Little Promenade.
Fig. 14, led by fourth man.
Unwind the Ball Yarn (p. 34).
Tucker (p. 35)
APPENDIX A.
ADDITIONAL FIGURES
FIGURE 15
The Waltz-Swing
As danced at Quicksand (Breathilt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
First man, moving toward the centre, turns his partner
with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the second couple.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the third couple;
while frist woman does the same with the second couple.
The three-rings continue revolving, while the rings
themselves move round each other, each ring making
one complete circuit clockwise.
First man turns his partner with the left hand.
First man goes hands-three with the fourth couple;
while first woman goes hands‑three with the third couple.
The three-rings continue to revolve while the rings
themselves move round each other, clockwise, each ring
making one complete circuit.
First and fourth couples hands-four.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
FIGURE 16
Cutting Off Three, Two, and One
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
The first couple moves forward four steps toward the
third couple and falls back four steps to places.
First man and first woman again move forward, pass
between third man and third woman (“cutting off three”)
and cast off to places, the man to his left behind the
fourth couple, the woman to her right behind the second couple.
All partners turn.
The first couple moves forward and back toward the
third couple as before.
First man passes between third woman and fourth
man; while first woman passes between second woman
and third man (“cutting off two”); whereupon, both cast
off to places, the first man to his left, the first woman to
her right.
All partners turn.
The first couple moves forward and back toward the
third couple as before.
First man passes between fourth man and fourth
woman; while first woman passes between second man
and second woman (“cutting off one”); whereupon,
both cast off to places, first man to his left, first woman
to her right.
All partners turn.
FIGURE 17
Hands-Across
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
All partners turn.
First and second couples right-hands-across (eight steps).
First and second couples left-hands-across (eight steps).
First and second couples Do-si-do.
All partners turn.
First and third couples right- and left-hands-across
and Do‑si‑do, as before.
All partners turn.
First and fourth couples right- and left-hands-across,
as before.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
APPENDIX B.
VARIANTS
THE GRAND PROMENADE
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
Hands-eight, once round, clockwise to places.
Men turn their partners half-way round with the
right hand, turn their contraries half‑way round with the
left hand, rejoin their partners, cross hands and dance
round with them, counter‑clockwise, to places.
This is the only Promenade used at Quicksand and
is performed between the repetitions of the Figures as
well as at the beginning of each Part.
The Introduction
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
Grand Promenade (Quicksand variant; see above).
First and third couples move forward a double and
fall back a double to places,
First and third couples move forward eight steps,
cross over, and change places, opposites passing by the right.
First and third couples move forward a double, fall
back a double, and cross over to places.
Second and fourth couples move forward a double,
fall back a double, cross over, and change places.
Second and fourth couples move forward a double, fall
back a double, and cross over to places.
FIGURE 5
The Wild Goose-Chase
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
This is danced in the same way as the Hyden variant
given in the text with the following additional movements:
(1) First man turns his partner at the beginning, i.e.,
before leading her between second man and
second woman.
(2) After the hands-four, which concludes the movement
between first and second couples, these
two couples do the Do‑si‑do.
(3) After the hands-six, which concludes the movement
between first, second, and third couples,
first, second, and third men turn their partners
and then turn their contraries, as in the Promenade,
before they engage the fourth couple.
FIGURE 6
Box The Gnat
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
First man and first woman arm-right and face second
couple.
First man arms-left with second woman; while first
woman arms‑left with second man.
First man arms-right with his partner.
First man arms-left with third woman; while first
woman arms‑left with third man.
First man arms-right with his partner.
First man arms-left with fourth woman; while first
woman arms‑left with fourth man.
As danced at Hindman (Knott Co., Ky.).
This is the same as the Hyden version given in the
text, except that in the left‑hand turn the man turns
completely round on his own axis, clockwise.
FIGURE 8
Bird in the Cage
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
First man turns his partner and swings her toward
second man and second woman.
First man goes hands-three with the second couple
round first woman.
First man changes places with first woman, who goes
hands‑three with second couple round him.
First man turns his partner.
First and second couples Do-si-do.
First man goes hands-five with second and third couples
round first woman.
First woman changes places with her partner and
goes hands‑five with second and third couples round him.
First man turns his partner.
First man goes hands-seven with second, third, and
fourth couples round first woman.
First woman changes places with her partner and goes
hands‑seven with second, third, and fourth couples round him.
First man turns his partner.
FIGURE 17
Hands-Across
As danced at Hyden (Leslie Co., Ky.) and explained by
Miss Dickson.
First and second couples right-hands-across.
First and second couples left-hands-across.
First man turns second woman; while second man
turns first woman.
First and second couples hands-four.
First and third couples do likewise.
First and fourth couples do likewise.
First and fourth couples Do‑si‑do‑and‑promenade‑home.
Method of Procession
As danced at Quicksand (Breathitt Co., Ky.) and explained
by Mr. Sewell Williams.
In those Figures in which the leading couple engages
the other couples in turn, it was customary, when the
leading couple was dancing with the last couple, for the
other two couples simultaneously to perform the same movements.
Again, in those Figures which begin with the leading
man turning his partner, it was usual for the other three
men to turn their partners also.
These variants, Mr. Sewell explained, were performed
Only when the Set consisted of experienced dancers who
were accustomed to dance together.
APPENDIX C.
DIRECTIONS USED BY THE “CALLER” AT
PINE MOUNTAIN (HARLAN CO., KY.)
Join hands, circle left.
Home swing, one and all,
First gent, swing off four.
Last four, Ladies, Do-si,
Gents, low g,
Swing ’em right,
Swing ’em left,
Keep ’em when you find 'em
And don’t turn ’em loose,
Come your partner, promenade.
Home swing,
Balance eight and keep ’em straight.
Partners on the left and swing three,
Partners follow, three by six.
Ladies Do-si,
Home swing,
Balance eight.
Partner on the left and shoot the owl,
Partner follow,
Do-si, ladies, etc.,
Home swing and balance eight.
Lady round the lady and the gent also,
Lady round the gent and the gent don’t go,
Swing her around,
Four on the square over here,
Do-si, ladies, etc.,
Home swing and balance eight.
Bird in the cage and three hands round,
Bird in the cage and five hands round, etc.,
Bird hops out and crow hops in.
Everybody swing,
Balance eight.
First couple lead out and box those gnats,
Cheat ’em if you can,
Four on the corner, etc.
First gent lead out and chase the squirrel,
break to the left and round the lady,
Back to the right and round the gent,
Four on this square over here,
Ladies Do-si.
Home swing,
Promenade inside the ring,
Swing your partner,
Cast off three,
Swing your partner,
Cast off two, etc.,
Everybody swing, balance eight.
Ladies in the centre and back-to-back,
While the gents go galloping round,
Come your partners, swing,
Pass your partners once,
Pass your partners twice,
Pass your partners three,
Come your partner, promenade,
Home swing,
Gents in the centre, etc.
California show-basket.
Ladies in the centre and right-hands-across half-way round,
Left-hands-across and back.
Ladies join hands (on inside circle),
Gents join hands outside,
Come your partner, lock circles.
Circle left (locked) to home,
Home swing, one and all,
Balance eight, everybody swing.
Join hands, circle left.
First gent lead out a wild goose-chase,
Break to the left and round the lady,
Break to the right around the gent,
Four hands up and going again,
Break to the left, etc.,
Six hands up and going again, etc.,
Eight hands up and going again, circle left,
Break to the left in a wild goose-chase,
Break to the right and going again,
Come your places, home swing,
Balance eight,
Join hands, circle left.
Killiecrankie is my song,
I sing and dance it all along,
From my elbow to my wrist
Heavy turn and double twist.
How much further can I go
From my elbow to my toe?
Sheepskin, a sharpskin,
Forty twenty yaller girls
Dancing on sheepskin.
First gent goes under arm of fourth,
Gent circle and then under third, etc.,
until all are unlocked,
Circle left and either unwind or home swing,
Balance eight.
Tucker.
Tucker dance,
Circle left, everybody swing,
Give old Tucker one more show,
Let’s quit,
or
Promenade your partner to her seat
And choose your partner for the next Set.