Chestnut (dance)

Last updated
Chestnut
Classification
GenreEnglish country dance
Formation3 couples in a line
Meter2
2
Key A minor
Choreography
Choreographer John Playford
Year1651

Chestnut (or Dove's Figary) is an English country dance from The Dancing Master collection. [1]

<i>The Dancing Master</i> book by John Playford

The Dancing Master is a dancing manual containing the music and instructions for English Country Dances. It was published in several editions by John Playford and his successors from 1651 until c1728. The first edition contained 105 dances with single line melodies; subsequent editions introduced new songs and dances, while dropping others, and the work eventually encompassed three volumes. Dances from The Dancing Master were re-published in arrangements by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century, and in these reconstructed forms remain popular among dancers today.

Contents

Dance

English country dance for three couples in a line, recorded by John Playford, 1651.

John Playford London bookseller and publisher

John Playford (1623–1686/7) was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churches. He is perhaps best known today for his publication of The English Dancing Master in 1651.

Tune

Chestnut (dance)

[2]

Instructions

reconstructed by Delbert von Straßburg and Stephen Fischer [3]

BarFigure
1 - 4Lead up a double and back,
5 - 8That again
1 - 2Turn to face partner, the double back away from them.
3 - 4Double forwards towards your partner, taking both hands and changing into their place
5 - 8Men join hands and circle halfway around, so that the top man ends up in the bottom man's place, and vice versa. At the same time the ladies take hands and do the same
9 - 16Repeat 1 - 8 (everyone ends up back in their place)
1 - 4Arm left, arm right with partner
1 - 4Double forwards and back, changing places
4 - 8The men make half a hey, so that the top man ends up in the bottom man's place, and vice versa. At the same time the ladies do the same.
9 - 16Repeat 1 - 8 (everyone ends up back in their place)
1 - 4Side left, side right with partner
1 - 4Double forwards and back, changing places
5 - 8The first couple peels down the middle of the set to the bottom, and everyone follows so that the couples are reversed.
9 - 12Double forwards and back, changing places
13 - 16The first couple (now at the bottom) casts out and everyone follows (everyone ends up back in their places)

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References

  1. Playford, John (1698). The Dancing Master (10th ed. corrected ed.). London: J. Heptinstall. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  2. Barnes, Peter (2009). The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes (2nd ed.). Greenfield, Massachusetts: Canis Publishing. p. 19.
  3. Fischer, Stephen. "Chestnut". Estienne's Country Dance Book. Retrieved 6 November 2016.