Tech: help with a dance page

Subject: Tech: help with a dance page
From: leeneia
Date: 01 Oct 19 - 02:02 PM

Hello. I'm looking for the dance instructions for a charming dance called "Lady Mildmay's Waltz". This page

dance index

seems to know where I can find the directions, but I can't follow what they want me to do. (If you search for Mildmay, you will find the dance in the alphabetical list below the instructions. It has the letters PKS after it, but they don't lead anywhere.)

Can any catter find the directions and copy them here for me?

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: DaveRo
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 02:32 AM

That index page hasn't been been altered since 2016.

The site it links to under PKS and PKB, danceandmusicindexes.org, has expired:
http://www.danceandmusicindexes.org/DFIE/Source0/S0001865.htm

There's an archive of that site here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20141217022316/http://danceandmusicindexes.org/

But it doesn't include that page. Here's a list of the pages it does include (we want #1865):
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://danceandmusicindexes.org/DFIE/Source0/*

Taking #1679 as an example, here's what that database held for that dance:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150529022214/http://www.danceandmusicindexes.org:80/DFIE/Source0/S0001679.htm

So it's a link to a book rather than instructions for the dance. My guess us that the reference to the book with the Mildmay dance was not archived.

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 03:01 AM

I'll ask on E-Ceilidh - an e-mail forum - but if the dance looks like Contra or Playford there may be howls & huffing & puffing from the listmeister.

Meanwhile does anyone know of a move called "Mexican Star"? How it differs from any other star I am not sure, but it may be a "Pack Saddle" hold (aka "Wrist Hold")

And while we are on the subject I came across a move called "Italian Basket" which is a bit like a star with the "Pack Saddle" hold but the free hand holds the elbow in front. Rotating clockwise only. Scooting as you would in a basket.

Interestingly in "Irish Set" dancing they call a basket - "christmas" or "swing in four" or "big christmas" if it involves the whole set, which is usually four couples but can be 10 or twelve or more, depending on those joining in who can't make a four couple set.

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 07:53 AM

The link does not answer your question, but it may be of some assistance when you have an answer, leeneia.

https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes.php?id=2018

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 09:03 AM

I don't understand what I'm posting here, and have no idea if it's help or hindrance. However, perhaps it will mean something to someone.

X:8
T:Lady Mildmay's Waltz. (p)G1808.08
A:London,England
Z:Village Music Project.P.Dunk.2011
B:Goulding's 24 Country Dances for 1808, London
M:3/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=50
K:A
(a/e/a/e/a/e/)|ccc|(dB)B|cAA|a/e/a/e/a/e/|ccc|edB|A3:|
|:[L:1/16]GBeBGB|AcecAc|GBeBGB|AcecAc|aeaeae|[L:1/8] ccc|edB|A2:|
K:Am
|:c/B/|AAc/B/|AAc/A/|Bee|cAc/B/|AAc/B/|AAc/A/|Be^G|A2:|
|:e/f/|ee^G|AAc|BBe|d/c/B/c/e/f/|ee^G|AAc|Be^G| A2:|

That is from

http://www.cpartington.plus.com/Links/Goulding/Goulding24CD_1808%2812-4-16%29.abc

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: GUEST,Derrick
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 09:44 AM

look at this site for notation


https://www.regencydances.org/index.php?wL=1928



this site has tune

https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes.php?id=2018

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: leeneia
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 12:01 PM

Thanks, Derrick. I did indeed find the directions on the Regency Dance page. I'll give them to the leader of our English Country Dance Group.
===========
Starship, what you have there is an abc file. This is a newish method for writing a melody. It can be used by players who don't read music, (once they master the conventions) or it can be converted on one's computer to standard musical notation. Here on the Mudcat, standard musical notation is known as "sticks and dots."

"Lady Mildmay's Waltz" is a lovely little piece if you don't play it too fast.

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 03:11 PM

Thanks, leeneia. Much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Oct 19 - 03:51 PM

From a poster on E-Celidh - I can ask if he wants to discuss directly if you PM me:

You can find the 1808 Goulding in which instructions appear here: https://imslp.org/wiki/24_Country_Dances_for_the_Year_1808_(Various)


24 Country Dances for the Year 1808 (Various) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music
Work Title Twenty-four Country Dances for the Year 1808 with proper Tunes & Directions to each Dance as they may be performed at Court, Bath, and all Public Assemblys
imslp.org
[For whatever use this is, given that by 1808 published instructions are usually just suggestions.]

64-bar tune (8 bar ABCD parts each repeated)

Probably a triple minor where the threes do nothing.

Set & hands across half round, same back again
lead down two Cu & up one,
allemande,
foot it & half right & left with the top Cu: same back again,
hands 4 round & back again

Super quick interpretation, no guarantees but I've looked at a lot of these
A1:1-4 1s &2s, set r&l in waltz time twice [forward and forward, back and back is nice]
             to partner
      5-8: right hand star halfway, fall back on opposite side.

A2:1-8 repeat to home

B1: 1s lead down the middle to below the 3s, turn to face up, up the middle to second          place (2s moving up)
B2: 1s do some kind of allemande (I'm partial to rh turn halfway, box the gnat to home,
       lh turn halfway, swat the flea to home, but there are other possibilities including
       simply right hand turn all the way, left hand turn all the way

C1: 1-4: 2s and 1s, facing partner, do some kind of setting step sequence
       5-8: starting partner, two changes of rights and lefts
C2: The same to complete four changes to progressed places [but for interest you
       could change this to foot it to neighbor on the side and start two changes with them]

D1&2: top four, circle left and right. [I don't see how you're going to use eight measures of waltz time to circle four once round - that's 24 steps! If I were trying to bring this to modern audiences, I'd make that a hands 6, which gives the threes *something* to do in the 64 bars, and which much more easily fills the music. But I'd also probably have just turned it into a duple minor, and then perhaps I'd have to drop the repeat of the D, or maybe I'd make it into a three-couple-set version and use the second D to have the 1s progress again.]

The tune isn't terrible, and the figures - while standard and kinda boring - have a little bit of interest in not having a swing corners figure or a set and circle three on the sides, both of which show up a lot in waltz country dances of the period.

Hope this helps!

-- Alan

Subject: RE: Tech: help with a dance page
From: Mo the caller
Date: 03 Oct 19 - 04:19 AM

My guess is that 'Alan' sometimes posts here and runs
a discussion list for ECD (or what we'd call 'Playford' in the UK).
Interesting discussions there for dancers and callers.