Regency Dance!

I absolutely love when I get an opportunity to learn new things - especially when that new thing is a pile of new dances from a time period I don't know as much about. In this case, I have been lucky enough to be invited to perform with Past Tyme Dancers here in Columbus. Last night was the first evening of rehearsal for the City of Dublin's Bicentennial Celebration. In honor of that, we will be performing a series of dances from the Regency period.

The Regency Era, when applied to broader, non-UK sources, can be stretched to approximately 1790 - 1820. This is a period of dance history with some of the most complex steps and trace patterns (which is reflected in the clothing - cut high up to show off the footwork and well-turned calves). I've done a little bit in this time frame, but most of my experience has been with dances just before or just after. I'm extremely excited about learning more about it.

Last night, we covered quite a few new dances, and one or two I already knew. We opened with The Duke of Kent's Waltz, which luckily I was familiar with. Here is a short video of the dance - it is really an enjoyable, relatively simple piece:



Notice how one couple moves up the dance, and the other moves down - that is a hallmark of later English Country Dance called progression. In earlier dances, many times you had a position within the dance and you stayed there. In this time period (and earlier - they were very popular in the mid 18th Century) this progression style is very common. It made for learning a dance you were unfamiliar with quite easy - you could stand at the bottom of the line and work your way to the top!

The other dance that stood out for me last night was Mr. Beveridge's Maggot. Before I go any farther, I should explain that the word 'maggot' previously didn't mean a wriggling little bug - it meant a fancy or an eccentric idea. There are a lot of dances from the 18th - 19th Century named someone's Maggot - and I was quite confused until I thought to go look up the word.

This is actually quite a famous dance. Almost every film or television production of any of Jane Austen's works includes a performance of this piece. For our production, we are going to be doing the BBC Pride and Prejudice Choreography. Here's a look at it:



I cannot tell you how excited I am to have this dance in my repertoire! It was so much fun to learn!

Completely fantastic video to share

This morning, I was pleased to receive an email with one of the best dance instruction videos I've ever seen attached to it. The dance in question - The Black Nag - is one that is found in the earliest versions of Playford's The English Dancing Master, and it also happens to be one of my favorite dances to both teach and do. Take a look!



What I actually love the most about this video is the perspective. One of the most beautiful parts of English Country Dance is the patterns that they trace on the ground while you are dancing. When I first learned this style of dance, the floor patterns never occurred to me at all. Which, honestly, is a little bit odd. I had been marching in the band in halftime shows for many years by that point, and was very aware of how everyone worked together to create a picture that was only truly visible from the bleachers. I even remember thinking about line maintenance and dressing right and left appropriately, but the overarching pattern never entered my mind. Well, not yet.

In 1995, I was co-dance captain for the very first year of Cavalier Dayes of Texas. That year, I was a lady of the court (which was much less taxing then my next role there, but that's a story for another day) and somehow ended up doing the bulk of the dance instruction. To be fair, when I began teaching, I wasn't particularly good at it yet, but we had a good time out on the tennis courts at my apartment complex running the Nonesuch over and over again.

That year, we were performing for four days at Waterloo Park in Austin, Texas. For a variety of reasons, I absolutely adored that site. One of my favorite parts of the park was the huge tree that the concession area was built around. The way the park is situated, the tree was at the bottom of a small cliff, and the pub was located at the base of the tree on the bottom level. From the top side of the cliff, you could walk out on top of the pub and look over the grounds. We took our breaks up top there, and it was always very enjoyable to sit for a moment and overlook the festival grounds.

Primarily because of the flat terrain, we had chosen the area in front of the pub to do evening dance. For some reason, which is now lost to time, I had to step out of evening dance one day to run up to the porch. I had been rushing to get back down in time to at least Nonesuch, but sadly I was too slow to make it for the beginning. As I was digging through my baskets, I chanced to look over the railing at my dancers below me on the ground.

It was like a whole new world opened up. I'd never even considered what the dance looked like from above! I stood there the entire time, watching the lines form and reform, the heys circle around, all the slipping as they meshed the sets together. Suddenly all the circles and squares in the dance manuals made sense. There was a system - a pattern - in here that I suddenly recognized. It was the largest, clearest a-ha moment I have ever had in dance, and it remains one of my most cherished memories. Even as I write this, I can see them dancing in my mind, and it never fails to bring a huge smile to my face.

Time to Dance - Gathering Peascods

Since I spoke about the dance not too long ago, I thought it might be fun to go ahead and post my version of Gathering Peascods. For the most part, this is how it was taught to me all those years ago. Now - mind you that this may not look like how you were taught it. One of the delightful and wonderful things about dance is there's never just ONE way to do them. Dance is a living, breathing art form, and because of that everyone is constantly innovating in one way or another.

I will also readily acknowledge that there are some stylistic differences between this version and one straight from Playford's "The English Dancing Master". There is a very simple reason for such differences: The Play's the Thing. All the changes you see incorporated here were added to make the dance a little more interesting and fun to watch. Besides, who doesn't like spinning around?

Now, if you're new to dance, you might have looked ahead and gone...what? Slip who? What's a worship? Counts? Don't worry! We'll go over the whole thing together. First, I'm going to paste the whole monster in here and then we'll take it piece by piece.

Gathering Peascods

Originally from “The English Dancing Master” by John Playford, 1651
A circle dance for 8 couples, ladies on the men’s right, facing the center of the circle

Introduction (8 counts total) 8 counts - Reverance all, then take hands with the people on both sides of you


A Section (24 counts total) - Everyone holding hands in a big circle facing the center

8 counts - Slip 8 counts to the Left in the big circle, then drop hands
4 counts - Turn single Left, then take hands to make the big circle again

8 counts - Slip 8 counts to the Right in the big circle back to your place, then drop hands
4 counts - Turn single Right


Chorus I - Gentlemen First (56 counts total) - Everyone facing the center of the circle

12 counts - Men take 2 steps inward, take hands in a smaller circle, and slip all the way around to the left, ending back in their spot in the big circle.

12 counts - Women take 2 steps inward, take hands in a smaller circle, and slip all the way around to the left, ending back in their spot in the big circle.

16 counts - Men Worship:

• 4 counts - Men double Left into the center and clap
• 4 counts - Women double Left into the center and clap while the Men double Right back
• 4 counts - Men double Left into the center and clap while the Women double Right back
• 4 counts - Men turn over their right shoulder to their places

16 counts - Women Worship:

• 4 counts - Women double Left into the center and clap
• 4 counts - Men double Left into the center and clap while the Women double Right back
• 4 counts - Women double Left into the center and clap while the Men double Right back
• 4 counts - Women turn over their right shoulder to their places

B Section (24 counts total) - Facing your partner

8 counts - Side Right
4 counts - Turn single Left

8 counts - Side Left
4 counts - Turn single Right


Chorus II - Ladies First (56 counts total) - Everyone facing the center of the circle

12 counts - Women take 2 steps inward, take hands in a smaller circle, and slip all the way around to the left, ending back in their spot in the big circle

12 counts - Men take 2 steps inward, take hands in a smaller circle, and slip all the way around to the left, ending back in their spot in the big circle

16 counts - Women Worship

16 counts - Men Worship

C Section (24 counts total) - Facing your partner

8 counts - Arms Right
4 counts - Turn single Left

8 counts - Arms Left
4 counts - Turn single Right

Repeat Chorus I - Gentlemen First (56 counts total)

Reverance at the very end


Seems a bit overwhelming, doesn't it? Here's the thing: its all just patterns. English Country Dance is all about repetition and mirroring. Meaning, if you do one step on the right, you're going to do it again on the left. The English are symmetrical like that. So, then let's get started!

First of all, 8 couples is a good size for this dance. We've done it with 12, but you end up practically running at one point, and no one likes to do that. Besides - why tempt fate by putting your dancers in danger of spraining something? You start out in basic partner formation - man on the left, lady on the right, with both of you facing the center.

A Reverance is a fancy word for a bow or curtsy. Face your partner and give that a try. Almost all dances will start out with a reverance, so if you're working on building a character for interactive theater, here is a great place to showcase some of your character-specific movement.

Now, everyone takes hands, making a big circle and they all slip to the left for 8 counts. What is a slip, you might ask? It is a sashay step to the side - step left, then bring your right toe up next to your left instep, and push off of it a little to skip to the left again. After 8 counts, drop hands with everyone and turn once around to the left. Now, slip back to the right for 8 counts. When you get back to where you started, drop hands with everyone and turn once around to the right. You will end up with everyone facing the center of the circle.

Here is where we start the "Chorus" of the dance - its called so because it will be repeated (in one form or another) between each of the "Verses" (the slipping was the first verse of the dance). Here's the interesting thing - Gathering Peascods has two different choruses - a Gentlemen first and a Ladies first version. This one is the Gentlemen first.

The men are going to step into the center of the circle and form a smaller circle inside by taking hands and slipping all the way around the circle to the left until the get back to where they started, backing into their spots by their partners. Then, the ladies are going to do the same by stepping to the center, taking hands and slipping all the way around as well, ending by backing gracefully into their spots.

Before we get to the worshipping, we need to learn another quick basic step – the double – and its nice and simple. Starting on your left foot, take three steps forward, then touch your right toe next to your left instep: the pattern is ‘left-right-left-touch’ and it takes four counts. To get back to your spot, double backwards – starting with your right foot (the one that’s not even all the way on the ground yet), step backwards, then back with your left, then right again, and bring your left toe next to your right instep. I usually call this ‘back-left-right-touch’. That’s it – a fancy way of walking forwards and backwards.

Now for the worship: While the ladies stay put, the men double in towards the center, clapping on the fourth count (the one where you touch your right toe to the left foot), then as they double back the ladies double in and clap. As the ladies double back to their spots and stay put, the men double in again and clap. This time, however, instead of doubling back to their spots, the men turn over their right shoulders and spin around while they fall back into their spots next to their partners. This is called “Men worship” because they go in first.

Remember that symmetry thing? Since we did all that doubling with the men going first, we’re going to do it again with the ladies going first: ladies double in and clap, ladies double out while the men double in and clap, then the men double out while the ladies double in, clap, then turn over their right shoulders back to their spots.

Believe it or not, that’s the hardest part of the dance. Now on to easier things! The next figure is called siding. You’ll need to face your partner and, using that double step we just learned, do a double with small steps to meet right shoulders with your partner (Side Right), then double back to your spot. Once you get back, turn around once over your left shoulder. Now, do a double with small steps to meet your partner’s left shoulder (Side Left). Once you get back to your spot, turn once over your right shoulder.

Now we’re going to do another chorus (Chorus II), but this time the ladies will do everything first: ladies slip around the inside of the circle, then the men. Then the worship section, with the ladies going in and turning first, then repeating with the men going in and turning first.

Last verse – arming. Facing your partner, grab right forearms and turn each other around in a circle – all the way around – until you make it back to your spot (Arms Right), then turn one time over your left shoulder. Luckily, you’re momentum is already carrying you that way so it is fairly easy to get both parts in. Then, repeat the same with your left forearms: turn each other all the way around (Arms Left), then turn once over your right shoulder.

Last time through the chorus, so we’re going to do it just like we did the first time (Chorus I) with the men going in first to slip around. Once everyone has had a chance to worship and turn, everyone can turn outwards and Reverance to the lovely audience.

That’s not too bad, is it? You learned your first dance!

If you’re still confused, here’s a lovely version of Gathering Peascods danced in Regency clothing. There are a few stylistic differences, but the main portions are the same :) Enjoy!

Gathering Peascods and Philip

My first weekend of rehearsals out at TRF was a blur of so many things. I was TERRIFIED, yet somehow really excited about the whole thing. As some have noticed, I have quite an affection for the empty faire site and the rehearsal process, and I am positive that it started that first weekend.

We were taught - in no uncertain terms - not to be late. Anyone who has ever worked with David can tell you he has no patience for lateness. Terrhan and I were almost late one time - and that was fairly terrifying. The first weekend was a whirlwind of "new" for me. I'd never acted before - only been in pit orchestras. I'd never worked with adults as peers before, I'd never had to do improv. I was completely intimidated and completely curious.

After the obligatory opening remarks, we were taken on a tour of the site, and told to look at it with fresh eyes. We were told to look at everything with the new eyes of our characters, to look for things we might have overlooked before. This grew into one of my favorite exercises years later (and revealed to me, when one of my characters had a ... negative ... reaction to nakedness exactly how many paintings and carvings of decolletage are scattered around the faire site). This time though, I had no idea what I was doing. I followed along, trying to look for things a fairy might find interesting. Trees, canopies, flowers, this fantastic bower near the battle mound that was made of intertwined trees....I was starting to see where this was going.

After lunch, we set about to work. This was David's first year out at TRF, and the Performance Company was quite small - around fifty people at that point. It had been decided that we should learn something together we could use to interact with patrons - a dance. Now this was something I could do!

We gathered in the shade of the old Entertainment Building and paired up. I was just a wisp of a thing, still in High School, and hadn't said more than a few words to anyone all day. I must have looked quite lost, and had been hanging back, near the benches.

"Would you care to dance?" a kind voice asked me. A red-haired man was holding out a hand to me, smiling kindly and quite patiently. I think I looked at the ground and took his hand like all the other ladies around me. We took our place in the circle.

This was my first attempt at Renaissance dance. It was a simple dance - Gathering Peascods - and I focused everything I had on trying to not look stupid. The whole time, my partner made sure I understood what was happening, where I should be going. He made me feel completely un-self-conscious and at ease. When the class was over, he kissed my hand and we all moved back to the Globe to work on something else.

I have never forgotten that. Philip Hafer taught me, in just a few minutes, what being a good partner was all about. I have always regretted not having a chance to know him better. When he passed later that season, there was a sadness that passed over everyone, over the whole festival site, that was palpable and deep. I had just met him, barely a passing moment, and his kindness touched me.

Years later, even after a thousand times through and groans from everyone at the sheer mention of the dance, I always think of Philip. Rest in Peace, your majesty.