Chivonian Circle ~ Matilda (Chivers)

Chivonian Circle ~ Matilda (Chivers) is an English Country Dance. It was devised by G.M.S. Chivers in 1822 and published in The Modern Dancing Master. It was interpreted by George Williams in 2024. It is a Four Face Four dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

In 1822 in his book The Modern Dancing Master, G.M.S. Chivers introduces a style of dancing he calls "Circassian Circle". He then publishes four dances to be done in this style, none of which is called "Circassian Circle" itself.

At the same time he describes a circular from for the mescolanze (four face four) which he calls a "chivonian circle" (perhaps derived from his last name).

Any number of persons can join in the Dance, observing that there is an even number of lines within the circle, as each eight (i.e. every two lines) form sets, facing one another, and to commence as they stand thus:

Every person in each set have their faces towards the dotted line, and all commence at the same time performing the same figure.

Each line exchanges places at the termination of the figure, and the same is repeated all round, which finishes the dance.

Each lady to stand at the right of her partner throughout the Dance.

— The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Harding Mus F 346

Note that Chiver's description of the circassian circle had only the first minor set starting at the beginning, and his description of mescolanzes again has only the top minorset starting. But put them together and everyone starts at once.

Chivers then provides the figures for four dances to be danced in this style. Here is one:

MATILDA

Ladies hands across and back again set all eight gentlemen outside, and turn partners to places all set and turn partners all advance and retire in two lines — all lead through —

— The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Harding Mus F 346

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.

The dances of George Williams (including interpretations like this one) are licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike: CC BY-NC-SA license.

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A1	1-4	All four ladies right hands across...
	5-8	...and back to the left
A2	1-4	Gents on the outside, Ladies inside, set twice
	5-8	Partner two hand turn, all ending in original places
B1	1-4	Set twice to partner
	5-8	Partner two hand turn
B2	1-4	Lines of four forward and back
	5-8	Pass through to the next