If all the World were Paper ~ Sharp
If all the World were Paper ~ Sharp is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). Found in The Playford Assembly. It is a Square dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 96 bars. It is in the key: C mjor. Someone thought this dance was Easy / Intermediate.
If all the World were Paper,
And all the Sea were Inke
If all the Trees were bread and cheese,
How should we do for drinke?— Witt's Recreations (1640)
quoted in The Playford Assembly.
Hands all, and meet a D. back again, set and turn S That again The two men against each other change places, your we. as much the S. Hey, back to your places ·: The other four as much
Sides all, set and turn S. That again The first four meet, lead each other's wo. between the Cu. on your left hands, cast off, go to your places and turn your own ·: The other four as much
Arms all, set and turn S That again The first four change places, then change with your own men, cross over, take left hands and right with the we. To your places ·: The other four as much
The tune was published by Playford for the dance, If All the World Were Paper. The music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software
The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
| I.A1 | 1-4 | All eight take hands go in a double, fall back |
| 5-8 | Facing partner set and turn single right | |
| I.A2 | 1-8 | That again |
| I.B1 | 1-4 | Head men change, head women change |
| 5-8 | Heads face partner, two changes of a circular hey | |
| I.B2 | 1-4 | Side men change, side women change |
| 5-8 | Sides face partner, two changes of a circular hey | |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Partners side right |
| 5-8 | Facing partner set and turn single right | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Partners side left |
| 5-8 | Facing partner set and turn single right | |
| II.B1 | 1-6 | Heads forward to opposite, lead out through nearest side couple, cast home |
| 7-8 | Heads two hand turn | |
| II.B2 | 1-6 | Sides forward to opposite, lead out through nearest head couple, cast home |
| 7-8 | Sides two hand turn | |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Arm right |
| 5-8 | Facing partner set and turn single right | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | Arm left |
| 5-8 | Facing partner set and turn single right | |
| III.B1 | 1-4 | Heads cross right with opposite, cross right with partner |
| 5-8 | Heads two changes of lefts and rights starting with opposite | |
| III.B2 | 1-4 | Sides cross right with opposite, cross right with partner |
| 5-8 | Sides two changes of lefts and rights starting with opposite |
If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.
If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=IfAllTheWorldWerePaper-Sharp
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2021 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.