Jack-a-Lent
Jack-a-Lent 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 1922 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 6). It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a multipart dance. The dance lasts 304 bars. It is in the key: E Minor.
Lead up a D. forward and back That again First man change places with the 2. wo. turn S. change with the last man, and turn S. After lead up the wo. Do the like to every cu. doing the same Lead up as before First Cu. cross over, fall into the 2. place, cross again, fall into the last place All do this Change Lead up as before First cu. go under the 2. cu. arms, the last come up under the first, this forward and back to your places, cast off Every cu. do this Change Lead up as before First cu. go down and turn each the last, then each the 2. Cast off, every cu. doing the same Lead up as before Set and turn S. That again First man turn the last wo. and to his place again
First wo. as much with the last manThe first on each side go down to the last, take them by both hands go once and a half about and stay below, the 2. turning his own All do this Change
Sharp appears to have reorded parts V and VI.
The "Jack-a-lent" (Jack of Lent) was an English tradition up into the 17th century. It was a straw effigy, made on Ash Wednesday, symbolically tortured during Lent and burnt on Palm Sunday (or perhaps Easter itself). I'm not sure why.
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 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B1 | 1-4 | Top man change with middle woman, both turn single |
| 5-8 | Same man change with bottom man, both turn single | |
| I.A2 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B2 | 1-4 | Person in W1's place change with M2's place and both turn single |
| 5-8 | Then change with person in W3's place and both turn single | |
| I.A3 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B3 | 1-4 | Person in M1's place change with person in W2's, both turn single |
| 5-8 | Change with person in M3's place, both turn single | |
| I.A4 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B4 | 1-4 | Person in W1's place change with M2's place and both turn single |
| 5-8 | Then change with person in W3's place and both turn single | |
| I.A5 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B5 | 1-4 | Person in M1's place change with person in W2's, both turn single |
| 5-8 | Change with person in M3's place, both turn single | |
| I.A6 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| I.B6 | 1-4 | Person in W1's place change with M2's place and both turn single |
| 5-8 | Then change with person in W3's place and both turn single (all back home now) | |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| II.B1 | 1-4 | 1s cross go below as 2s lead up |
| 5-8 | 1s cross again go below as 3s lead up | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| II.B2 | 1-4 | 2s cross go below as 3s lead up |
| 5-8 | 2s cross again go below as 1s lead up | |
| II.A3 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| II.B3 | 1-4 | 3s cross go below as 1s lead up |
| 5-8 | 3s cross again go below as 2s lead up | |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| III.B1 | 1-2 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom |
| 3-4 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 5-6 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 7-8 | Top couple cast to bottom, others lead up one place | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| III.B2 | 1-2 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom |
| 3-4 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 5-6 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 7-8 | Top couple cast to bottom, others lead up one place | |
| III.A3 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| III.B3 | 1-2 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom |
| 3-4 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 5-6 | Top couple dive under the middle couple, arch over the bottom | |
| 7-8 | Top couple cast to bottom, others lead up one place | |
| IV.A1 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| IV.B1 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, mirror turn the bottom couple half way, then the middle couple with the other hand, then cast to bottom, others leading up |
| IV.A2 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| IV.B2 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, mirror turn the bottom couple half way, then the middle couple with the other hand, then cast to bottom, others leading up |
| IV.A3 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| IV.B3 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, mirror turn the bottom couple half way, then the middle couple with the other hand, then cast to bottom, others leading up |
| V.A1 | 1-4 | Long 1st corners two hand turn |
| 5-8 | Long 2nd corners two hand turn | |
| V.B1 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, two hand turns the bottom couple once and a half, top couple stays, others move up |
| V.A2 | 1-4 | Long 1st corners two hand turn |
| 5-8 | Long 2nd corners two hand turn | |
| V.B2 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, two hand turns the bottom couple once and a half, top couple stays, others move up |
| V.A3 | 1-4 | Long 1st corners two hand turn |
| 5-8 | Long 2nd corners two hand turn | |
| V.B3 | 1-8 | Top couple leads down, two hand turns the bottom couple once and a half, top couple stays, others move up |
| V1.A | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-8 | Up a Double, back (again) | |
| VI.B | 1-4 | Partner set and turn single |
| 5-8 | That again, set and turn single |
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.
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https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=JackALent
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 © 2021-2025 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.