Jack's Health ~ Neal

Jack's Health ~ Bolton Jack's Health ~ Neal Jack's Health ~ Pat Shaw Jack's Health ~ Morrison

Jack's Health ~ Neal is an English Country Dance. It was published by Playford (John Young) (website) in 1721 in The Dancing Master, 17th ed., London. It was interpreted by John & William Neal, Rich Jackson & George Fogg in 1726 and published in A Choice Collection of Country Dances. It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 32 bars.

John and William Neal published their version of the dance in Dublin about 1726. Rich Jackson and George Fogg interpreted that in 1990.

First cu: cross over and turn both hands in 2d cu: place (ending improper:)
1st man back to back with 2d wo: and turn her, his part. ye same att ye same time with 2d ma:
all 4 lead to ye wall, and back again, facing about to one another and each turn single:
then right and left twice.

Playford has two dances of this name, the first appeared in the 6th edition of the Dancing Master in 1679, and the second in the 17th edtion of 1721. This seems to follow the second version more closely (though the two are clearly related).

Playford writes (in 1721):

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over
The first cu. cross over and turn, the Wo leave off on the Man's side and the Man on the Wo's side Then the Man back to back with the Wo. and the Wo. back to back with the Man, and both turn hands Then the 1. Man and 2. Wo. lead to the Wall, and the 1. Wo. and 2. Man lead to the Wall at the same time, then lead in again, and all turn single Right and Left quite round, and turn your Partner.

Playford writes (in 1679):

Honour to the Presence, then to your we. Lead up all forward and back, that again
The 1. cu. cross over with the 2. cu. and back to back, the 1 man being on the 1. wo side, then the 1. man back to back with the 2. wo. and the 1. wo. back to back with the 2. man, the 1. man leading the 2. wo. to the Presences, and the 1. wo. with the 2. man lead down at the same time, then all four face together, and hands right an left to the end.

Jackson and Fogg have everyone doing a partner change in B1, I believe that's a misprint and that only the 1s should.

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.

A11-41s cross, go below, as 2s lead up
5-81s two hand turn (starting and ending improper)
A21-4Neighbor back to back
5-8Neighbor two hand turn
B11-4Lead neighbor out, turn and lead back
5-61s partner change
7-8All turn single
B21-8Face partner, four changes of rights and lefts

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=JacksHealth-Neal

< Prev Top Next >

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 © 2023 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
Creative Commons License 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.