La Tempete ~ Skinner

The earliest version I've found of this actually comes from Germany, though that book claims the dance was already popular so it probably has even earlier roots (I'd guess France as the original source, given the name). It was published by Johann Heinrich Kattfuß in Leipzig in 1802 Choregraphie Oder Vollständige Und Leicht Falssiche under the title of "Der Tempẽte".

In his Hart's Second Set of Quadrilles, Hart writes:

Form a line of 4, the 2 Ladies on the 2 Gentlemens right, 4 more opposite to the first 4, form lines of 4 behind the 2^d. line as many as intend to dance.

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FIGURE

The first 2 lines right and left, chassez across to the right and left with your partner, dechassez, in returning you go behind the 2^d. Couple The Center 4 hands round, the outside couple's turn and back all 8 Set quite round to the right re set to your places, the top four lead through the 2^d. line and begin the same figure with the 3^d. line & so on to the bottom of the dance.

Then another German source, in 1842, Liller wrote:

ist ein französischer Tanz. Die Tanzenden müssen in folgender Ordnung stehen: 22 11 33 44 sich das Gesicht zutehrend.	is a french dance. The dancers must stand in the following order: 22 11 33 44 ???
Hinter biesen Paaren funnen noch viel mehr Paare antreten	Many more couples can join in behind these
Die in der Mitte gegenüber stehenden Paare führen folgende Tour aus:	The couples standing opposite each other in the middle perform the following figures:
Erste Tour. Chaîne en quatre.	First figure. Rights and lefts for four.
Zweite Tour. Moulinet oder Kreuz	Second figure. Hands across (or cross).
Dritte Tour. Ronde rechts	Third figure. Circle right.
Vierte Tour. Das erste und zweite Paar chassirt an einander vorüber und wechselt die Plätze, dasselbe thut das dritte und vierte Paare. Hierauf macht das erste und vierte Paar halbe Ronde desgleichen das zweite und dritte Paar, so daß das erste Paar auf die dritte und das vierte Paar auf die zweite Stelle fommt.	Fourth figure. The first and second couples chase past each other and switch places, the third and fourth pairs do the same. The first and fourth couples circle half, and the second and third do the same, so that the first couple is where the third couple started, and the fourth where the second did.
Funfte Tour. Das erste und zweite Paar chassirt aneinander vorüber und wechselt die Plätze, desgleichen ach das dritte und vierte. Das erste und vierte Paar, somie das zweite und dritte Paar macht halbe Ronde, so daß jedes wieder auf denselben Platz zu stehen tommt.	Fifth figure. The first and second couples chase past each other and change places, as do the third and fourth. The first and fourth couples, the second and third couples make circle half, so that everyone ends up in the same place again.
Sechste und siebente Tour. Grosse Chaîne	Sixth and seventh figures. Grand chain.
Achte Tour. Alle vier Paare chassiren gegen einander und wieder zurüd, flatschen in die Hände und chassiren durch einander bergestalt, daß man nun init der zweiten vis à vis gestandenen Partie tanzt.	Eighth figure. All four couples forward and back, dropping hands and passing through to the next set of dancers.
Beide Paare fangen die bereits beschreiebene Tour mit ben Entgegenfommenden wieder an, und führen sie so lange aus, bis sie aus den Platz des Icssten Paares fommen, worauf sie sich menden und dasselbe bis auf den erten Platz zurüdtenzen.	These two couples start the above figure again with the couples waiting for them, and they continue until they reach the end of the line whereupon they turn as couples and do the same thing back to the top.

In 1851 Mr. Whale and his daughter published two versions of the dance in New York. In 1853 (and perhaps earlier) Lowe published a very similar dance in Edinburgh. In fact, he published two versions, and Skinner's work seems to be based on the version Lowe says was danced by everyone in Edinburgh except his pupils.

ANY number of couples can join in this Dance, arranging themselves four and four across the room, and all facing the top except the first couple, who face the other way, the Ladies standing on the right of their partners, thus-

1st Couple,	L. G. L. G. 0 + 0 +
2nd Couple,	G. L. G. L. + 0 + 0
3rd Couple,	G. L. G. L. + 0 + 0

Each line as they arrive at the top, face about to be ready to commence.

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Figure, as danced at the Edinburgh Assemblies.

The 1st and 2nd lines advance and retire twice (8 bars); the same lines gallopade across each other and back again (8 bars); then gallopade across repeated (8 bars); the four in the centre go hands round and back again, while those on the sides turn each other with both hands (8 bars); the four in the centre go hands across and back again, while those on the sides turn each other by the right and left hands (8 bars); the two lines advance and retire (4 bars), then the first couples pass under the arms of the second couples (4 bars), then commence the figure with the couples facing them.

This is almost the same as Whale's first version (New York, 1851), the only difference being that Lowe gallops across the line twice, while Whale only does it once.

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

Then in about ~1880 Skinner produced a hand-written book with a figure similar to Lowe's Edinburgh version... except that he adds some poussettes and waltzing.

La Tempete. Combination of Quadrille and Country Dances. Arrange (across the room) double couples, facing each other — Third backs to second, and face fourth so on for an unlimited number.

1. Advance and retire twice holding hands and forming two lines of four.
2. Gallop across, holding partner's hands, opposite couples pass outside
3. Repeat the same with the difference that the couples who passed inside are now outside.
4. The four inside cross hands and back; the two on each side poussette or valse
5. Join four hands, turn round and back again, side couples as above.
6. All advance and retire, by four holding hands — Advance again, the top couple passing through below second couple's arms.

It may be remarked that when the couples reach top and bottom of the dance they should change sides — The gentlemen having to make certain that their ladies are on the right.

As I read things No.s 2&3 are just the standard couples mad robin that everyone is using.

What did "poussette" mean to a Scotsman from 1880? There's not really room for the traditional English poussette, so I'm going to assume a modified form of the modern Scottish poussette.