Newcastle ~ Sharp is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1911 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 2). Found in The Playford Ball. 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: G Major.
Meet all, back again, set to your own, and to the next That again Arms all with your own by the right, men all fall with your left hands into the middle, we. go round, then to your places Arms again with your own, and we. left hands in, men go about them towards the left to your places Sides all with your own, and change places with them Sides with the next, and change places with them The first man and 3. wo. take hands and meet, the first wo. and 3. man lead out again, then holding up your hands, the other four cast off and come under your arms to their places The other four the like Arms all with your we. and change places with them Arms with the next, and change places Now every man is with his own wo. in the co. place. Fall back from each other four and four abreast to each wll, turn and change places with your opposites Fall back from each other four and four along the Room, turn S, change places with your opposite So each falls into his own place as at first.
The tune was published with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.
The animation plays at 113 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
I.A1 | 1-4 | Take hands, in a double and out |
5-6 | Set to partner | |
7-8 | Set to corner | |
I.A2 | 1-4 | That again, take hands balance in, out |
5-6 | Set to partner | |
7-8 | Set to corner | |
I.B1 | 1-2 | Partners arm right |
3-8 | Men left hand star while women skip clockwise round set | |
I.B2 | 1-2 | Partners arm left |
3-8 | Women right hand star while men skip counter clockwise round set | |
II.A1 | 1-4 | Partners side right |
5-6 | Set right and honor | |
7-8 | Pass by left shoulder | |
II.A2 | 1-4 | New partner again side right |
5-6 | Set right and honor | |
7-8 | Pass by left shoulder | |
II.B1 | 1-4 | New side couples lead to center, turn, out, make arch |
5-8 | Heads cast through nearest arch into center return home | |
II.B2 | 1-4 | Head couples lead to center, turn, out, make arch |
5-8 | Sides cast through nearest arch into center return home | |
III.A1 | 1-4 | Arm right |
5-8 | Arm left once and a half | |
III.A2 | 1-4 | New partner, arm right |
5-8 | Arm left once and a half ending in a line on the sides (women on left) | |
III.B1 | 1-4 | Take hands on sides fall back, come forward |
5-8 | Turn single, pass through to new lines at heads | |
III.B2 | 1-4 | Take hands at top/bottom fall back, come forward |
5-8 | Turn single, pass through to original partner at original position |
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=Newcastle
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 © 2019 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.