Nonesuch ~ Playford Ball

À la Mode de France ~ Playford Ball

Nonesuch ~ Barraclough Nonesuch ~ Pat Shaw Nonesuch ~ Palmer Nonesuch ~ Sharp Nonesuch ~ Williams Nonesuch ~ Playford Ball

Nonesuch ~ Playford Ball or À la Mode de France ~ Playford Ball 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 (mod) in 1911 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 2). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 152 bars. It is in the key: D Major.

Playford writes (for Nonesuch):

Lead up forwards and back That again, set and turn single, that again First Cu. slip just between the 2. Cu. turn your faces to them, put them back by both hands, and halfe turn them, put them back, and set them as they were, turn your own in the 1. place Do thus to the last.
Sides all that again, set and turn S. that again First man slip before, and stand with his face downwards, the Wo. slip before him and stand faces to your own, the 2. Cu. as much, the third Cu. as much, the last Cu. as much
Arms all as you stand, that again, slip all to the left hand, and back to your places, then as much to the right hand First man slip to the left hand and stand, the wo. as much to her left hand, the 2. Cu. as much third as much, fourth as much Then the single Hey all handing down, and come up on your own side.

Playford writes (for À la Mode de France):

Lead up all a D. and back, this again Set and turn S. This again
First Cu. meet, take both hands and fall in between the 2. cu. each of you turn your faces toward them and put them back, you meet the two men and we all four back and turn your we. So to All.
Sides all to the right and left and turn S. This again Then fall all into one File, each wo. behind her own man thus, . Then arms all with your own by the right and left and remain in the same Figure, then men fall off to the right hand and we. to the left, fall back into the same Figure, then men to the left and we. to the right, and back again into the same Figure, then the 1. man fall into his 1. place, and his wo. the like, so the rest one after another; then the 1. man take his wo. by the hand, his left hand to the 2. wo. the right to the 3. wo. and so forward, his wo doing the like on the other side until you all meet again in your places.

Note: The interpretation in The Playford Ball is slightly different from Sharp's original. In Part 2.A The Ball says "set forward to meet" while Sharp says "move forward".

The animation plays at 109 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.

I.A1-8All lead up a double and fall back, that again
I.B1-8All set to partner and turn single, that again
II.A11-11s set forward to meet
2-2Join hands, slip down just below 2s
3-41s turn down to face same sex 2s, take both hands
5-61s push 2s out and up
7-8Come back in and open to face partner (1s and 2s having switched places)
II.B11-4Same four fall back a double, come forward
5-8Same four two hand turn partner
II.A21-11s set forward to meet
2-2Join hands, slip down just below 3s
3-41s turn down to face same sex 3s, take both hands
5-61s push 3s out and up
7-8Come back in and open to face partner (1s and 3s having switched places)
II.B21-4Same four fall back a double, come forward
5-8Same four two hand turn partner
II.AB31-161s repeat with 4s as 2s start with 3s
II.AB41-162s repeat with 4s
II.AB51-162s repeat with 1s as 3s start with 4s
III.A1-4Partners half swirly side left, then turn single right
5-8Partners half swirly side right, then turn single left
III.B1-1Top man moves to center facing down
2-2Top woman moves to center (below him) facing up
3-8Lower couples do the same, one after another
IV.A1-4Arm right
5-8Arm left
IV.B1-4Facing partner (no hands) take 4 slip steps out to left, then 4 back
5-8Then 4 more steps right, and 4 back to center
V.A1-1Top man move back to place
2-2Top woman back to her place
3-8Lower couples do the same, one after another
V.BA1-16Progressive hey (with hands) starting with top couple all ending where they started (top couple stopping first too)

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=Nonesuch

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The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright in the US, but I'm not sure of other jurisdictions. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2020 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.