Oaken Leaves

Oaken Leaves is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1670 in The Dancing Master, 4th ed., London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1916 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 4). It is a Square dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a multipart dance. The dance lasts 128 bars.

Playford writes:
Hands all, and two D. round, set and turn S. That again
First two men against each other change places, we. as much, the S. Hey, all four back to your places ·: the other four as much •:
Sides all, set and turn S. That again
Every man lead his wo. by the co. hand to the wall, faces to your own, fall a D. back, pass before your wo. to the next, turn her That again four times, over to your places ·:
Arms all, set and turn S. That again Meet all men and back again, go to the left hand to the co. wo. and turn them ·: Do thus four times over to your own places.

Playford (and Sharp) number couples clockwise, but I (and the people I associate with) find the counter-clockwise numbering of a square dance more familiar. When Playford says "First two men" (and Sharp says 1st and 2nd men) he means what in a square dance would be 1st and 4th men. However there's nothing particularly magic about that pairing. So I in my animation I shall display 1st+2nd couples (in the modern numbering), knowing full well that's not what Playford meant, but also knowing that it doesn't matter, and will be clearer to most of my audience. If you object to this, my apologies.

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.A11-4Circle eight left
5-8Partner set and turn single
I.A21-4Circle right
5-8Partner set and turn single
I.A31-2M1+2 change
3-4W1+2 change
5-81s+2s, facing partner, two changes of a circular hey
I.A41-2M3+4 change
3-4W3+4 change
5-83s+4s, facing partner, two changes of a circular hey
II.A11-4Right shoulder siding
5-8Partner set and turn single
II.A21-4Left shoulder siding
5-8Partner set and turn single
II.A31-4Lead partner out a double, turn, lead back
5-8Men, moving right pass in front of partner to next man's place and two hand turn this next woman who becomes his temporary partner
II.A41-4Lead new partner out a double, turn, lead back
5-8Men, move right and turn next woman
II.A51-4Partner lead out, turn, lead back
5-8Men, move right and turn next woman
II.A61-4Partner lead out, turn, lead back
5-8Men, move right to home and turn original partner
III.A11-4Arm right
5-8Partner set and turn single
III.A21-4Arm left
5-8Partner set and turn single
III.A31-4Men move in a double, and fall back
5-8Men two hand turn corner once and a half, ending in her partner's place
III.A41-4Men in a double, and fall back
5-8Men two hand turn new corner once and a half
III.A51-4Men in a double, and fall back
5-8Men two hand turn new corner once and a half
III.A61-4Men in a double, and fall back
5-8Men two hand turn new corner (original partner) once and a half

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=OakenLeaves

< 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 © 2021 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.