Putney Ferry is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1670 in The Dancing Master, 4th ed.. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1911 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 2). It is a 3 Couple Circle dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 120 bars.
Playford writes:
Hands and 2 D round back again Men meet, turn all back to back while the we. turn S. come to your places and turn your own we. do the like First man set to the second wo. then to the third, honour to his own, and turn her Sides all That again As before, the we. beginning as the men did This as before, with your arms folded Arms all That again Men again as at the first time This as before, wiping your eyes
The bridge was not built until 1729.
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.A | 1-4 | Circle six left |
5-8 | Circle six right | |
II.A | 1-4 | Right shoulder siding |
5-8 | Left shoulder siding | |
III.A | 1-4 | Arm right |
5-8 | Arm left | |
B1 | 1-4 | Men meet, face out, circle three while women turn single right and left |
5-8 | Partner two hand turn | |
B2 | 1-4 | Women meet, face out, circle three while men turn single right and left |
5-8 | Partner two hand turn | |
C1 | 1-2 | Men set to corner |
3-4 | Men set to opposite woman | |
5-5 | Men honour partner | |
6-8 | Partner two hand turn | |
C2 | 1-2 | Women set to corner |
3-4 | Women set to opposite man | |
5-5 | Women honour partner | |
6-8 | Partner two hand turn |
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=PutneyFerry
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
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.