Putney Ferry

Putney Ferry 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 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.A1-4Circle six left
5-8Circle six right
II.A1-4Right shoulder siding
5-8Left shoulder siding
III.A1-4Arm right
5-8Arm left
B11-4Men meet, face out, circle three while women turn single right and left
5-8Partner two hand turn
B21-4Women meet, face out, circle three while men turn single right and left
5-8Partner two hand turn
C11-2Men set to corner
3-4Men set to opposite woman
5-5Men honour partner
6-8Partner two hand turn
C21-2Women set to corner
3-4Women set to opposite man
5-5Women honour partner
6-8Partner 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

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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.