The Boatman ~ Sharp

The Boatman ~ Pat Shaw The Boatman ~ Sharp The Boatman ~ Playford Ball

The Boatman ~ Sharp is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1916 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 4). It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 96 bars. It is in the key: C major.

Playford writes:
Lead up a D. forwards and back, set and turn S That again First cu. and 2. man the S. Hey, while the other three do the like, come to your places and turn your own All that again, the 2. cu. changing their ends

Sides all, set and turn S. That again The 2. man and the 1. cu. hands and go half round, while the other do the like, fall all back, then turn your own That again, the 2. cu. changing their ends

Arms all, set and turn S. That again First and last man and 2. wo. hands and go round, the 2 man turn his own wo First and last wo. and 2. man hands and go round the 2. man turn his wo.

The tune, also called The Boatman, was published by Playford with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album A Playford Ball. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.

The animation plays at 116 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.

I.A11-4Up a Double, back
5-8Partners set and turn single
I.A21-4Up a Double, back (repeat)
5-8Partners set and turn single
II.A11-4Swirly Siding
5-8Partners set and turn single
II.A21-4Swirly Siding
5-8Partners set and turn single
III.A11-4Right Arming
5-8Partners set and turn single
III.A21-4Left Arming
5-8Partners set and turn single
I.B11-62s hey for three with the ends, man up woman down, end couples stop half-way through (improper) and starting a two hand turn
7-82s two hand turn half, end couples finish their turns
I.B21-62s hey for three with the ends, man down woman up, end couples stop half-way through (proper)
7-82s two hand turn half, end couples finish their turns
II.B11-22s circle three half with ends, man up woman down, finish as a line facing in
3-4Lines balance back and forward
5-82s two hand turn once and a quarter, other couples turn once
II.B21-22s, man down woman up, circle 3 half with ends, finish as a line facing in
3-4Lines balance back and forward
5-82s two hand turn once and a quarter, other couples turn once
III.B11-4M2 move to center, other men and W2 circle three
5-82s two hand turn
III.B21-4W2 move to center, other women and M2 circle three
5-82s 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=TheBoatman-Sharp

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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 © 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.