The Triumph ~ RSCDS

Lady's Triumph ~ Howe Dorset Triumph The Triumph ~ Preston The Triumph ~ Sharp The Triumph La Triomphe ~ RSCDS The Triumph ~ RSCDS

The Triumph ~ RSCDS is a Scottish Country Dance. It was published by Preston in 1793 in Preston's Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1793. It was interpreted by RSCDS in 1924 and published in RSCDS Book 1. It is R4×24 4C, a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 2341. R24.

RSCDS Book1 attributes this dance to Aird (whoever s/he may be), 1797, but it has earlier roots. Preston published a version in 1796, and Thompson published something rather different in 1790 named La Triomphe. Walsh published The Lady's Triumph in 1719, but it has a completely different figure. Preston's version has three lead up abreast, but has not yet developed the triumphal arch over the woman.

Preston writes:

The 1st. Lady set to the 2d. Gentn. & turn The 1st. Gentn. set to the 2d. Lady & turn The 1st. Lady take the 2d. Gentn. by the right hand & lead him down to the 3d. Cus. place · The 1st. Gentn. cast off & his Partr. all 3 lead up to the top together ·· the 1st. Cu lead down the middle up again & cast off ··

Wilson writes:

3 PARTS

Single Figure.

The second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, then the top Gentleman leads down the second Lady, and the second Gentleman crosses over and leads outside on the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up to her place in triumph ··, lead down the middle, up again, and right left .

Or thus:

Set and change sides ··, the second Gentleman leads down the top Lady, at the same time the top Gentleman crosses over and leads down outside the Ladies' side, the two Gentlemen then lead the Lady up in triumph to her place ··, down the middle, up again, and right and left .

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.

An online description of the dance may be found here.

1-81s lead down, turn, lead back, M1 hands L1 to M2
9-12L1+M2 lead down followed by M1, at bottom the couple turns inward and M1 joins left hands with W1, men join free hands in arch over woman
13-16All three lead up in triumph, M2 to place, 1s meet in center at top
17-241s special poussette down to bottom as others move up (quarter turn, travel, quarter turn, quarter turn, travel, quarter turn, half turn, fall back)

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=TheTriumph-RSCDS

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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 © 2023 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.