Up Tails All
Up Tayles All
Up Tails All or Up Tayles All 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 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). Originally a 6 Couple Circle this version is a Circle as many as will dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a multipart dance. The dance lasts 160 bars. It is in the key: G Major.
Playford writes:
Lead in a D. and back again, set and turn S. That again
First Cu. lead through the second, cast off and meet within, clap hands and arms and so forwards to the next, the rest following in order
First Cu. lead through the 2. Cu. cast off and meet within, clap hands all four, hands across all four and round to your places, and so forward, &c.
First Cu. lead through the 2. Cu. cast off and meet within, clap hands all four, and hands roud all four to your places, and so forward, &c.
Playford spells the title both "Up Tayles All" and "Up Tailes All".
Sharp has the first couple pass through each couple, then the second couple do the same, then the third and so on. I have conflated that by having half the dancers active at once. Playford isn't particularly helpful, he just says "And so forward to the next, the rest following in order."
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 | 1-4 | Take hands, in a double and fall back |
| 5-8 | Partner set and turn single | |
| I.A2 | 1-8 | That again |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Heads lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
| 5-8 | Heads clap, arm right, move to the next | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Heads lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
| 5-8 | Heads clap, arm right, move to the next | |
| II.A3 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
| II.A4 | 1-4 | Now sides lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
| 5-8 | Sides clap, arm right, move to the next | |
| II.A5 | 1-8 | That again |
| II.A6 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | As before, heads lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
| 5-8 | In groups of four: all clap, right hands across | |
| III.A2 | 1-8 | That again |
| III.A3 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
| III.A4 | 1-8 | Sides, the same |
| III.A5 | 1-8 | That again |
| III.A6 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
| IV.A1 | 1-4 | As before, heads lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
| 5-8 | Clap and circle left | |
| IV.A2 | 1-8 | That again |
| IV.A3 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
| IV.A4 | 1-8 | Sides, the same |
| IV.A5 | 1-8 | That again |
| IV.A6 | 1-8 | That again, end home |
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=UpTailsAll
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 © 2021-2025 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.