Up Tails All ~ Sharp #2 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 376 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 suggests two different styles of progression. This is the one he puts in a footnote.
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 | 1s lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | 1s clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A2 | 1-4 | 1s lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | 1s clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A3 | 1-4 | 2s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A4 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A5 | 1-4 | 3s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, 1s ending home | |
II.A6 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A7 | 1-4 | 4s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, 2s ending home | |
II.A8 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A9 | 1-4 | 5s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, 3s ending home | |
II.A10 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A11 | 1-4 | 6s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, 4s ending home | |
II.A12 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A13 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, 5s ending home | |
II.A14 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, move to the next | |
II.A15 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | Clap, arm right, ending home | |
III.A1 | 1-4 | 1s lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In a group of four: all clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A2 | 1-4 | 1s lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In a group of four: all clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A3 | 1-4 | 2s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In groups of four: all clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A4 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A5 | 1-4 | 3s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In groups of four: all clap, right hands across, 1s end home | |
III.A6 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A7 | 1-4 | 4s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, 2s end home | |
III.A8 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A9 | 1-4 | 5s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, 3s end home | |
III.A10 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A11 | 1-4 | 6s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, 4s end home | |
III.A12 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A13 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, 5s end home | |
III.A14 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, move left | |
III.A15 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, right hands across, 6s move home | |
IV.A1 | 1-4 | As before, 1s lead between couple on left, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In a group of four: all clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A2 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A3 | 1-4 | 2s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In groups of four: all clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A4 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A5 | 1-4 | 3s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | In groups of four: all clap, circle left four, 1s end home | |
IV.A6 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A7 | 1-4 | 4s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, 2s end home | |
IV.A8 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A9 | 1-4 | 5s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, 3s end home | |
IV.A10 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A11 | 1-4 | 6s start, lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, 4s end home | |
IV.A12 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A13 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, 5s end home | |
IV.A14 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, move left | |
IV.A15 | 1-4 | Lead between this next couple, separate, cast off and meet in front of them |
5-8 | All clap, circle left four, 6s move home |
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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 © 2021-2025 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.