The Corporation
Country Dances, Ancient and Modern

Black Dance

Black Dance was first published by Bride in 1769. I can't find the original version, but Robert Keller's site indicates that both Straight & Skillern (1775) and Longman & Broderip (1781) published the same figure, and here is Straight & Skillern's version:

1st. & 2d. hands across half round the same back again · 1st. Man leads his Part: down the middle & brings up the 3d. Wo. & leaves his Part: in her place ·· then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left ·· & the 1st. Man lead the 3d. Wo. down to her own place & bring his Part: up to the top & cast off into the 2d. Cus. place ··

I'm not sure what to make of then the top Cu. & 3d. turns first right hands behind then left. What does "turning with right hands behind" mean? Perhaps it's an allemande?

A few years later, Thompson (1770) and then Rutherford (1772) published a slightly different version:

Turn right hands and then left lead your Partner down and bring up the third Wo. then the first and third Cu. turn right hands & then left lead the third Wo. down and your Partner up & cast off.

The hands across of the top two couples has changed into just the 1s doing a partner turn. The allemande (or whatever it is) in B1 has also become a partner turn.

Most interesting of all, the dance crossed the Channel and Landrin published it in Recueil Danglaise: Arrangees Avec Leurs Traits Telle Quel Se Danse che' la REINE. Most things change as they cross that water, and this was no exception:

Landrin writes:

  1. Lors que l'air Commance, le premie Cus. Croisse les mains avec sa dames, il décende d'un Couple, dans le millieu
  2. Le Cus. en quittant sa dames, Croisse les mains avec la 3me. dame remonte a sa place, et de suite la remênent a la siene
  3. il reprend sa dames, et vient faire un rond de 4 entier, avec Ceux qui sont remontré a sa place et il se trouve - avoir gagnez une place

L'on Continue la même Figures alternative

Or, as I translate it...

  1. 1st couple cross
    turn partner
    lead down
  2. 1st man leaves his partner
    Takes a crossed hand hold with 3rd woman and leads her up 1st place
  3. 1st man gets his partner back (how?)
    and makes a circle with those who went to the top (the 3s?), a full circle
    and gain a place

The main feature of the dance, A2 and B2 are the same (though the French seem to like a promenade hold for the leads).

Black Dance, Bride and Straight & Skillern.

Black Dance, Thompson and Rutherford.

Blac Danse, Thompson and Rutherford.

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