Draw Poussette
Bars: 8 for a full, 4 for a half.
The draw poussette is similar to a normal poussette except that the couple turns through 180° so that the person who was pushing continues to push the entire time. This means that the person who was on the men’s line ends on the women’s line and vice versa.
History
Colin Hume suggests (and I agree with him) that this is a modern misunderstanding.
Cecil Sharp, in his interpretation of Jog On, My Honey describes the motions of a draw poussette (but doesn't not name it), but Playford's original seems to me to describe a normal poussette.
In 1922, Sharp's interpretation of Crosbey-Square again describes a draw poussette, but doesn't name it.
The next use of a draw poussette occurs in 1962 in Pat Shaw's interpretation of Thomas Wilson's Captain MacIntosh (on page 113), and Shaw appears to be the first to name the figure. Wilson defines his figures in The Complete System of English Country Dancing, and calls his poussette a "Half pousette or draw" so that may explain where Shaw got the name. Wilson's figure and instructions are not the clearest, but as his "Whole Pousette" is progressive it can't leave couples improper, so it can't be what we now call a draw poussette.
Some dances which (probably) use this figure
- Dances for which I have animations
Note: This list may be incorrect or incomplete.
See Also
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