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The Corporation
Country Dances, Ancient and Modern

Table of Contents

C D E F G M R S W

C

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
The Civil EngineerVictor Skowronski 2002no musicDuple Minor

D

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
The Duke of Kent's Waltz ~ SimonsW.M. Cahusac 1801
A. Simons 1970 Playford Ball
Bare NecessitiesDuple Minor

E

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
Emma's WaltzColin Hume 2009Susan McNeill, Lawrence Wallin and Robert Winokur4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142
The ESC ReelJenna Simpson 2020no musicTriple Minor

F

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
Farewell MarianGwyn Williams 1967Bare NecessitiesCircle as many as will
Florence's FrolicBob Lilley 1988no musicSquare

G

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
A Garland for JudyOrly Krasner 2007
Orly Krasner 2008
no music4 Couple Longways permutation: 3142
The Gypsy RoundEric Leber 1979Bare NecessitiesDuple Minor

M

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
Margate PierLongman 1801
A. Simons ~1990
no music3 Couple Longways permutation: 231

R

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
Ramsgate AssemblyThomas Budd 1795
A. Simons 1972 Playford Ball
Bare Necessities3 Couple Longways permutation: 231
The Royal Kentish BowmenAnonymous (date unknown)
A. Simons ~1990
no musicDuple Minor

S

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
The SelkieJenna Simpson 2019no musicDuple Minor
Smithy HillTom Cook 1987Bare NecessitiesDuple Minor

W

Dance TitleTypeDeviser (or Editor/Publisher), Date,
Interpreter
Music
Performers
Formation
Would YouVictor Skowronski 2010no music3 Couple Longways
Number
of dances
Number
of versions
Number
with music
14146

Warning: The figures for each dance is generated programmatically by regular expression matching and may be in error. Also, for old dances, they reflect the figures used by the interpreter which may not match those of the deviser.


Swat The Flea

Also known as: Box The Flea.

An online definition may be found here.

Bars: 2.

Swat the Flea This figure involves a facing couple, they join left hands and raise them, then they trade places. The woman turning right 180° as she passes under the raised hands, the man turning left 180° as he walks around her. The left hands remain joined afterward.

History

In March of 1951 Sets in Order published how box the gnat was danced in California, and in Texas. The California version also contains a swat the flea:

Now you box the gnat
Give right to corner and exchange places, walking past each other, the lady turning with a left-face turn under the man's right arm.
Box the flea
Pertains to the left hand with the same person, girl walking forward does a right-face turn, back to original position.

But life isn't simple, and the distinction that box the gnat was with the right hand, not the left wasn't final yet. There's a dance from June of 1951 where the words "box the gnat" are used to describe what I'd call a "swat the flea".

By 1959 the term "swat the flea" has appeared and the destinction between it and "box the gnat" appears clear.

Box the Gnat: Used to reverse direction and exchange places. Partners face and join right hands. The lady makes a left face turn under the man's raised right arm as the man walks forward making a half right face turn. They finish facing each other. Hands have been held easily enough so that the man's hand may turn over the lady's figures (Count: 4 steps)
Swat the Flea — Box the Flea: Used to reverse direction and exchange places. Partners join left hands and the lady makes a right face turn under the man's raised left arm as the man walks forward and does a half left face turn. They finish facing each other. (4 steps).
— Bob Osgood, ed.
Sets in Order, Dec, 1959

See Also

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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.