Folk dance from Denmark

6-tur fra Vendsyssel (6-trip North), swing
Niels Mejlhede Jensen, Bøgeløvsvej 4, 2830 Virum, Denmark. e-mail (web master)

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Dance description 1:

 
Animation of the dance

6-tur fra Vendsyssel (6-trip North), swing

  • Dance of 4 couples in a quadrille (= square)
  • Chasse and swing steps (buzz steps), (1 chasse or 2 swing steps per bar)
  • The dance is in 3 sections: a, b, c :
    • a: bar 1-8: the figures (= variations), swing steps or buzz steps (maybe side walking)
    • b: bar 9-16: the main: head couples forth and back, then side couples, chasse + go + go
    • c: bar 17-24: the chain in the quadrille (= grand right and left), walking
Walking and side walking may be preferable on grass, depending on the lawn.

 

6-tur fra Vendsyssel (6-trip North), swing - dance of 4 couples in quadrille
bar 1-8 Circle around Big circle 1 round clockwise.
bar 9-12 Head couples forth and back Head couples: towards each other, one chasse + go + go, greeting, start left foot,
and backwards back again, one chasse + go + go
For chasse see start part of animation figure of dance 5.
bar 13-16 Side couples forth and back Side couples: towards each other and back again in the same way.
In Danish: head couples are couple 1 and couple 2 and side couples couple 3 and 4.
In English: head couples are couple 1 and couple 3 and side couples couple 2 and 4.
Couple 1 and 4 are the same in Danish and English. (Who are then couple 2 and 3?)
The "main" in bar 9-16 is the same in every repetition.
bar 17 Right hand to partner Right hand to partner for start of chain. Walking, start left foot.
bar 17-24 Chain around Chain 1 round (= grand right and left).
The chain in bar 17-24 is the same in every repetition.
Figures: Bar 9-24 is the same in all repetitions. Bar 1-8 has a different figure for each repetition as given here below:
bar 1-8 One hand mill Music repeats from the beginning again.
"Figure section", bar 1-8, that varies through the dance.
1' figure (apart from the introductory big circle) is ladies' right hand mill clockwise.
2' figure is gents' right hand mill clockwise, which is shown in the sketch here.
Swing steps or buzz steps as shown below, maybe side walking.
Just get your right hands together somehow in the middle, but for swing steps the right and the best way is to grasp around the wrist of the person behind you. Left hand on the upper arm or shoulder of the person in front of you. (And maybe your inactive partners will clap of you when milling around?)
bar 1-8 2 hands mill 3' figure: 2 hands mill for ladies clockwise around.
4' figure: 2 hands mill for gents clockwise around.
You grasp the hands of the opposite person; in the "cross" the right arm is above the side person's left arm.
bar 1-8 Waist clasp circle All in waist clasp circle (= basket of 8) clockwise around with swing steps.
Gent place left arm around the waist of the lady, then right arm above side person's arm around the waist of partner lady.
(Left arm take the easy assignment, right and better arm and hand the more difficult; some do it opposite: they find that more polite to partner lady).
Ladies place their hands on the nearest shoulders of the gents.
bar 1-8 All swing partner All swing partner (on the spot). 
Normal closed position: lady's right hand in gent's left hand, gent's right arm around the waist of his lady (not up on the shoulder scapulas in old time dance), lady's left hand on the gent's shoulder (a firm grasp of his upper arm is hopefully only occasionally necessary).
The dance and the melody end here in bar 8 after the first phrase.
1' phrase Standard figures for quadrille dances:
Those 6 figures above, besides the introductory circle around, are the standard figures we in "Fiddlers' Dance" use in most Danish quadrille dances for the 1' phrase variation section. The circle + 6 figures are:
  • Circle
  • One hand mill for ladies (right hand)
  • One hand mill for gents (right hand)
  • Two hand mill for ladies
  • Two hand mill for gents
  • All waist clasp circle around
  • Couple wise dance, and here the music and dance end

The melody is played 6 1/3 times, or according to the number of figures selected.

6-tur fra Vendsyssel (6-trip North) - dance of 4 couples in quadrille, swing steps, foot sketches
bar 1-8 Foot steps of one hand mill swing Right hand mill with swing steps or buzz steps.
You put your right foot towards the centre, and lean back feeling the pull in your right arm from the others, and "slide" around (not jump). When you shortly (on beat 3 and 6) change the weight to your left foot you move your right foot a small step. Please do not drive the mill harder and faster than the others feel comfortable (or acceptable).
When you get used to it, and are in a trained group, this is a very nice dance.
(But it mostly looks a little special and jumpy with beginners; but we dance for the fun, not for the show).
bar 1-8 Foot steps of 2 hands mill swing Two hands mill with swing steps or buzz steps.
You do the same as for the right hand mill (one hand mill), but now you face the centre, so your feet are pointing more towards the centre.
The sketches here are rough, using only 4 possible directions for the foot for simplicity; my feet are usually somewhere in between.
bar 1-8 Foot steps of waist clasp swing All have waist clasp in a circle with swing steps or buzz steps,
or all in a basket of 8.
The right foot crosses in front of the left foot.
(Here I had to use 45 degrees direction).
bar 1-8 Foot steps of couple swing Couple swing or buzz steps.
Place your right foot with the outside along the outside of your partner's foot, and move it only a little when you swing around.
Your position or hold is so that you face not your partner's face but his/her upper right arm (see photo 2 of this week)

The melody is played 6 1/3 times.
 

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