SCA Dance Cheat Sheets

Fine Companion

Source: Playford (1651), TPB.

Setting: A square set of 4 couples.

Version: 1.0

 1- 4  Take hands all, double forward into the center of the square
         and back,
 5- 8   set and turn single.
 9-16  Repeat 1-8.

17-18  Men double forward into the square,
19-20   women double forward while men double back to place,
21-24   Men double forward while women fall back, then men
         take hands and circle around to place.

25-32  Repeat 17-24, starting with the women first.

 1- 4  Side right,
 5- 8   set and turn single.
 9-16  Side left, set and turn single.

17-18  1st and 3rd couples double forward into the square,
19-20   2nd and 4th couples double forward while 1st and 3rd double
         back to place,
21-24   1st and 3rd couples double forward while 2nd and 4th fall back,
         then 1st and 3rd couples take hands and circle around to place.
25-32  Repeat 17-24, with the 2nd and 4th couples going in first.

 1- 4  Arm right,
 5- 8   set and turn single.
 9-16  Arm left, set and turn single.

17-24  Men double into the center, face out, and wait while the women
        go around once on the outside. Men double back to place on
        bars 23-24.
25-36  Repeat 17-24, with the women going into the center while the
        men circle.

Transcription:

Hands all and meet a D. backe again set and turn S. ?u?.? That again ?u?:?
	Men meet and go back again, We. as much,  
	men meet hands and goe round ?u?.? 
	We. meet and goe back, men as much We. hands and go round ?u?:?

Sides all, Set and turn S?u?.? That again ?u?:?
	The two Cu. against each other meet and back, the other foure as much.
	The first foure hands and goe round ?u?.?
	That againe, the last foure beginning ?u?:?

Armes all. Set and turn S. ?u?.? That again ?u?:?
	Men meet, turn back to back, the We. go round about, 
	the men to their to their places ?u?.?
	We. meet, turne back to back, men go about the We. ?u?:?

Discussion:

The third chorus is reconstructed in various ways. Sharp has the dancers in the center going around in the other direction from the dancers on the outside. Sharp doesn't make it clear how the men get back to place. Playford, on the other hand, makes it clear that the men get back to place before bar 24. One SCA reconstruction that I've seen has the men to back to place while the women are going in on bars 25-36, but then the women either end in the center or they don't do exactly what the men have done.