A cracking tune, made all the more popular by Leveret. The dance is fun too, but the dancers need to be alert and remember to not skip the half two hand turn on the sides!
| A1 (4) | 1C cross, cast, and two-hand turn to their own side. Original says to turn ½ and "foot it", probably a set (see below); alternatively turn ½ and fall back, or turn 1½. |
| A2 (4) | 2C the same back home. |
| B1 (8) | Fall back with neighbour on the side, holding nearest hand (1) Two-hand neighbour ½ to change places (1) Forwards and back with neighbour, holding nearest hand (2) 3 changes of rights and lefts, starting with partner, with 1C turning the 3rd change into a full right hand turn to finish in 1st place improper (4) |
| B2 (8) | Fall back with new neighbour on the side, holding nearest hand (1) Two-hand neighbour ½ to change places (1) Forwards and back with neighbour, holding nearest hand (2) 3 changes of rights and lefts, starting with partner, with 1C turning the 3rd change into a full right hand or cross-hand turn, moving down into second place while 2C cast up, all finishing progressed proper (4) |
T:Purlongs, The
M:3/2
L:1/8
H:1696.
Z:Chris Partington <www.cpartington.plus>
K:D
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In the first part, take hands half round could mean a circle for four, but that doesn't really work in this context, so we'll treat that as a two-hand turn.
“Foot it” is often used to mean “set”, but people might have also sometimes done a backstep – see figures. The complication is that it's a 3-time hornpipe. Back-stepping is fun if raucous. If you skip change the whole figure, which works surprisingly well for 3-time hornpipes (another story), you can set right and left at the end – satisfying once you get your ear in but challenging to many. Or you can just set in the last bar, to the right on beats one and two, and a short step back on the left on the third beat. Or you can simplify and either fall back after the half turn, or turn 1½. I might suggest any of these things depending on the occasion. I'd be surprised if all of these would have been considered common but I'd also be surprised if any single one was the unanimously “correct” way!