There are several historic sources of this dance, with inevitable differences. Interpreting them isn't the hard bit, it's deciding which one to do!
| A1 (8) | 1C cross, cast, and two-hand turn 1½ |
| A2 (8) | 2C the same |
| B1 (4) | 1st corners set forwards and turn single back to place |
| B2 (4) | 2nd corners the same |
| C1 (8) | 1C cross, cast, and half figure of 8 up |
| C2 (8) | 2C figure of 8 down |
T:Excuse Me
M:6/8
L:1/8
B:Playford, Dancing Master,7th Ed.,1686
H:1686.
Z:Chris Partington <www.cpartington.plus>
K:Gm
G2G G2g|f2e d2e|f>gf cdB|A3 F3|f>gf =e>fe|d>ed c>BA|B>AG A^F2|G6:|
|:B2c dBG|B2c dBG|B2c d2g|^f3 d3:|
|:ABc c>dc|f2d A2A|Bcd d>ed|g2f =e>dc|f2f f>ed|c2B ABc|B>AG A^F2|G6:|
Thanks to Mike Barraclough for pointing out just how many sources to this there are – I'd spotted a few but not all of them!
Here's how I think they all go:
| A part | B part | C part | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playford | Couples cross, cast, turn to own sides (probably 1½) | Corners meet and turn single back | 1C cast and full fig 8 up 2C cast, full fig 8 up, slip up (!) |
| Lorin | Couples cross, cast, hole in the wall cross back home? | Corners balance (set?) forwards and fall back | 1C cast and full fig 8 up 2C cast into a full fig 8, finishing in 1C place |
| Feuillet | Couples cross, cast, turn ½ and fall back | Corners meet and fall back | 1C cross and cast, half fig 8 up 2C full fig 8 down |
| Academy of Compliments | Couples cross, cast, turn to own sides (probably 1½) | Corners set and turn single to each other | 1C cross and cast, half fig 8 up 2C full fig 8 down |
| Woolball | Couples cross, cast, turn to own sides (probably 1½) | Corners set and turn single (actually describes 1C as doing this to 2C) | 1C cross and cast, half fig 8 up 2C full fig 8 down |
Playford's version is super-busy in the C part – if you try this, you are quite likely to be saying “Excuse me” a lot! It's possible if both couples keep moving but challenging (Pat Shaw interpreted this version). Lorin's version is more manageable for 2C. Then by Feuillet a more conventional figure with standard timing is substituted.
There are other details that change, but the version that settles down by Academy of Compliments and Woolball is the most approachable. It's the one I'd normally do and also the version Mike has on his website. There are clearly other mongrel options, such as 1C cast into a figure 8 up, then 2C figure 8 down. But now we're into adaptation rather than interpretation.