English Country Dance

A very popular dance style in the SCA. Many of the dances done in the SCA come from John Playford's English Dance Master which was published in 16-something, and thus one of the most frequently used out of period sources.

There are just a few basic forms of English Country Dances:

1. "USA" Dances (Up and back, Siding, Arming)
2. Circle Dances
3. Dances in a square
4. Progressional Dances (Almost all of this type of dance are very much out of period.)

Some popular English Country Dances:

• Jenny Pluck Pears (circle)
• Gathering Peascods (circle)
• Grimstock (or Dove's Figary) (USA)
• Black Nag (USA)
• Heart's Ease (Square)
• Ruffty Tuffty (Square)

Dance Steps

Most English country dances follow a set pattern of steps interspersed with inventive choruses. In the USA style the formula is: Linear movement (Up a double and back), Chorus, Siding, Chorus, Arming, Chorus.

The chorus varies from dance to dance; sometimes the chorus is the same each time and sometimes it differs. The Hay step frequently appears in the chorus.

• Set and Turn
• Siding
• Arming
• Hay
  • Circular Hay
  • Handed Hay
  • Mirror Hay
  • Sheep-shank Hay