====== CUPID'S GARDEN ======
Square for 4 couples
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1R55tEY4us
3
2 4
1
Part I
A1 Bar 1 1s and 3s lead forward and meet, while sides
face and fall back 3 steps
Bar 2 M1 leads W3 into 2nd place, while M3 leads W1
to 4th place; meanwhile M2 and W4 meet in 3rd
place and M4 and W2 meet in 1st place.
Bar 3 New pairs turn RH 1/2 way, changing places
Bar 4 Pairs at top and bottom lead forward to meet
while others face and fall back 3 steps
Bar 5 1st couple meet at bottom (3rd place), 3rd couple
at top, 2nd couple lead out to 4th place, 4s lead
out to 2nd place.
Bar 6 Partners turn each other RH 1/2 way, changing places.
A2 1-6 Repeat movement from opposite places bringing
everyone home.
B1 1-2 Men advance to center and turn R to face partners
3-4 Partners change by the R and turn R to face.
5-8 (Duple time) Partners give R hands and lead out
and back a double to man's left (4s up, 2s down,
1s to RH wall, 3s to LH wall)
9-10 Women RH across 3/4, while men cast off left and
move round 1 place counter-clockwise
11-12 Partners give L hand and turn once round to new
places (1s in 4, 2s in 1, etc.)
B2 1-2 Women advance to center and turn L to face partners
3-4 Partners change by the L and turn L to face.
5-8 (Duple time) Partners give R hands and lead out
and back a double to man's left (3s up, 1s down,
4s to RH wall, 2s to LH wall)
9-10 Men LH across 3/4, while women cast off R and
move round 1 place clockwise
11-12 Partners give R hand and turn once round to places
Part II
A1 & A2 As in Part I
B1 Bar 1 Parners give both hands and change places (clockwise)
Bar 2 Partners drop hands and continue turn to face next dancer
Bar 3 M1 and W4 give both hands and change places counter-clockwise
While M2 and W1, M2 with W2, M4 with W3
Bar 4 These pairs drop hands and continue counter clockwise to
next dancer.
??JN Where is everyone ??
5-8 (Duple time) M1 sides with W4, M2 & W4, M3 & W1, M4 & W2
9-10 M1 and W3 change places with their partners across the dance
passing by the right while rest turn single (?? to the R)
11-12 M2 and W4 change places with their partners across the dance
passing by the R, while others turn single.
B2 1-4 Repeat movement of B1 bars 1-4, bringing partners together in
opposite places, improper.
5-8 (duple time) Parners side.
9-10 1s and 3s change places across the dance while others turn single
11-12 2s and 4s change places across the dance while others turn single
Part III
A1 & A2 As in Part I
B1 1-2 Partners gypsy clockwise, (ending??) facing outward.
3-4 Partners gypsy counter-clockwise, facing inward.
5-8 (Duple time) Neighbours meet, arm R, and stand side
by side, facing centre.
9-10 M1 and W2 change places with W4 and M3 respectively,
passing by the R diagonally across the dance, while
others turn single.
11-12 Same manner, W1 and M4 change with M2 and W3 while
others turn single.
B2 1-2 M1 with W3, M2 with W4, M3 with W1, M4 with W2
gypsy counter-clockwise, facing outward.
3-4 Same pairs gypsy clockwise, facing in.
5-8 (Duple time) Men arm L with women they armed in B1.
9-12 As in B1 to places.
Recording: {{ ::music:cupids_garden-bnbc7-09.mp3.zip |}}
===== Notes from Colin Hume: =====
Cupid's Garden — Marjorie Heffer and William Porter, Maggot Pie, 1932
Video: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuj5Nj8-sfI]]
Here's one of my favourite Maggot Pie dances. They took an old tune and fitted a new dance to it brilliantly — without having any tradition of composing new dances to fall back on. The tune is mainly in three-time, but it switches to four-time in the
In the Grand Square introduction, try not to blur the edges — I don't want to see you just drifting vaguely about. Three steps to lead in or fall back and turn a quarter, three steps to lead out and face or move in to meet, three steps to turn half-way
In the first figure, on the other hand, there's really too much music. Six steps for the men to move in and face back; six steps to cross with your partner — you're in great danger of getting there too soon and waiting for the music. You can't even mo
You finish B1 with the left-hand turn ¾ into a square, and then the ladies move in and turn left to face. If you're not careful, they've already started moving in by the end of the turn. It takes a bit of skill, and attention to the music, but I certai
In the second figure there's no music to spare, and some people get disoriented. Three steps to turn half-way and stay facing, then three steps to turn single half-way and face the next. I know these days if we do a clockwise turn we expect to follow it
The third figure is just very disorienting, and it feels very odd to honour your partner whom you haven't seen for ages.
===== Cupid's Garden =====
Square, 3/2 and 2/2, G Major
Maggot Pie, Marjorie Heffer and William Porter (EFDSS) 1932; reprinted 1979.
Note: the couples are numbered clockwise.
The chorus, A1 and A2, is a variation of the figure "Grand Square."
Part I (triple time)
A1 1 Head couples (1st and 3rd) lead forward to
meet while side couples (2nd and 4th),
facing partners, fall back.
2 Heads lead opposites out to nearest side
places while sides meet opposites in the
head places.
3 These pairs (1st man and 3rd woman, 1st
woman and 3rd man, 2nd man and 4th woman,
2nd woman and 4th man) right-hand turn
halfway.
4 Present head couples lead forward to meet
while present side couples, facing partners,
fall back.
5 Original 1st and 3rd couples meet in third
and first places, respectively;
while 2nd and 4th couples lead out to fourth
and second place, respectively.
6 Partners right-hand turn halfway.
A2 1-6 Repeat A1 from these places, all ending in
original place.
B1 1-2 Men advance to center and turn to the right
to face partner.
3-4 Partners change place by right shoulder and
turn right to face.
5-8 (Duple time for 4 bars) Partners, right
hands joined, lead out a double and fall
back, moving to man's left (4th couple up,
2nd down, 1st to the right wall, 3rd to the
left wall).
9-10 (Triple time) Men cast one place
counterclockwise while women right hands
across three quarters to meet partner.
11-12 Partners left-hand turn (1st couple now in
fourth place, 2nd couple in first place,
etc.).
B2 1-2 Women advance to center and turn to the left
to face partner.
3-4 Partners change place by left shoulder and
turn left to face.
5-8 (Duple time) Partners, right hands joined,
lead out a double and fall back, moving to
man's left (1st couple down, 3rd up, 2nd to
the left wall, 4th to the right wall).
9-10 (Triple time) Women cast one place clockwise
while men left hands across three quarters
to meet partner in original place.
11-12 Partners right-hand turn.
Part II
A1&A2 As in Part I.
B1 1 Partners two-hand turn halfway.
2 Dropping hands, all continue moving
clockwise to meet the next dancer.
3 With this one (1st man and 4th woman, 2nd
man and 1st woman, 3rd man and 2nd woman,
4th man and 3rd woman) two-hand turn
counterclockwise (to the right).
4 Those pairs drop hands and continue moving
counter- clockwise to meet the next dancer
(original opposite).
5-8 (Duple time) Side (Cecil Sharp style): 1st
man and 3rd woman, 2nd man and 4th woman,
3rd man and 1st woman, 4th man and 2nd woman.
9-10 (Triple time) 1st man and 3rd woman change
places with their partners by the right
shoulder, while the others turn single.
11-12 2nd man and 4th woman change places with
their partners by the right shoulder, while
the others turn single.
B2 1-4 Repeat Bl, 1-4 from these places, ending
with partner, opposite original places,
improper.
5-8 (Duple time) Partners side (Cecil Sharp
style).
9-10 (Triple time) 1st and 3rd couples change
places across the set to home positions,
while the others turn single.
11-12 2nd and 4th couples change places across the
set, while the others turn single. Part III
A1&A2 As in Part I.
B1 1-2 Partners gypsy right, facing out.
3-4 Partners gypsy left, facing in.
5-8 (Duple time) Arm right with corner, ending
side-by-side, on the diagonal, improper,
facing center.
9-10 (Triple time) 1st man and 2nd woman change
places respectively with 4th woman and 3rd
man, passing right shoulders diagonally,
while the others turn single.
11-12 1st woman and 4th man change places
respectively with 2nd man and 3rd woman,
while the others turn single.
B2 1-2 Present partners (1st man and 3rd woman, 2nd
man and 4th woman, 3rd man and 1st woman,
4th man and 2nd woman) gypsy left, facing
out.
3-4 Same pairs gypsy right, facing in.
5-8 (Duple time) Arm left with original corner
person, as in Bl, 5-8 (1st man and 2nd
woman, 2nd man and 3rd woman, etc.).
9-12 (Triple time) As in B1, to original place.
NOTES
Part II B 1 2
This instruction "continue moving clockwise...," implies either a quick (three count) turn single clockwise, or a smooth continuation of the clockwise loop begun a measure earlier. Take your pick! The same choice occurs in B2, measure 2, for the counterclockwise moves.
Part III B1 and B2 1-2
In Boston, we (on the rare occasions when we dance this dance!) do "regular" gypsies, clockwise and then counterclockwise, always facing present partner, instead of facing outwards and then inwards
The distinctive feature of this dance is the tune, with its shift from triple time, for the repeated introductory A figure, to a sequence of triple time, to duple time for the USA (up a double, siding, arming) figures, and then back to triple time, all in the B music. Also, each of the USA figures is different: the up a double is danced out the sides of the set towards different walls, the siding is with opposite or partner in the middle of a grand chain, and the arming is done with corners on the diagonal.