Impropriety
englishduple minor longways
Millison’s Jegge Playford 6/8 D minor 1651 BII p. 63
Choreography
A1
- Neighbors gate 1 ¼ (1s down through the middle to begin) (8)
- ending in a line of 4 facing down
A2
- Lines lead down, fall back (8)
B1
- Neighbors lead out the sides (1s moving forward to face out) (4)
- Neighbors turn as a couple with 2s turning under (4)
- Neighbors lead in (4)
- 1s cast off while 2s lead up (4)
B2
- 1s half figure eight up (8)
- Neighbors gate (1s up through the middle to begin) (8)
- ending in progressed places ready to gate with new neighbors
- Note that the ones have changed places!
Background
Friendly & Sackett:
Our local dance group in Ashland is part of a network of groups in Oregon, The Heather and the Rose Country Dancers. The H&R newsletter is titled Progressed and Improper. This inspired us to write a dance where the Is would end improper to start the next round, allowing dancers to experience dancing from both sides of the set. As we worked with the concept, we expanded the idea to include the turn as a couple to give dancers further opportunities to play with roles they may not be used to. The dance became, in a sense, a choreographic statement of the way we approach the dance form. Many thanks to Bruce Hamilton for the title.
Teaching Notes
Friendly & Sackett:
For the turn as a couple in B1 bars 3-4, the 2s, who are above, always go down and to the inside of the set and under the joined hands while the 1s go up and to the outside of the set. It is similar to a California twirl without the feeling of a twirler and a twirlee.