The Walter Scott Anniversary Dances

Page 1 of the 1820 leaflet

2021 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish novelist famous for his historical novels. In Edinburgh in 1820 six country dances were published, all with a link to his recently published novel, The Heart of Midlothian. The Society has decided to mark the 250th anniversary by re-publishing the six dances in the 1820 leaflet, exactly 201 years after their original publication. In this article Jimmie Hill of the RSCDS Research Group describes the issues in their reconstruction.

The initiative of Bill Clement

In Scottish Country Dancer, Issue 13 of October 2011, I wrote of meeting the late Bill Clement and being shown copies of leaflets of dance instructions from the personal collection of Lord James Stewart Murray. Lord James, later the Duke of Atholl, was the first Chairman of the Scottish Country Dance Society and President until 1957. One of the more interesting leaflets in the collection was a set of six dances with the title The Heart of Mid Lothian, a reel, The Laird of Dumbiedike’s Favorite and Madge Wildfire’s Strathspey and Reel to which are added two Favorite Dances for

1820. All six dance titles come from the highly popular novel of 1818, The Heart of Midlothian. A copy of the leaflet also exists in the Special Collections Department of Glasgow University Library, hidden deep in a bound collection of old Scottish music.

The six dances

The dances, all with their own music, are: The Heart of Mid Lothian, Madge Wildfire’s Strathspey, Madge Wildfire’s Reel, Reuben Butler, Jeanie Deans’ Strathspey, and The Laird of Dumbiedike’s Favorite – three reels, two strathspeys, and one jig. The novel is set in Edinburgh at the time of the Porteous Riots of 1736. Jeanie Deans, Madge Wildfire, Reuben Butler, and the Laird are all characters in the novel. We know that the leaflet was printed and sold by John Sutherland at his music shop at 9 Calton Street in Edinburgh, but we have no idea who devised the dances or who composed the music. Most of the terminology used is common to dance collections of this time, but some is not. It is quite possible that the teacher/deviser was using his own terms. Had he read the greatest contemporary writer on the country dance, Thomas Wilson? We shall never know. In this article I shall explain some of the issues we are having with their reconstruction.

Our modern preconceptions

When we look at an old dance, it is easy to assume too much. When we read ‘right and left’, we think we know what that means, but the term has had several meanings in country dance history. Thomas Wilson, in his Analysis of Country Dancing of 1808, 1811 and 1822, is adamant that ‘his’ right and left is authentic, but it is very different from what we call ‘rights and lefts.’ Wilson calls this a ‘chain figure for four’ or ‘quadrille chain anglaise’. Another issue is that we have become used to very explicit instructions, but the dancer of 1820 was used to extremely cryptic descriptions, hence the need for us to consult contemporary dance manuals. The third issue concerns dance style and steps. Our sources give us very few hints about what steps were used in formations. Today we use slip step in circles, but in 1820 we know that a chassée step was used – very similar to skip change. Writers such as Wilson rarely described steps – he expected the reader to attend his classes to learn them – why give all his secrets away? – he was a businessman, after all! We have also become used to dance instructions where all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s crossed, but in the reel, The Heart of Mid Lothian, the last 8 bars are ‘Reel – or lead outsides’. The person calling the dance would make the decision on the night. Can you imagine the reaction if we published a dance with a grand chain as the last 8 bars – or a circle – it’s up to you! Where some today scorn the idea of calling a dance, it was standard practice in the early 1800s – and during a set of quadrilles it was not uncommon for each 8 bars to be called while the dancers were dancing – and in French!

Progression

A common problem we have when looking at old dances is progression. Today we have a number of formations in reel and jig time which allow us to progress: the poussette, the allemande, the espagnole, set and rotate, set and link, etc. Dancers in 1820 had very few. The most common method of progressing was ‘down the middle and back’, which is why it is used in so many early dances. Instructions never mention stepping up. That is because there was a convention that as soon as 1st couple vacate top place, the 2nd couple step up. In leading down the middle and back, the 1st couple return to second place unless the instructions make it explicit that they lead back then cast off one place. Another unspoken rule was that, where possible, dancers finished formations in place on their own side – ‘proper’ as opposed to ‘improper’, ie on the opposite side. Finishing facing corners is never mentioned. The following six formations occur in the Scott dances and all differ from modern practice.

1. The poussette

Our RSCDS poussette in fast time is a progressive half poussette; in strathspey time it is a non-progressive whole poussette. For the poussette Thomas Wilson is our clearest source. He describes both the whole poussette and the half poussette. They were not danced using pas de basque. Pas de basque was a setting step to be used on the spot. Wilson’s half poussette was not progressive. He also uses the word ‘draw’ for it. The couples continue facing in the same direction, moving round each other once and finish where they started it, not unlike the movements in the Hebridean Weaving Lilt and the Foula Reel, which both use a running step. Wilson’s ‘whole poussette’ is a circular figure where the dancers finish in each other’s place. It is perfectly believable that in 1820’s Edinburgh dance teachers were teaching the poussette using waltz hold. We know that around 1820 the waltz was very popular with young people, who attended waltz classes run by teachers such as Mr Smart at his Dancing Academy at 95 Princes Street, now a kilt shop! From reading many dances of the period, we know that ‘poussette’ could mean either the progressive or the non-progressive version. In Kenilworth and The Pirate from an 1822 leaflet by Nathaniel Gow, both dances finish with a poussette after the 1st couple have progressed. So, do we stick with our modern pas de basque poussette and change the dance so that it fits? You can see our dilemma!

Thomas Wilson’s description of the whole poussette from page 46 of his Complete System of English Country Dancing

2. Lead down the middle and up again

This is the most common formation in all dances of the period. In 1820 ‘leading’ was a formation, not an instruction. Wilson shows clearly in his diagram that the 1st couple return to second place. We know that ‘leading’ meant nearer hands joined: ‘to lead down; the couple so doing must turn their faces towards the bottom of the dance, the man taking the woman’s right hand in his left.’* Many of us remember the debate in the RSCDS in the 1990s about which hand to use when going down the middle. It was decided that ‘lead’ meant right hand in right hand, and ‘dance’ meant nearer hands. Nearer hands, however, is historically more accurate.

Thomas Wilson’s description of leading back up the middle from page 30 of his Complete System of English Country Dancing. He goes on to say, ‘This is one of the most general short progressive Figures used.’

3. Lead outsides

This formation occurs in three of the six dances. It was a common final formation in many dances of the period. We favour the version where the dancing couple dance out between the side men and cast into the middle, then dance out between the two women and back to place. In some manuals they dance out; in some they cross out. I suspect that it depended on fashion – or the space available. With a Regency Empire-line frock it would be easy to dance out, but with a wide frock, the lady might cross in front of her partner. This is only one of several different possible versions of this figure.

4. Rights and lefts

Called ‘right and left’ this occurs in two of the dances. We favour Wilson’s ‘quadrille chain anglaise’, which is similar to ours today. The dancing master known only as D.A. describes it clearly in his manual of 1764. Thomas Wilson’s ‘right and left’has the first lady and second man changing places, their partners likewise, then all repeat.

5. Set abreast top and bottom same on sides

This was a very common formation in the historical period. 1st man is between the 3rd couple and first woman is between the 2nd couple. This formation differs from our modern practice where the 1st couple petronella into opposite sides on bars 3 and 4. All the manuals have the 1st couple ending ‘proper’, on their own side. The interpretation we favour is the 1st couple casting back to their own sides on bars 3 and 4.

6. Set cross corners

This must have been a popular formation in 1820 as it occurs in four of our dances. Nicholas Dukes shows the pattern of ‘cross corners half round’ and ‘cross corners quite round’ in his manual of 1752. We have found ‘cross corners’ in Ignatius Sancho’s Duchess of Devonshire’s Reel from 1789, but no other instances of ‘set cross corners’. One of our dances has ‘set cross corners and turn’. We simply cannot say with any certainty what this meant in 1820. Not knowing who the deviser was, we might assume that it was a local teacher, commissioned by John Sutherland. ‘Set cross corners’ may have been the way he referred to ‘set and turn corners’. All we can do is make an informed decision and hope dancers today will find the dances danceable. What all research into historical dance tells us is that there is no one ‘correct’ way of reconstructing a dance. We have consulted dance manuals from 1752 through to Thomas Wilson’s of the early 1800s right up to 1820, as well as country dance collections from the whole historic period. Although Thomas Wilson was the most prolific writer on the country dance, earlier manuals do provide lots of insights. For practical purposes we have decided on one way of doing each dance, but we also give the source instructions and explanations for our decisions.

Finally, spelling! In 1820 Midlothian was two words, Mid Lothian, similar to East Lothian and West Lothian; the old slum area of Edinburgh which is today called Dumbiedykes was spelled Dumbiedikes; and favourite was ‘favorite’, the spelling which today is standard American English.

Jimmie Hill, RSCDS Research Group*Country-Dancing made Plain and Easy, D.A., London 1764