IRISH 19'th Century Dance

Kate Hughes' "Dancing Book,"
Dundalk, 1867

Arch. Thomson - Dancing Master

Grand March

All notes are by the late Professor Tom Flett, whose wife Mrs. Joan Flett, kindly gave me full access to her husband’s extensive interpretative notes on the manuscript. These notes compare many of the dances in the manuscript with contemporary published sources. Additional notes in italics are by Chris Brady.
© Frank Maginnis, Joan Flett, Chris Brady - 2002

Preface # Introduction # List of Dances

Grand March # Reels # Quadrilles # Country Dances # Circle Dances

GRAND MARCH
(click on theclick hereimage to see the scanned pages)

21. No. 1 Grand March (scan click here#click here)

March twice round the hall then up the centre
Ladies cast off by the right gents by the left
Meet at the bottom and
March round single [singley] - ladies inside gents outside
Meet again ag[a]in and go up the centre in couples
First ladie cast off by the left her partner following her
The rest following in [rotation?]
The tow [two] ladies meet at the bottom and go up the centre arm in arm their partners following them and
The rest following in [rotation?]
The first tow [two] ladies cast off by the left their partners following them
The rest following in [rotation?]
The next tow [two] ladies cast off by the right their partners following
The rest following in [rotation?]
The four ladies meet at the bottom and go up the centre arm in arm their partners following them and
The rest following them in [rotation?]
Four ladies cast off by the left their partners following them
The next four cast off by the right their partners following them
The rest following in [rotation?]
The eight ladies meet at the bottom and go up the centre arm in arm their partners following them
The rest following in [rotation?]
The first eight ladies cast off by the left their partners following them
The next cast off by the right their partners following them
The rest following in [rotation?]
The sixteen ladies meet at the bottom and go up the centre and their partners following them
March to top of hall
The ladies turn right about and face their partners then commence [your?] Country Dance
If your hall is not large enough for sixteen just finish with the eight.

No. 1 Grand March - Notes:

This version ends up with couples in a double file formation, men on one side, ladies on the other side, as for a Country Dance for sixteen (or eight) couples.

No. 2 Grand March (scan click here#click here)

March twice round the hall then up the centre
Ladies cast off by the right gents by the left
Meet at the bottom and
March round singley ladies inside gents outside
Meet ag[a]in ladies outside gents inside
Meet at the bottom and go up the centre in couples
First couple cast off by the right seceond [second] couple cast off by the left
The rest following in [rotation?]
When they meet at the bottom the first couple and those that is [are] behind open up and [set?]
The seceond [second] couple with those that are behind [go?] in the centre full round
The seceond couple [second] and those that is [are] behind open next and [set?]
The first couple go in between them full round ag[a]in to the bottom and go up the centre in tow [two] couples
The first tow [two] couples cast off by the right the next two couples cast off by [the left]
The rest following [rotation?]
Meet at the bottom and go up the centre in four couples
The rest following in [rotation?]
The first four couples cast of[f] by [the] right
The next four cast off by the left
The resr following by [rotation?]
March to the bottom and go up the [centre] in four couples ag[a]in
Then begin to bring them back to single couples
Tow [two] couples cast off to the right and tow [two] by the left
The rest folowing in [rotation?]
March to the bottom and go up the centre in tow [two] couples
Then one couple cast off by the right the next by the left
The rest following in [rotation?]
Meet ag[a]in and go up the centre in single couples
Cast off by the left the rest following in [rotation?]
March round then divide them into
Squares to suit your Co[u]ntre Dance.

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