Nonesuch - James Prescott

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Nonesuch

Reconstruction copyright © 1998,2004 James Prescott

The choreography for the 1651 Playford dance Nonesuch as given in The Playford Ball by Keller and Shimer, based on the interpretation of Cecil Sharp, appears to be defective. This has been noted by, among others, Francis Worrell in the June 1988 issue of Country Dance and Song.

I present here an improved choreography that I believe better matches the original instructions given by Playford. The improved choreography works perfectly to the version of the music that is on the album Take a Dance by the group Bare Necessities.

On the Take a Dance album there are nine repetitions of the basic pattern of music A (16 steps) twice, music B (16 steps) twice; plus a final shorter tenth repetition with music B twice (16 steps).

A longways set for four couples, proper, facing up, each lord on the lady's left.

1	*doubles:* Couples face up, take inside hands, go forward (up) a double, then back a double. Repeat. *set and turn:* Face partner, set and turn single. Repeat.
2	*top four:* 1st couple take two hands and slip down four short slip steps to stand between 2nd couple. 1st lord turns single to right to face 2nd lord, while 1st lady turns single to left to face 2nd lady. The 1st couple should end up slightly further down the set than the 2nd couple, so that the diagonal movement of the next figure will be more natural. Modified half poussette, 1st lord pushes 2nd lord up and out diagonally a double, then they turn to left halfway taking four steps. Meanwhile 1st and 2nd ladies do similarly. Then 1st lord pushes 2nd lord down and in diagonally a double, then they turn to left a bit less than halfway taking four steps so 1st lord ends in second place (progressed). Meanwhile 1st and 2nd ladies do similarly. Result is couple order 2, 1, 3, 4. All couples turn two hands to left to place.
3	*middle four:* 1st couple and 3rd couple do similarly. Result is couple order 2, 3, 1, 4.
4	*top four and bottom four:* 2nd couple and 3rd couple, and 1st couple and 4th couple, do similarly. Result is couple order 3, 2, 4, 1.
5	*middle four:* 2nd couple and 4th couple do similarly. Result is couple order 3, 4, 2, 1.
6	*top four:* 3rd couple and 4th couple do similarly. Result is couple order 4, 3, 2, 1. See Note 1.
7	*siding:* Couples side, right shoulders first. *set and turn:* Face partner, set and turn single. Repeat.
8	*form line:* Top lord (member of 4th couple) takes two curving slip steps to own left to end up in the centre of the set facing down. Then top lady takes two curving slip steps to own left to end up in the centre of the set facing up. They will be facing each other. Other couples do similarly in sequence from top to bottom. Everyone is in a single line. See Note 2. *arming:* Couples arm, right arms first, in the line up and down the set. See Note 3.
9	*slips:* All take four slip steps to own left, lords going one way and ladies going the other, then four slip steps to own right to centre. Repeat, beginning to right. *form set:* Top lord (member of 4th couple) takes two curving slip steps to own left to lady's side of set facing in. Then top lady takes two curving slip steps to own left to lord's side of set facing in. They will be facing each other across the set, improper. Other couples do similarly in sequence from top to bottom. See Note 4.
10	*hey:* All face down, bottom lord and lady (1st couple) take right hands and cross to proper side of set, give left hands to next lady and lord respectively, and so alternate hands up the set until they are in their original places. Other lords and ladies follow down the set, meet their partners at the bottom of the set, cross, and follow up the set until all are in their original places. This is brisk, two steps per exchange. There are seven exchanges, so there are an extra two steps available in the music for the 4th couple to turn and face each other after crossing at the bottom of the set. See Note 5. The final pleasing result is couple order 1, 2, 3, 4!

Note 1: The symmetry involved in this exact reversal of the original order of the couples is pleasing.

Note 2: The two slip steps to get to the centre of the set feel a bit rushed. Three slip steps would be about right, if the music permitted it. Four short slip steps feel awkward, although they are really no worse than the four short slip steps that begin sections 2 thorugh 6, which don't feel particularly awkward.

If there were a complete additional repetition of the music then the 'form line' and 'form set' figures could be taken in twice the time, with each person moving into place with four short slip steps. This would make 'form line' repetition 8, arming and slips repetition 9, and 'form set' repetition 10. This could be more pleasing.

Note 3: There is a displeasing anomaly here of doing the arming to music B. The doubles in section 1 and the siding in section 7 are done to music A. If the modification mentioned in Note 2 were done, then the arming could be done more pleasingly to music A.

Note 4: See the comments in Note 2. There is an anomaly with the 'form line' being done to music A, and the 'form set' being done to music B. The variation proposed in Note 2 would resolve this anomaly.

Note 5: If the final repetition of the music were not shortened as on the Take a Dance album, then the hey could be done as a slow hey, four steps per exchange. This could be still more pleasing.

If the variations of Notes 2 and 5 were incorporated, there would be eleven complete repetitions of the music.

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