The English Dancing Master, published 1651, is usually regarded as the oldest printed source for contra dancing. But besides the "longways" formation, there are several formations which are direct ancestors to square dancing:

• Rounds for as many as will (i.e. for any number of couples), where the leading couple dances a given figure with the next couple, and then with the next, and so on. If this is danced with four couples, it is a visiting couple square.
  Sample: Up Tailes all
• Rounds for eight (i.e. for four couples) which mostly are similar to a square dance break, but for some figures, head and side couples are required too.
  Samples: Mage on a Cree   /   If all the World were Paper   /   Kettle Drum
• Longways for eight (i.e. contra dances for four couples), where the center two couples dance some movements, and the end couples dance something differently at right angles, so that the lane is transformed to a square formation. These dances are the "missing link" between contra and square dancing.
  Samples: Broome  :  The bonny bonny Broome   /   The Spanyard
• For four (i.e. two couples facing), what we now call a mini-square.
  Samples: Rufty Tufty   /   Cuckolds all a row
• Square Dances (yes, they were named thus).
  Sample: Hide Parke

D.	Is for a Double.
S.	Is for a Single.
Wo.	Stands for woman.
We.	Stands for women.
Cu.	Stands for Couple.
Co.	Stands for Contrary.
2.	Stands for second.
3.	Stands for third.
4	Stands for fourth.
.	Stands for a straine playd once.
:	Stands for a straine playd twice
. :	Stands for a straine playd thrice, &c.
	These Characters expresse the Figure of the Dance.
	This stands for the Men
	This for the women.

Rounds for as many as will
These dances derived from the Farandole. The Farandole is an ancient dance where a leader leads a string of dancers (usually, but not necessarily couples) around, weaving to and fro, and sometimes crossing the own path. Now at the end of the 15th century, a lot of new ways were developed: new ways to sail across the sea, new ways to calculate the movements of the stars, a new way to play chess, and new ways of fencing and warfaring too. And I guess that around this time, here and there a daring dance leader tried a new way to dance the Farandole by leading his partner to the following couple, dancing some movements with them, and then going on to the next. Since the Stone Age, in Northern Europe the general direction of dancing followed the sun, that means it went clockwise. Consequently, when the dance leader wanted to face the following couple, he must lead to the right, as it is still done in the visiting couple squares. The "man on your right hand" is mentioned in some of these dances, and I think the rule applies to all of them. As a sample, here is the easiest one:

Up Tailes all       Round for as many as will

1st Figure: Active couple lead right, split the next couple, separate, around one (1-8); actives clap hands, hook right elbows, turn once or twice (9-16). Repeat this with the next couple, until you are back home again.

2nd Figure: Active couple lead right, split the next couple, separate, around one (1-8); both couples clap hands, form a right hand star with hands across and turn it once around (9-16). The active couple repeats this with the next couple, etc.

3rd Figure: Active couple lead right, split the next couple, separate, around one (1-8); both couples clap hands and circle left once around (9-16). The active couple repeats this with the next couple, etc.

It is not necessary that the second couple waits until the active couple is back home; it can start its turn as soon as the actives dance with the 4th couple, provided all the couples know that they must stop, when they reached their home position again.

Both the dance and the tune are simple enough to consider this as a folk dance.

Other dances of this kind are:

• Mill-field
• Rose is white and Rose is red
• Peppers Black
• Chirping of the Nightingale

  Top     Rounds for as many as will     Longways for eight     For four     Square Dances     End

Rounds for eight
Four couples in a circle dance figures like a square dance break, and sometimes two facing couples dance this and the other two couples dance that, so that the circle is transformed into a square. A dance with only circular figures is

Mage on a Cree       Round for eight       (Mach kein Geschrei!)

1A) All join hands, dance forward and back, then a Set and Turn (as described in the introduction to Up Tailes All). Repeat. (The melody is played twice through.)
1B) The men walk forward, face the corner lady (and bow), give both hands and turn once around, then square your set. The ladies walk forward, face the partner, give hands as before, turn once around, then square your set. (The melody is played through two more times.)

2A) Face partner, walk forward until your right shoulders are side by side; back again. Set toward your partner and turn single. Walk forward until your left shoulders are side by side; back again. Set and turn single.
2B) The men dance in front of the corner lady and behind the opposite lady to the opposite place, come into the middle, then walk clockwise in a C-shaped pattern back to that place. This is repeated. Then the ladies pass in front of the partner and behind the left hand gent to the opposite place, come into the middle, then roll out clockwise to that place. This is repeated. For 2A & 2B, the melody must be played six times through.

3A) Hook right elbows with partner, dance once around, then Set and Turn. Hook left elbows, dance once around, Set and Turn.
3B) The men give both hands to the corner lady, turn full around, pass her by, give both hands to the opposite lady and turn with her, pass her by, give both hands to the right hand lady, turn with her, pass her by, give both hands to partner, turn once and a half, then square your set. The ladies keep their places, the men must make that extra effort to travel around.

Those who have learned this dance from other sources may note that my interpretation of the 2B part differs a bit from that by the EFDSS. I do believe that Cecil Sharp there fell in a trap which was simply caused by the length of the lines in Playford’s book. If you use canned music which follows this interpretation, you will find the melody played only 4 times through for the second part. In that case, omit 2A, because this is a general part which occurs in several dances, so that the loss may be compensated.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the title refers to a magician at the point of outburst.

In the next dance, every figure differentiates between head and side couples:

If all the World were Paper       Round for eight      

1A) As Mage on a Cree 1A.
1B) Head men change places with 4 steps, passing right shoulder; head ladies change places similarly. Half square thru without giving hands, then face in. (Or slide thru twice.) Side couples repeat this.

2A) As Mage on a Cree 2A.
2B) Head couples pair off (step forward, face your corner), split the sides, separate, around one, turn your partner with both hands around and square your set. Side couples repeat this.

3A) As Mage on a Cree 3A.
3B) Head couples pass thru, partner trade, left square thru two hands, face in. Side couples repeat this.

Whether the different forms of half square thru in 1B and 3B add variety or merely difficulty, is an issue which in one form or the other still is a burning question in square dancing.

Other dances of this category are:

• The fine Companion
• Newcastle
• Kettle Drum

Kettle Drum       A round Dance for eight

To explain away the difficulty in the 2B part, you must accept one of these excuses: Either the friend of John Playford who contributed this dance scribbled in a quite illegible handwriting; or the printer had a real bad headache that morning; or these both conditions were met. If so, we may assume that "The 2. Cu." in fact means "The first two couples", and go on from there.

1A) Forward and back, twice
1B) Ladies step forward and form a right hand star; balance twice and step back. Men step forward, form a right hand star, balance twice, then turn partner by the right hand. Men form a left hand star and balance twice, back out. Ladies form a left hand star, balance twice, then turn partner by the left hand. (Some interpreters suggest that you turn those stars halfway around instead of merely balancing.)

2A) Face partner. Dance forward until your right shoulders are side by side, dance back. Dance forward until your left shoulders are side by side, dance back.
2B) Head couples forward and back, side couples forward, box the gnat, back out; head couples forward and back, side couples lead right, split the head couples, face left and promenade single file to your places.

3A) Hook right elbows with partner and turn once around. Hook left elbows and turn once around.
3B) Give your partner both hands, swing them inwards, let go and with the same momentum turn back to back; embrace the corner and kiss her on both cheeks. Give both hands to your corner, swing them outwards, let go and turn back to back; embrace your partner and kiss her on both cheeks. Give both hands to partner, turn once around and bow.

The figure 2B looks a bit strange, especially as the side couples do the major part. Maybe "The 2. Cu." meant the side couples, and they had no fitting term for them in those days? I am afraid nobody can tell now, and I would rather not trouble the witch of Endor to find out.

  Top     Rounds for as many as will     Rounds for eight     For four     Square Dances     End

Longways for eight:
There are several contras for four couples where the first and last couple dance a certain figure, while the center two couples dance something different at right angles. These dances are probably the "missing link" between contra and square dancing. A pretty one of this sort is

Broome  :  The bonny bonny Broome       For eight       (Gelber Ginster)

2A) As Mage on a Cree 2A.
2B) Man #1 and man #2, man #3 and man #4, lady #1 and lady #2, lady #3 and lady #4 give both hands and turn halfway to the other one’s place. There they dance a Set and Turn. This is repeated to the original place.

3A) As Mage on a Cree 3A.
3B) Men #2 and #3 face out, as do lady #2 and #3; couple #1 face up, couple #4 face down. All go forward, turn back, come back, and all eight circle left halfway. This is repeated.

In the next dance, the relationship to a square dance is even more obvious, as the second half of the first figure is very similar to a Grand Square:

The Spanyard       Longwayes for eight

2A) As Mage on a Cree 2A. The Melody is played twice for this part.
2B) Broken Pousette (resp. Wheelbarrow): The odd-numbered men push, the even-numbered men pull their partner out, then steer into the neighbor couple’s place. There all dance a Set and Turn. This is repeted, following the neighbor couple’s path. The melody is played two more times for this part.

3A) As Mage on a Cree 3A. The Melody is played twice for this part.
3B) First contra corners go forward and back, then give both hands and turn once and a half to exchange places. The second contra corners dance this also. Then the first contra corners repeat, and the second contra corners repeat. The melody is played four times for this part.

Other dances with similar features are:

• The Spanish Jeepsie
• The Health
• Aye me, Or the Simphony
• Cherily and merrily

For Four:
Two couples face each other. The easiest dance of this kind is

Rufty tufty       For foure      

This is the interpretation I found in other books:

1A) Forward and back, twice
1B) Set and Turn
1C) Couples join left hands and lead left 4 steps. Everyone turns individually on the last step. Couples join right hands and lead right 4 steps, back to the original place. With 4 more steps, everyone dances a small clockwise circle and ends facing the other couple.
Join right hands with the one in front, and those couples lead right 4 steps, turning back individually on the last step. Join left hands and lead left, back to original places. With 4 steps dance a small circle (this time better counterclockwise) and end facing the partner.

2A) Face partner, walk forward until your right shoulders are side by side; back again. Walk forward until your left shoulders are side by side; back again.
2B) Set and Turn
2C) As 1C

3A) Hook right elbows with partner, dance once around. Hook left elbows, dance once around.
3B) Set and Turn
3C) As 1C

But in the 1C part, where is the "meet again"? If you assume that your partner stands in front of you, and not by your side, then you could interpret this part thus:

With your partner, face the nearest side wall, walk away from the set, turn back, come back and turn single. Turn your back to your partner, with the other lady walk up resp. down, turn back, come back and turn single.

But then, why take your partner by the left hand? You see, some questions remain.

In the next dance, all the parts are different:

Cuckolds all a row       For foure      

1A) Forward and back, twice
1B) Turn your back to the opposite (and bow this way), then face again, and dosado. Turn your back to your partner, face again, and dosado. (There are other interpretations which seem less silly, however this is what I read out of it.)

2A) Sides right shoulder with your partner; sides left shoulder with the opposite.
2B) Men change places (passing right shoulders) with four steps, then the ladies change places with four steps. All join hands and circle left once around. (Keep the circle tight.) Ladies change places, men change places, circle left once around.
The sequence of "Men change places, ladies change places" (or: first corners cross over, second corners cross over) was later named a half chain, and, if repeated immediately, a chain, probably because the paths (two interlinked ovals) resemble two members of a chain.

3A) Hook right elbows with your partner and turn once around; hook left elbows with your opposite and turn once around.
3B) Half Pousette, the men start pushing. All face right and dance on a clockwise circle, the men in front, the partner follows. Half Pousette back to places, men start again pushing. All face left and dance on a counterclockwise circle.

If you dance just for the fun of it, or with a less experienced group, I think it will be still near enough the historical truth to replace the 1B and 3B part with the 2B part.

This dance is alo known under the title of Hey Boys, up go we.

Other dances in this formation are:

• Parsons farewell
• Hit and misse
• Hearts Ease
• Argeers
• Saint Martins
• The Glory of the West

Finally there were three dances classified as Square Dances:

• Faine I would
• Dull Sir John
• and

From the diagram you see that the couples were numbered clockwise, not counterclockwise as today. But this has not much to say, as the dance only differentiates between head and side couples. Moreover, the description of the 1B part is at odds with the diagram, as man #1 and lady #3 should sashay out through couple #4. This works only with nowadays way of counting.

1A) Head couples forward and back; side couples forward and back.
1B) Head couples in butterfly position sashay in four steps, then with the opposite sashay out through the nearest side couple; separate and go around one to your places. The side couples repeat this.

2A) As 1A
2B) Side couples turn partner right halfway, then make arches, while the head couples face partner, pass by and go outside around one, then come through the arches to the partner’s place. Immediately, head couples turn partner right halfway, side couples pass by, etc. to original places.

3A) As 1A
3B) Men only weave the ring, then ladies only weave the ring.

This essay was written to celebrate February 29, 2000. According the Gregorian calendar, an intercalary day in an "00"-year occurs only once in 400 years.

It was made possible with the help of the following books:
The English Dancing Master / 1651 / reset and transcribed 1933 / Dance Horizons, New York
The Country Dance Book (1...6), by Cecil J. Sharp / 1909 ... 1922 / reprint 1985 / H. Styles
Elizabethan Country Dances, by John Fitzhugh Millar / 1985 / 13 Colonies Press, Williamsburg, VA
The Playford Ball, by Kate Van Winkle Keller & Genevieve Shimer / 1990 / Dance Books, London

This essay had been published by the Lloyd Shaw Foundation in The American Dance Circle.