Longways 101

Longways, reel, contra, anglaise, english country dance… Are you lost?

When the dance master calls for a “three couple reel”, they could as well call “Quidditch klingon”… that would be the same for you.

Once the dance starts, everything gets tangled up in your head. You’re trying to work out where to go, and why you shouldn’t systematically go round Louise when the caller announces ‘cast out’.

And first of all, where do these barbaric words come from?

Are they old-fashioned, or were they invented by some smart alec who thought that everyone would understand ‘facing the Presence’ (no).

But don’t panic! In this article, I’ll tell you all about the longways and its history, with tips to help you find your way around.

Where to stand, how to progress, how people danced back then? The most typical form of English country dance will no longer hold any secrets for you!

Being a French native speaker, I write in English as good as I can. Please let me know if you sot any error. thank you!

What is a longways ?

The longways, English country dance or contra line is a formation where the dancers form two lines facing each other. That type of dance usually includes a progression, meaning that the couples will change place.

Longways are associated with England in the collective imagination. You only have to watch an English historical film to realise this (Jane Austen adaptations, Poldark…). However, there are many English country dances that are not longways: circles, squares, lines and so on.

Longways can be found outside England, notably in the Walloon repertoire (Vieille Maclote); in 18th-century France, and so on.

But I digress!

How do you set up for a longways?

A line of Men (leaders) faces a line of Ladies (followers). Each faces his partner.

Usually, the longways is “for as many as will “, so any number of couple can join the dance. I will mainly speak about those longways.

Ancient sources sometimes mention “Longways for x couples“. The number of dancers is thus limited. John Playford (and his successors, 1651-1728) is even kind enough to draw the dancers’ position for us.

In modern books, it is commonly called “Set for x couples” and not longways. In Scotland, they speak of “reel for x couples”. Longways for a set number of dancers do not always have a progression.

Good, we are now in position to start.

Where is the top? Where are the women?

Now, we need a common languade to get our bearings. Without points of references, we would be like a sailor without a compass.

Those points of references are necessary to write, teach and learn the dance.

Presence is the first element to place yourself correctly.

The Presence (also called “top”), is the place of honour at the ball. The King’s place, of the most important person’s place during the ball. Nowadays, it is usually the musicians’ place (or the place of the sound system).

When the dancers are facing the Presence, Man is on the Left and Ladies on the right.

At each turn of the dance, couples will go “up” to the Presence, or “down” to the opposite of the Presence. This is called progression, I’ll come back to it.

Until 18th century, the dancers are always “proper“, meaning that all the leaders are on the same side, with their partner facing them.

From the 1700s, the longways are sometimes “improper“, meaning that the partners of the active couples (the 1s) switch places. So the leaders of active couples are in the Ladies lines, and vice versa.

The contras, american modern longways, are always improper.

Well, let’s start dancing!

Progression in a longways Duple Minor Set – “Hands four!”

Important note !

Even if I speak of progression, longways is not a “progressive dance”. The dancers do not change partners during the dance – contrary the actual progressive dances as Circassian circle for example. In the longways, couples are progressing, not partners.

Your starting partner will remain your partner throughout the dance, so choose wisely 😉

When the dancing master announces ‘Hands four! ‘or ‘Hands four from the head’, this means that we’re going to dance a longways duple minor set.

This complicated expression simply means that the longways will be made up of small groups (minor sets) of two couples. These four people will interact with each other during a repeat of the dance.

To find our three starting partners, we hold hands and form circles of four people. To avoid a couple finding themselves alone in the middle of the longways, the circles are formed from the head up. So if a couple has to be alone, they’ll be at the very bottom of the longways. But don’t worry: they’ll still be able to dance!

Once these little circles have been formed, the couples can number themselves. The couple closest to the top will be number 1 (active couple), the other will be number 2.

As the dance progresses, the ‘1’ couples will move down the longways. Conversely, the ‘2’ couples will gradually move up towards the Presence.

How do the couples move?

At the end of each repeat of the dance, couples 1 & 2 of the minor set will have switched places: the 1s will be closer to the bottom, the 2s will be closer to the Presence. That is progression.

Many figures make the couples progress: un simple half-turn with your neighbour is already a progression. Creative choreographers have invented many, many of those progression figures.

On the next repeat, couple 1 is still a couple 1, and dance with another couple 2, just below.

Couple 2 also keeps its number, and will dance with another couple 1, just above.

Couples 1 always go down to the bottom, while couples 2 go up to the Presence. Couples keep their number until they reach the end of the line.

At the end of the longways…

When a couple 1 reaches the end of the line – i.e., when there is no more couple 2 under it – couple 1 stays inactive during a turn of the dance.

This is no time to be distracted! It’s useful to remember the movements of couple 2 while you’re inactive.

At the next restart, the inactive couple rejoins the dance as couple 2. Be ready to get back into the dance!

The same principle applies when a couple 2 reaches the top of the longways: the couple 2 passes their turn for a repeat of the dance, then re-enters the dance with a new ‘1’ role.

The longways duple minor set is the most common form. So with the above information, you’re already well on your way to a ball. But if you’re dancing more sophisticated or historical choreography, you’ll need the rest.

Longways Triple Minor Set– « Hands six ! »

There is also another form of longways, made up of sub-groups of three couples: the triple minor set. The dancing master announces ‘Hands six!’ or ‘Hands six from the top!’.

Circles of six people then form, again starting from the head.

Once again, the highest couple (facing downwards) will be couple 1. Just below couple 1 will be couple 2. And of course, the last couple will be couple 3.

Do you still understand?

At the end of each dance repeat, couples 1 and 2 change places. Couple 3 stays where they were at the beginning.

Then, couple 1 does exactly the same dance again, with the two couples below them.

Couple 2 becomes couple 3 (with new couples 1 and 2), while couple 3 becomes couple 2, with the same couple 1 and a new couple 3.

It’s a bit complex, so don’t hesitate to look at the pictures to understand. In practice, it’s much simpler, I promise!

Couples 1 go down all along, as for a duple minor set. Couples 2 & 3 go up to the Presence, alternating number on each repeat: 2, 3, 2, 3, etc.

At a end of the longways…

This is where it all gets complicated! Well, I admit… it wasn’t easy before, but we’re almost there 🙂

There comes a time when couple 1 has only one couple below them: couple 2. At this point – and this is crucial – these two couples must continue to dance, with a ‘ghost’ couple 3.

By the end of this repeat, couple 1 is at the very bottom, in last place on the longways, and couple 2 just above them.

At the next repeat (n+1), the former couple 1 will be inactive, while couple 2 will become couple 3 in a new sub-group (they will then dance in the normal way).

For the following restart (n+2), the former couple 1 will re-enter the dance as couple 3.

A l’autre bout du longways…

When a couple reaches Presence, they play the role of couple 2 one last time. They then remain inactive for two complete repeats. They wait until enough couples are available below them to dance normally.

At the end of his first ‘inactive period’, a couple will join him in his ‘inactivity’.

At the end of their second ‘period of inactivity’, a third couple will join them. Then the couple can start dancing again, in the role of couple 1, with the two couples below them.

Conclusion: in a longways triple minor set, you should dance as much as you can, even with ‘ghost’ couples if you have to.

At the bottom of the longways, there’s one repeat of inactivity. At the top of the longways, there are two.

Above all, don’t panic: it’s easier to dance than to understand!

An unusual progression

You will rarely dance a Triple minor set. This is because the progression is quite arduous, but above all because the 3 couples don’t do anything interesting. They really don’t.

The third couple serves mainly as a foil for the active couple. Couple 3 is passed around in all directions, sometimes taking part in a walk or a circle, but they never get a chance to shine.

In general, triple minor set dances are not very satisfying for today’s dancer. When they are, the third couple is bored stiff.

Dancing masters have several solutions to make the dance enjoyable for everyone:

• Don’t dance this choreography – the simple and effective solution;
• Add a figure for couple 3 to keep all the dancers moving;
• Turn the dance into a Duple Minor Set;
• Turn the dance into a set for three couples: each couple plays the active role once and finishes in third position. There are then only three repeats;
• Turning the dance into a set for four couples: a very common solution in Scottish dances. Couple 1 dances with couples 2 and 3, then with couples 3 and 4. Couple 1 then moves up to 4th position, and a new active couple leads the dance. There are eight repeats before everyone is back where they started.

Wholeset progression

After that very complex progression, let’s see something easier!

For the « wholeset progression » couples do not need to be numbered. The first couple leads.

At the end of a dance repeat, the leading couple arrives in last position in the longways.

A new couples become the learder for the next repeat.

This type of progression exists for longways as many as will, like Sir Roger of Coverley (18th-20th century), for example. It can also be observed in three-couple sets, amongst other Upon a summer day (Dancing Master, 1670-1690), La Colonnese (Giovanni Ambrosio, 1463).

In the folk dance, that progression is quite common: Waves of Tory (Ireland), The Willow (British Isles), Branle de Mariembourg (Belgium)…

Autres progressions en longway

A few longways uses different progressions. The progression mechanism is then unique to that dance, or so.

For example in Half Hannikin (Dancing Master 1651), each dancer progresses one place to their left on each turn.

There also are double, and even triple progression, where one repeat of the dance makes the couples progress 2 or 3 times instead of only one.

If you bump into one of those UCO (Unidentified Choreographic Objects), don’t panic!

Those dances are usually more unsettling than really complex. By the way, experienced dancers find them more difficult than the beginners!

Historical, “courteous” or “snowball” progression

Are the progressions here above historically correct?

The wholeset progression is historically correct. It is attested for at least 18th century.

Duple and triple minor set progressions, as described above, are recent creations.

Indeed, it is quite new that all dancers start to move at the same time. The objective of the longways during previous centuries is to highlight one, and only one couple .

How do we progress historically in a longways?

All dancers form the longways, without numbering themselves. Only the couple at the very top starts to dance, with one or two couples just below.

The other dancers stays quiet. Once the leading couples arrives to you, you can start to dance, not before.

When a couple reaches the top of the dance, they wait to have enough available couples under them to dance: after one repeat for a duple minor sets, after two repeats for triple minor sets.

The dance finishes when the leading couple went all the way down the longways, then all the way up to the top. Some author recommend that the leading couple still dance three repeats after that, or even one more time all the way to the bottom a second time.

That historical way of progressins has no name, as it was the only one used.

When the ways of dancing evolved, nobody thought to name the obsolete system. You can find the names “courteous progression”, or “snowball progression”, because few dancers are dancing at the start, then more and more dancers join the dance.

Why don’t we dance the longways in the historically correct way?

“Snowball progression” is the only correct progression for longways from 17th and 18th centuries (with the wholeset), but you’ll very rarely practice it.

And that’s perfectly normal! These days, people come to dance, not to watch it. The philosophy of social dancing has evolved.

The snowball progression is very unequal, between the leading couple who dance all the time, and the last couple who only dance half the time. Today, dancers expect something more equitable.

Finally, this historical progression is the one that makes the dance last the longest. For example, a ‘short’ longways with 12 couples, where each dance repeat lasts just 18 seconds.

Number of repeats required: 45.

Total time: 13 minutes and 30 seconds!

At the time, accepting an invitation to dance was a real commitment.

Atypical longways

All the longways mentionned above use the couple as unit: groups of two dancers are progressing.

But they are other forms of longways.

It is for example possible to have a triple column. Where the Man stands between two Women, and the column is form by trios. Good examples are Rustic reel (Huestis, 1841) and swedish dances, typical from the 1820s.

Just for fun, I add Rakes of Mallow (Ireland), choreographed in the beginning of 20th century by Lorcán Ó Muireadhaigh (1883-1941). It is the only dance where trios are formed by a Man on the Left, and two Ladies on the Right.

The unit can also be lines of four dancers: Siege of Ennis (Ireland), La Tempête (1820), mescolanzes (1820s-1830s) …

Luckily, those atypical longways uses a duple minor set progession, making them easier!

Conclusions

I get that this article is very dense. That’s why I wrote you a cheat sheet!

You’ll get a sum up for:

• How to form the longways
• How to progress in duple and triple minor set
• A glossary of useful terms for country dancing
• All with schematics !

With that guide you won’t get lost anymore!