The Single Kemkóssy and Double Kemkóssy are two "Setting or Footing" steps for late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Scotch reels described by Scottish dancing master Francis Peacock in Sketches relative to the history and theory, but more especially to the practice of dancing (Aberdeen, 1805). Peacock gives the Gaelic etymology of the term Kemkóssy as "Cèum-coisiche, from Cèum, a step, and Coiseachadh, to foot it, or ply the feet."
These steps also appear in a few English dance manuals from later in the century, including The Ball Room Annual (London, c1844) and Rudolph Radestock's The Royal Ball-Room Guide (London, c1877) with slightly different descriptions that were obviously derived from Peacock. I will refer to these descriptions only when they add something useful.
Peacock's description of the Single Kemkóssy:
You pass the right foot behind the left to the fifth position, making a gentle bound, or spring, with the left foot, to the second position; after passing the right foot again behind the left, you make a hop upon it, extending the left toe. You do the same step, by passing the left foot twice behind the right, concluding, as before, with a hop. This step is generally done with each foot alternately, during the whole of the second measure of the tune.
This is one of the easiest setting steps to perform, and Peacock's description is so clear that I have very little to add. Bring the right foot to fifth behind, spring lightly to second with the left foot, bring the right foot to fifth behind again, and hop on the left foot, pointing the right foot in a raised second position. The "call" is "behind-spring-behind-hop/point", taking one measure of music with the rhythm 1&2&. It can move in either direction.
Later English sources mention "pointing the left foot in the second position" on the hop, which I believe is what Peacock intended by "extending the left toe".
At the end of his description, Peacock seems to be suggesting that this step alone is a suitable step for the entire eight bars of setting customary in a standard Scotch reel, meaning that it would be performed eight times overall, initiating alternately with the right foot (moving to the left) and the left foot (moving to the right).
In performance, the points to be careful of are (1) not over-crossing behind; (2) making (gentle) "bounds" or springs, rather than steps; and (3) not locking the knee of the supporting foot on the hop. There is not a lot of time for deep pliés in dancing reels, but the knees should not be stiff when landing a hop. The knees will also bend naturally when bringing the foot backward to fifth position.
Peacock's description of the Double Kemkóssy:
This step differs from the Single Kemkóssy only in its additional number of motions. You pass the foot four times behind the other, before you hop, which must always be on the hindmost foot.
This is simply an extended two-measure version of the above: 1&2&3&4&, or behind-spring-behind-spring-behind-spring-behind-hop/point. If used to fill out eight bars of setting, it need only be done four times.
Though Peacock does not spell this out in detail beyond encouraging dancers to explore different combinations of steps, it is also possible to employ both versions together for a more interesting setting sequence involving two Double Kemkóssy (D) and four Single Kemkóssy (S). Possible sequences would include DDSSSS, DSSDSS, SSDSSD, SSSSDD, etc.
When dancing a reel for three, in which the center person needs to dance with each of the other dancers in turn, a 180º turn may easily be made at the end of a Kemkóssy by simply swinging the free foot back and around on the hop and letting the momentum carry one around. So one might perform four Single Kemkóssy steps, with the final one initiating with the left foot and moving to the right. The right foot will be free at the end; swing it out and around backwards on the hop, turning clockwise to face the other dancer. Repeat this at the end of the next four Single Kemkóssy steps to turn again and begin the reel. The same technique applies if using Double Kemkóssy steps, except that the turn is after the second Double Kemkóssy each time. The turn can also be made counter-clockwise if using one of the sequences above in which the four-bar point comes when the left foot is free.
Interestingly, two steps with some similarities to the Double Kemkóssy appears as steps for country dances in a near-contemporary American dance manual, the pseudonymous Saltator's A Treatise on Dancing (Boston, 1802). The first is "Le Contretems, the cross steps". Saltator gives a series of seven sideways movements, alternating feet, from third to second position (3rd-2nd-3rd-2nd-3rd-2nd-3rd). Though he leaves out the hop and extension of the foot and uses third instead of fifth, that is the basic pattern of a Double Kemkóssy. Unfortunately, Saltator does not specify whether the steps to third are behind or in front or alternating, so it's impossible to tell how close the match is. The second is the very similar "simple cross steps", which are described by Saltator as 5th-2nd-3rd-2nd-3rd-2nd-3rd, again without specifying behind or in front or alternating. This is identical to the Contretems except in that initial step to fifth position rather than third. Possibly the distinction between the two was so well-known to American dancers of the day that Saltator felt no need to include it.
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