Moving right along from my first post in the Sixdrilles series, here are the reconstructions of the next two figures:
Figure Two: L’Été (8b introduction + 24bx4)
4b First gentleman and two opposite ladies en avant and en arrière.
4b Same three chassez-dechassez (à droite et à gauche)
4b Same three traversez, gentleman crossing between the two ladies
4b Same three chassez-dechassez
4b Same three traversez/balancez [see note below] while partners balancez
4b Same three rond de trois
The figure is then repeated by the second gentleman and the two opposite ladies, the third gentlemen and two opposite ladies, and the fourth gentleman and two opposite ladies.
Reconstruction and performance notes
This figure is simply the classic Été figure with an extra lady added in. A few quick notes:
1. This figure looks much better if the two ladies in each trio coordinate their chassez-dechassez, traversez, and balancez step-sequences so that they perform the same steps in perfect unison.
2. There are quite a few different ways to perform the final traversez/balancez in the usual L'Été, and the Sixdrilles are no exception. Boulogne offers "Cross back again, setting to partners" while the Lowes gives "Cross back again, set". I regard this as a suitable opportunity for individual creativity, or joint creativity on the part of the pairs of ladies, but it is important to keep in mind that this figure is followed by a rond de trois for which the gentleman needs to be behind the two ladies. That means the active gentleman needs to move past his partners, who in turn balancez moving forward into an inward-facing triangle in preparation for the rond. The active ladies need to shorten their path so they end up still slightly inside the set. They don't turn to face in again; their path will take them neatly back into the desired triangle formation without any extra effort. Their gentleman needs to do his balancez sequence, whatever it may be, without any forward motion.
Figure 3: La Poule (8b introduction + 32bx4)
8b Four head ladies traversez by right hands and back by the left, keeping hands, turning to face the center and giving right hands to their gentleman partners, who step up to complete the "garland" circle
4b All six balancez in this formation
4b Demi-promenade
8b Two gentlemen only, en avant and en arrière, then dos-à-dos
8b All six en avant and en arrière, then traversez back to places
The figure is repeated once exactly the same way. On the third and fourth times through, the side couples perform the figure.
Reconstruction and performance notes
Once again, this is a close adaptation of the standard third figure, but a few notes are needed:
1. The two sources have one noticeable difference, however. The Lowes describe the setting formation as "holding hands round like a garland" while Boulogne says "all six in a line set". I am completely unclear as to how both ladies in a trio can give right hands to their partner and somehow have it end up as a line rather than as a circle. For the "garland" circle, the left-hand ladies must turn inward to their left and cross their right arm over left to give the right hand to their partner. The right-hand ladies simply offer their hand in the normal way.
2. The balancez in the garland figure needs to be thought out by the vis-à-vis trios in advance -- a simple setting combination like pas de basque or sissone-assemblé will work best. Moving out of the garland into the demi-promenade is somewhat awkward. I don't recommend even trying to switch handholds; just leave them asymmetrical as they were in the garland formation. The trios should not wheel round. They should move straight across, squeezing around the other trio, and turn individually. This sets up the final cross back to places, which both sources describe simply as a "pass" to places. (Note that this is why I do not interpret the Lowes' "pass to places" in Le Pantalon as simply a poorly-phrased chaîne anglaise.)
3. This is the one figure where the quadrille and Sixdrille versions of the First Set have a minor musical conflict. Normally a quadrille figure would not have been performed four times if there was not a different leading couple/pair/dancer each time. In a standard quadrille, La Poule does differ each time, as it is led by each vis-à-vis pair in turn. The Sixdrilles only have two leading groups, the head trios and the side trios, so unless the entire room is dancing in Sixdrille formation, the dancers will simply have to resign themselves to extra repeats.
Comments