The Woodland Yorke

The Woodland Yorke was introduced by Maine conductor and dancing master Horace M. Pullen at the Seventeenth Annual Convention of the American Society of Professors of Dancing, held in New York City on September 4th-7th, 1894, and published in the proceedings of the convention.  Specifically, it was introduced on Tuesday, September 4th, 1894, as one of a list of eleven "works" placed in the hands of the Directors.  The convention then promptly adjoined to practice them.

The original text, as published in the convention proceedings:

"WOODLAND YORKE."
By Horace M. Pullen.

First Part. -- Slide left forward to fourth position (1); close right to left, and at same time slide left forward chassé (2);close right foot chassé to left (3).  1 bar.  Hop on right and slide left forward (1); close right to left (2); leap forward on left (3).  Repeat all the above with right foot.  4 bars.

Second Part. -- Face partners; make three slides with left foot (1 bar); change, make three slides with right foot.  Repeat the above.  4 bars in all.

Pose for first part.  Both facing same direction; join hands, gent's right, ladies' left.

 

I can't give Pullen much credit for creativity.  This is fitting together standard pieces rather than anything new or creative.  The first part is a basic York sequence, as I described here, without any hint of the optional heel-click.  The only difference is instead of being in a close ballroom hold and turning, the dancers are side-by-side, holding inside hands, and dancing in a straight line.  The steps of the second part are a three-slide galop (galop à trois pas).  Pullen did not specify turning, but I assume "change" in the description stands in for "half turn and change lead foot".  Just going back and forth along/against/along/against line of dance without turning would be silly, even by the standards of late nineteenth century dance.  The only real question is whether the dancers take a close ballroom hold for this part or continue to hold one hand, or perhaps take both hands.  It's entirely possible to turn with a three-slide galop in an open hold, though it would be much easier holding both hands.  But I think Pullen's laconic instruction to "face partners" should probably be interpreted as "take close ballroom hold".

Here is my reconstruction of the whole sequence, using the gentleman's steps.  Ladies dance opposite feet.

Woodland Yorke (eight bars of 3/4 redowa/mazurka music)
Starting hold: side by side, holding inside dance.

1               Slide the left foot forward along line of dance
&2            Close with the right foot and slide the left foot again (chassé)
3               Close with the right foot, displacing left into a raised second position (cut)
&1            Hop on the right foot and slide left to side
2               Close with the right foot, displacing left (cut)
3               Leap onto the left foot across line of dance, making a half turn
two bars    repeat all of the above leading with the right foot to finish one complete turn

(take close ballroom hold)

1&2&3    Slide-close-slide-close-slide, making a half-turn
1&2&3    Slide-close-slide-close-slide, making a half-turn
two bars   repeat three-slide galops for a second complete turn

(release partner to take inside hands and face forward to repeat the sequence)

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There may have been a piece of music called "Woodland Yorke", but I have not been able to locate it.  In its absence, the Woodland Yorke can be danced to any redowa/mazurka-accented music.

Sadly for Mr. Pullen, the Executive Committee declined to endorse his dance, and it was not one of the six dances adopted by the convention.  It thus vanished into obscurity, and would probably have stayed there if it hadn't caught my eye due to my particular interest in York variations.

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While I don't find Horace M. Pullen's dance engaging enough to trace his career in detail at this time, he was prominent enough (though not, unsurprisingly, as a dancing master) to be easy to track down.  He was best-known as the conductor of Pullen's Orchestra, still in existence and known as the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.  He is mentioned briefly on its history page.  Pullen's Orchestra played concerts and for balls, parties, and ceremonies; a simple Google search will turn up numerous mentions of it at Maine events in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  The change of name was explained in the October 22, 1901, issue of the Lewiston [Maine] Evening Journal:

The Bangor Symphony orchestra was organized and is directed by Horace M. Pullen, and, until its recent incorporation under the new name, has always been known as Pullen's orchestra.  Last spring it was deemed best to incorporate the organization and the papers were accordingly taken out and the name changed to its present form.

Pullen himself died in 1925; his memorial service was recorded in the February 21, 1925, issue of the Rockland [Maine] Courier-Gazette: 

Memorial exercises by the Bangor Orchestra in honor of the late Horace M. Pullen, founder and for many years conductor of that well known organization, were held at the City Hall, Bangor, last Sunday afternoon, and attended by a large number of music lovers, friends of the organization and of the deceased.  The exercises were presented in a most earnest manner, a fitting tribute to a man who had done so much for music loves here and elsewhere.  The only member of the family being able to be present was Stanley Pullen, a son.  Mrs. Pullen and the other son, Dexter, being in California.  James D. Maxwell, talented first cello of the orchestra and a prominent member of the organization, presided...

There was no mention of his dance accomplishments, but it was the correct Horace M. Pullen, as a brief mention in the December, 1897, issue of M. B. Gilbert's dance journal, The Director also mentioned the son named Dexter:

Bangor Maine, is "away down east," nevertheless that city is favored with a competent teacher of dancing in the person of Mr. Horace M. Pullen, the extreme eastern member of the American Society of Professors of Dancing.  Mr. Pullen's many professional friends will be pleased to learn that his family ties are more firmly united through the recent arrival of young Dexter Pullen.  May the son and heir bring joy to fond mamma and doting papa.