Chestnut (dance)

Chestnut, also known as Doves Figary is a dance from Playford's Dancing Master.

Steps and Movements Used

• Doubles left and right (DL and DR) and back (DLb and DrB)
• Hands all (Hands)
• Arms (AR and AL)
• Sides (SdR and SdL)
• Hey (Hey)
• Lead in (Lead In)
• Cast off (Cast Off)

Choreography

This dance starts with three sets of couples facing up the hall, in a line one after the other. Note that the second verse is armings, not sidings and vice versa for the third.

First Verse

DL, DRb
DL, DRb

First Chorus

Turning to face each other couples do a double left back followed by a double right to change places. Men do hands all, as do women, and turn a full circle. Turning to face each other again the chorus is repeated to bring people back to their original position.

DLb, DR
Hands (men in one group, women the other, turn full circle)
DLb, DR
Hands (men in one group, women the other, turn full circle)

Second Verse

AR
AL

Second Chorus

Still facing each other couples do a double left back followed by a double right to change places as before. Men hay amongst themselves as do women, until the first couple is last and the last first. This chorus is then repeated.

DLb, DR
Hey (men in one group, women the other, half a cycle)
DLb, DR
Hey (men in one group, women the other, half a cycle)

Third Verse

SdR
SdL

Third Chorus

Still facing each other couples do a double left back followed by a double right to change places as before. The top couple Lead In, followed by the others. The top couple is now at the bottom, the bottom couple at the top. This chorus is then repeated, except that instead of leading in, the top couple (who are now at the bottom) Cast Off.

DLb, DR
Couple 1 Lead In
DLb, DR
Couple 1 Cast Off.

External links

• Instructions from the 1651 edition
• Reconstruction from Del's dance book