THE DOWN LANCERS

Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007

  8 bars

Second Figure (2/4 Marches)

144 bars

	INTRODUCTION	8 bars
1	Top couples: Advance, retire, and change places: partners hold R hand in R and advance and retire (4 bars).  With the same hold, they dance anti-clockwise ½ turn in place, honour each other, then the gent turns the lady anti-clockwise under arm as they dance past each other into their own positions.	8 bars
	Swing partners.  On the last 2 bars, the side couples separate and dance into line with the nearest top couple.	8 bars
	All advance and retire: dancers join hands in two lines facing each other and advance and retire twice.	8 bars
	All swing partners: side couples rejoin and all swing in place.	8 bars
	Advance, retire, and change places.	8 bars
	Swing partners and form two lines.	8 bars
	All advance and retire twice.	8 bars
	All swing partners.	8 bars
2	Side couples lead to dance 1., tops dancing into line with the nearest sides when required.	64 bars
	FINISH	8 bars

Third Figure (Polka)

80 bars

	INTRODUCTION	8 bars
1	Ladies advance and retire, dancing in, 2, 3, lift and back, lift, back, lift (4 bars). Gents dance in and take both hands across, top gents taking each other's hands above sides (2 bars). Ladies join the gents, dancing in to take the arms of their partner and the gent on their R ready for the swing  (2 bars).	8 bars
2	Swing eight, moving clockwise and falling back to place on the last 2 bars.	8 bars
3	Ladies advance and retire (4 bars). Gents dance in and take L hands across, tops above sides (2 bars). Ladies join the gents, arms around each other's waists and all facing anti-clockwise around the set (2 bars).	8 bars
4	Wheel around, falling back to place on the last 2 bars.	8 bars
5	Ladies advance and retire. Gents dance in and take both hands across. Ladies join the gents.	8 bars
6	Swing eight, moving anti-clockwise.	8 bars
7	Ladies advance and retire. Gents dance in and take L hands across. Ladies join the gents, but facing clockwise around the set, arms around partners' waists.	8 bars
8	Lead around clockwise, gents dancing backwards, to place.	8 bars
	FINISH	8 bars

Fourth Figure (Polka)

104 bars

	INTRODUCTION	8 bars
1	Circle: All join hands in a circle and advance and retire twice.	8 bars
2	Swing partners.  On the last bar, gents dance in, keeping their arms around the ladies' waists, and take L hands across, tops above sides.	8 bars
3	Lead around, falling back to place on the last 2 bars.	8 bars
4	Ladies dance on to the next gent on the R and new couples swing. On the last bar, gents take L hands across. Lead around.	16 bars
5	Ladies dance on and new couples swing.  Gents take L hands across. Lead around.	16 bars
6	Ladies dance on and swing.  Gents take L hands across. Lead around.	8 bars
7	Ladies dance on to own partners and swing.  Gents take L hands across. Lead around.	16 bars
	FINISH	8 bars

Fifth Figure (2/4 Marches)

248 bars

	NOTE: Flat threes are danced for the 'Chain' and 'Dance in line' rather than the march step.
	INTRODUCTION: After honouring partners and corners, partners take R hand hold and stand facing each other.	8 bars
1	Chain: All chain R hand, L hand to meet own partners in the opposite place.  They take R hands, honour each other and dance in place (8 bars).  They then continue to chain in the same direction to meet their partners and all turn into line, gents behind their partners with R hand in R hand and L in L resting on the ladies' shoulders, behind 1st tops who face out of the set in their own place.  1st sides fall in behind 1st tops while 2nd tops are last in line (8 bars).	16 bars
2	Dance in line: All dance 1 step alternately L and R, while keeping the line formation.	8 bars
3	Dance R and L: gents dance to the R and ladies to the L (2 bars) and dance in line (2 bars).  Each line then dances back through the other and all turn into line and continue the turn until the lines face each other (4 bars).	8 bars
4	Promenade: the couple leading the lines take inside hands and promenade between the lines, turn inwards, again taking inside hands, and promenade back to their starting positions.	8 bars
5	Advance and retire: dancers join hands in line and both lines advance towards each other and retire twice.	8 bars
6	Swing partners: couples rejoin and all swing.	8 bars
7	Chain, and fall into line behind 2nd tops, 2nd sides behind them and 1st tops last in line. Dance in line. Dance R and L. Promenade. Advance and retire twice. Swing partners.	56 bars
8	Chain, and fall into line behind 1st sides, 2nd tops behind them and 2nd sides last in line. Dance in line. Dance R and L. Promenade. Advance and retire twice. Swing partners.	56 bars
9	Chain, and fall into line behind 2nd sides, 1st tops behind them and 1st sides last in line. Dance in line. Dance R and L. Promenade. Advance and retire twice. Swing partners.	56 bars
10	Chain, falling back to place.	16 bars
	FINISH	8 bars

SOURCE The set is described as danced on the video 'All Set' which is produced by Craobh Productions, a subsidiary of Eclipse Promotions.

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