THE DOWN QUADRILLES

Study Notes Copyright © William Lynch 2007

First Figure (2/4 Marches) 80 bars
INTRODUCTION: Dancers honour their partners, then their corners. 8 bars
1 Top couples:
Crossover: ladies first exchange places, L to L, followed by gents, R to R, and all four turn inwards to face centre (4 bars). The movement is repeated back to place.
8 bars
Swing partners, with waltz hold. 8 bars
Ladies chain: R hands in the centre, link L elbows with the opposite gent to turn with him twice, take R hands again in the centre and waltz hold with own partners. 8 bars
Swing partners. 8 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 32 bars
FINISH: Dancers stand in place. 8 bars
Second Figure (2/4 Marches) 144 bars
INTRODUCTION 8 bars
1 Top couples:
Advance and retire twice, R hand in R hand, stepping 1, 2, 3, swing, back, 2, 3, swing.
8 bars
Crossover, and remain in the opposite place. 4 bars
Advance and retire twice. 8 bars
Crossover, back to place. 4 bars
Swing partners. 8 bars
Advance and retire twice.
Crossover, and remain in the opposite place.
Advance and retire twice.
Crossover, back to place.
Swing partners.
32 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 64 bars
FINISH 8 bars
Third Figure (2/4 Marches) 144 bars
INTRODUCTION 8 bars
1 Top couples:
1st gent and 2nd lady dance in (2 bars) and swing.  On the last bar they take R hand hold, each facing clockwise around the set, and L hand hold with their partners to form a line with alternate dancers facing in the same direction.
8 bars
Dance in place (4 bars, dancing step, swing, step, swing, step, swing, step, swing) and lead across to the opposite place with L hand hold, ladies passing L shoulder to L shoulder. 8 bars
1st gent and 2nd lady advance and retire twice, honouring each other as they meet. 8 bars
Advance and retire with R hands held and crossover. 8 bars
2nd gent and 1st lady dance in and swing, forming the line on the last bar. 8 bars
Dance in place and lead across. 8 bars
2nd gent and 1st lady advance and retire twice, honouring each other as they meet. 8 bars
Advance and retire and crossover. 8 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 64 bars
FINISH 8 bars
Fourth Figure (Polkas) 208 bars
INTRODUCTION 8 bars
1 Top couples:
Ladies chain.
8 bars
Swing partners. 8 bars
1st couple swing across the set and form the three-and-one formation with the second couple - gents facing each other and both ladies facing out of the set and holding inside hands with the second gent. 8 bars
Dance in, out and back in (6 bars).  On the 3rd bar the 1st gent stands and waits for the line of three to re-join him. On the last 2 bars the gents stand while the ladies drop hands, turn inwards ½ turn and take inside hands with 1st gent. 8 bars
Dance in, out, and back in, the 2nd gent standing to wait for the line-of-three.  On the last 2 bars the ladies turn inwards and the dancers take hold to swing four. 8 bars
Swing four, falling back to place on the last bar. 8 bars
Ladies chain.
Swing partners.
16 bars
2nd couple swing across and form the three-and-one formation with the first couple.
Dance in, out and back in, the 2nd gent standing on the 3rd bar.
Dance in, out and back in, the 1st gent standing.
Swing four, falling back to place on the last bar.
32 bars
2 Side couples now dance 1. 64 bars
FINISH 8 bars
Fifth Figure (Polkas) 160 bars
INTRODUCTION 8 bars
1 Circle: All join hands in a circle and advance and retire twice. 8 bars
2 Swing partners. 8 bars
3 Top couples:
Ladies chain.
8 bars
Gallop: taking waltz hold with their partners, the gents dance forwards 2x3s out of each other's way and sidestep for 2 bars across to the opposite place, passing the opposite gent back-to-back.   They then reverse with 2x3s and gallop back to place, this time the ladies passing back-to-back. 8 bars
4 Circle.
Swing partners.
16 bars
5 Side couples now dance 3. 16 bars
6 Circle.
Swing partners.
16 bars
7 Top couples repeat 3. 16 bars
8 Circle.
Swing partners.
16 bars
9 Side couples repeat 3. 16 bars
10 Circle.
Swing partners.
16 bars
FINISH 8 bars
Sixth Figure (2/4 Marches) 136 bars
INTRODUCTION 8 bars
1 Circle, advance and retire twice. 8 bars
2 Swing partners.  On the last bar, gents take L hands across with partners keeping their arms around each other's waists. 8 bars
3 Wheel around back to place. 8 bars
4 Changeover: Ladies advance and retire, dancing in, 2, 3, lift, back, lift, back, lift (4 bars) while gents stand.
Gents dance in, turn ½ turn clockwise, and dance out. At the same time, ladies dance on to face the next gent on the R. New partners meet and take waltz hold, the gent in the lady's place and the lady in the gent's place (4 bars).
8 bars
5 Swing new partners and form gent's L hand star. 8 bars
Wheel around back to the gent's place. 8 bars
Changeover. 8 bars
6 Swing new partners into the star. 8 bars
Wheel around. 8 bars
Changeover. 8 bars
7 Swing new partners. 8 bars
Wheel around. 8 bars
Changeover, back to own partners. 8 bars
8 Swing partners.
Wheel around.
8 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.

Back to top

Contents

List of Sets 1

Glossary