Introduction to Period Dance for the Terpsichorially Challenged:
Gathering Peascods

Like songs, dances have verses and choruses. What follows is a description of this dance, piece by piece.

Set Up

This is a circle dance. Partners are required. Six couples form a circle (the number is important). In each couple, the woman stands to the right of the man. All dancers face the center of the circle.
Start

The Dance

Verse 1

  1. Reverance.
  2. All dancers join hands.
  3. Take eight steps to the left.
  4. Drop hands, and Turn Single.
  5. Dancers take hands once again, and take eight steps to the right.
  6. Drop hands, and Turn Single.

    Chorus

    1.
    2.
    1. Men's Star:
      • The men step into the circle, their right arms pointed toward the center.
      • The men walk all the way around the circle in a clockwise direction, and return to their original places.
      • Note: You only have twelve beats to get all the way around, so do not dawdle!
    2. Women's Circle:
      • The women step into the circle and join hands.
      • The women then step all the way around the circle in a clockwise direction, and return to their original places.
      • Note: You only have twelve beats to get all the way around, so do not dawdle!
    3. The men take three steps into the center of the circle and clap.
    4. As the men step back, the women take three steps into the center of the circle and clap.
    5. As the women step back, the men take three steps into the center of the circle and clap, then turn about as they return to their places.
    6. Now the women take three steps into the center of the circle and clap.
    7. As the women step back, the men take three steps into the center of the circle and clap.
    8. As the men step back, the women take three steps into the center of the circle and clap, then turn about as they return to their places.

Verse 2

  1. Side Right.
  2. Turn Single.
  3. Side Left.
  4. Turn Single.

    Chorus

Verse 3

  1. Arm Right.
  2. Turn Single.
  3. Arm Left.
  4. Turn Single.

    Chorus

Verse 4

3.
4.		 This is the "signature move" of this dance, and it's tricky to describe.
  1. Dancers face their partners.
  2. Extend right arms to partners, as in Arming.
  3. Start to arm, but only go half-way around. The man and the woman should now have switched positions.
  4. As you reach the half-way point, extend your left arm to the next person, and release your original partner's arm. You are now dancing with a new partner.
  5. Do the same half-arm with this new partner, this time with the left arm.
  6. Continue in this manner until you have gone all the way around the circle, and are once again facing your original partner.

Chorus

Reverance.

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