Chestnut

 



This is a dance for 3 couples in a line. It is unusual in that the sequence is doubles-arms-sides instead of the usual doubles-sides-arms, but when Playford reprinted this dance in his “revised” second edition, it kept the same order so we can only assume that he meant it to be that way.

 


Verse 1

1 – 4

DLf DRb

Double forwards and back


5 – 8

DLf DRb

Repeat

 


Chorus

1 – 2

DLb

Turn to face your partner, then double back away from them.


3 – 4

DRf

Double forwards towards your partner, taking both hands and changing into their place.


5 – 8

Half Circle

Men join hands and circle half way around, so that the top man ends up in the bottom man's place, and vice-versa. At the same time, the ladies take hands and do the same.


9 – 16

Repeat

Repeat 1 – 8 above so that everyone ends up back in their place.

 


Verse 2

1 – 8

Arm L, Arm R

With partner.

 


Chorus

1 – 4

DLb DRf

Double forwards and back, changing places as in the first chorus.


5 – 8

Half Hey

The men make half a hey, so that the top man ends up in the bottom man's place, and vice-versa. At the same time the ladies do the same.


9 – 16

Repeat

Repeat 1 – 8 above so that everyone ends up back in their place.

 


Verse 3

1 – 8

Side L, Side R

With partner.

 



1 – 4

DLb DRf

Double forwards and back, changing places as in the first chorus.


5 – 8

Peel inside

The top couple peels down the middle of the set to the bottom, and everyone follows so that the couples are reversed.


9 – 12

DLb DRf

Double forwards and back, changing places as in the first chorus.


13 – 16

Peel outside

The top couple (now at the bottom) peel out and everyone follows so that everyone ends up back in their place again.