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For some years we have been involved in playing for dances ranging from Playford, through the early 18th Century to Edwardian. Recently we have been concentrating on quadrilles which were the most popular dances throughout the 19th Century. These are danced in square sets of four couples. The music we use is taken from manuscripts of the period and arranged by ourselves.
The quadrilles we most commonly do are Paine’s First Set of Quadrilles, Paine’s 12th Set of Quadrilles, Mr Hart’s Lancers Quadrilles, The Shooting Quadrille, The New Caledonian Quadrilles and The Royal Scotch Quadrilles. We work with dance teachers who are experienced in teaching these dances.
We have played at the Dolmetsch Historical Dance Summer School and for Quadrille workshops in Horsham, Oxford, Cecil Sharp House, St Andrew’s Summer School and RSCDS London Day School. In 2003 and 2005 we played for a Historical Ball for the Dolmetsch Society after their conference at Cecil Sharp House. In 2005 we have played for the Early Dance Circle in Norwich for their 19th Century Ball, a Regency Workshop in Raynes Park and a Trafalgar Ball in Botley. The programmes included country dances such as The Dutch Skipper, Miss Poultney’s Delight, Duke of Kent’s Waltz, Tinka Tink, Marlbrouk, Petronella, Sir Roger de Coverly, Le Carillon de Dunkerque, Lady Nelson’s Waltz Cotillion, Tars of the Victory, Figaro and the Pavilion Waltz as well as Paine’s 1st and 12th sets, The Shooting Quadrille, HMS Pinafore Lancers, Iolanthe Lancers and the Trafalgar Quadrilles.
We also enjoy playing the Lancers Quadrilles to music other than the original and have arranged sets for HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, Iolanthe and even Carmen!
Our new CD of Historical Quadrilles and Scottish country dances with quadrille formations has just been released. It contains music for Paine’s 1st and 12th sets of quadrilles, Mr Hart’s Lancers (1819), The Duke of Kent’s Waltz and The Pavilion Waltz as well as 5 Scottish country dances with quadrille figures and comes with a 20 page booklet with full instructions for all dances.
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