Hide Parke

English Country Dance

Playford, The English Dancing Master, 1651

Square for four couples

Intermediate (at practice)



I	A1	1-8	Odd Couples: 2 Doubles forward, back		First and 3. Cu. meet, and fall back •
	A2	1-8	Even Couples: 2 Doubles forward, back		The 2. and fourth as much •• §
	B1	1-4	Odd Couples: Take both hands; Slide in sideways to meet other Odd Couple		First and third men take their Wo. by both hands, and meet side wayes,
		5-8	Odd Couples: Take both hands with Odd corner; Slide out between Even couples		the first man take the third Wo. by both hands, and slide through the fourth Cu. and
		9-16	Odd Couples: 2 Doubles casting off to place		cast off to your places, whilst the first Wo. and the third man do the like •
	B2	1-16	Even Couples: Repeat B1		The 2. and 4. Cu. the same. ••

II	A1	1-8		Repeat I.A1, I.A2		This as before •• §
	A2	1-8
	B1	1-8	Even Couples: Take both hands to form an arch; 2 Doubles to trade places while Odd Couples: Pass partner to left to meet Odd Corner outside Even Couples		The second and fourth man change places with their We. holding hands while the first man and Wo. crosse over,
		9-12	Odd Couples: Take hands with Odd Corner; Double through arch to meet partner		and going on the outside under their armes,
		13-16	Odd Couples: Take hands with partner; Double out to partner's original place		come the man into the Wo. place and the Wo. into the mans place, the third Cu. doing the like at the same time •
	B2	1-16	Repeat B1 reversing roles, ending in original place		Then the other foure doing the like ••

III	A1	1-8		Repeat I.A1, I.A2		This as before •• §
	A2	1-8
	B1	1-16	Men: 4 Doubles circling counterclockwise to place, passing Odd Women to inside and Even Women to outside		Men goe on the inside of your owne We. and on the outside of the next and so round to your places •
	B2	1-16	Men: 4 Doubles circling clockwise to place, passing Odd Men to inside and Even Men to outside		Then the Wo. as much ••
260709 1917

Notes

Reconstruction. In the original source, Couples are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 clockwise. In the reconstruction, Couples 1 and 3 are referred to as Odd Couples and couples 2 and 4 are referred to as Even Couples.