Quadrille Dances

Quadrilles are prompted dances done from the standard square formation. Most of them can be fitted to many 64 beat tunes. Some singing call records adapt very well to quadrilles. Other candidates are Irish and Scottish Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels. To access other pages on this website, click on the following buttons. DFBP Hm is the home page.

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Bob wrote this dance for beginner parties. I found it in "When The Work's All Done"

 

First Night Quadrille

Bob Dalsemer
Formation: Square
Record: Jewell 707 "Susie"

Prompts

Intro - - - -, Head Couples Forward & Back

1-8 - - - -, Same four Circle Left
9-16 - - - -. Circle Right
17-24 - - - -, Same four Star Right
25-32 - - - -, - - Allemende Left
33-40 - - - -, Grand Right & Left
41-48 - - - -, - - Partner DoSaDo
49-56 - - - -, - - Promenade home
57-64 - - - -, Side Couples Forward & Back

Description

1-8 Head couples walk Forward & Back
9-16 Same couple Circle Four to the left
17-24 Same four Circle Right
25-32 Same couple Star Right
33-40 At home position Allemande Left with the corner.
41-48 Grand Right & Left
49-56 Parther DoSaDo
57-64 Promenade partner to home position.

Stars & Stripes Quadrille

Jerry Helt
Formation: Square
Record: "Stars & Stripes Forever" Grenn 15011

Prompts

Intro - - - -, - - 4 Ladies Chain

1-8 - - - -, Head two Right & Left Thru
9-16 - - - -, - - 4 Ladies Chain
17-24 - - - -, Side two Right & Left Thru
25-32 - - - -, Ladies in clap hands & out
33-40 - - - -, 4 men Star Right
41-48 - - - -, - Turn partner Left
49-56 Turn corner Right, - - Promenade corner
57-64 - - - -, - - Four Ladies Chain

Description

1-8 Four Ladies Chain across
9-16 Head or side couples Right & Left Thru
17-24 Four Ladies Chain across
25-32 The other two couple (sides or heads) Right & Left Thru
33-40 Ladies move to the center of the set three steps. Clap their own hands together on count four. Then back out place with three steps and a touch.
41-48 Four men Star Right once around
49-56 Left Arm Turn with the partner and go to the corner
57-64 Right Arm Turn the corner to a Couple Promenade and move halfway around the square to the man's home position.

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The following quadrille was taken from New England Quadrilles by Bob Dalsemer. It is also listed as one of the dances available from Jack Murtha Enterprises. It is an excellent example of how a very interesting dance can be made from just simple basic movements.

This quadrille has a corner progression and is 64 beats in length. It could be prompted as a quadrille or used as the figure in a singing call or adapted to a patter routine by having the Four Ladies Chain instead of doing the Allemande Left, etc.

Gordo's Quadrille

Jack Murtha
Formation: Four couples in a square formation.
Record: Square Dancetime SD-002 "Gordo's Quadrille"

Prompts

Intro - - - -, - - - -, - - - -, - - Heads Lead Right

1-8 - Split Two around 1 down the middle
Right & Left Thru
9-16 - - - -, - - Sides Lead Right
17-25 - Split Two around 1 down the middle
Right & Left Thru
25-32 - - - -, - - Circle Left
33-40- - - -, - - Allemande Left
41-48 - Pass your partner- , Take the next & Promenade
49-56 - - - -, - - - -
57-64 - - - - , - - Heads Lead Right

Description

1-8 Head or side couples Lead Right and Split the outside two and Separate.
9-16 Around 1 down the middle and Right & Left Thru with the facing couple.
17-24 The other couple (sides or heads) Lead Right and Split the outside two and Separate.
25-32 Around 1 down the middle and Right & Left Thru with the facing couple.
33-40 Circle Left halfway to the man's home position.
41-48 Allemande Left
49-64 Pass by your partner and Promenade the next person 3/4 around to the man's home position.

Note: The intro on the Square Dancetime record is 16 beats of music. If you use another record, the number of lead in counts will need to match the intro of the record.

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The following quadrille is very different because it requires a piece of music that runs for 48 instead of the usual 64 counts. Check the back the album cover for tunes that fit this requirement and have fun. In a 4X48 tune you repeat the routine twice for the Heads and then twice for the Sides.

DoSoDo & Face the Sides Quadrille

Grant Logan's adaptation
Formation: Square
Record: LS E-32 "Tipperary" or Windson 4907 "Gal From Arkansas'

Prompts

Intro - - - -, Heads Forward & Back

1-8 - - - Heads, DoSaDo & Face the Sides
9-16 - - - -, Circle Four Once Around
17-24 - - - -, Split Two Around 1 to a Line
25-32 - - - -, - - Forward & Back
33-40 - - - -, Center Four Star By the Left
41-48 - - - Turn, Corner by the Right Once & a Half
49-56 - - - -, Others Star Left Back to the Corner
57-64 - - - -, - - Balance & Swing
65-72 - - - -, - - - -
73-80 - - - -, - - - Promenade
81-88 - - - -, - - - -
89-96 - - - -, Heads Forward & Back

Description

1-8 Head or Side Couples Forward & Back.
9-16 DoSaDo the opposite person and finish facing the corner position in the set.
17-24 Circle four with the outside pair once around
25-32 Inside pair split the outside pair and separate around one to a line of four.
33-40 Lines of four go Forward & Back
41-48 Center four in the line Star Left once around
49-56 Turn the corner person by the right once and a half
57-64 Send to other four people into the center for a Left Hand Star once around.
65-80 Balance with your corner for 4 or 8 counts and Swing with the corner for the remaining twelve or eight counts.
81-96 Promenade once around the set.

Notes: If you do not want to use a Balance in your program, a DoSaDo can be substituted for counts 65-72 and then Swing during counts 73-80. This figure could be adapted to fit a 40 beat melody line. For example, the first Forward and Back could be elminated and the 16-count Balance and Swing to just be a 8- count Swing. Fiting it to a 32 beat melody line would be a little tougher, but it could be done.

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