How to Dance Sir Roger de Coverley at Fezziwig's Ball

Thomas Wilson, The Complete System of English Country Dancing, p. 102

Thomas Wilson, The Complete System of English Country Dancing, p. 103

Sir Roger de Coverley is the only dance mentioned by name in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Of course, it is a dance we simply must do. There are different variations of the dance all going by the same name, so it makes sense to check with the locals on which version they dance.

This is a description of how we dance it in Boston vintage dance community. We have chosen the version given by Thomas Wilson in 1815.

At historic dances in the Boston area, we tend to arrange 5 couple sets across the room, with the gentlemen facing the musicians and the ladies with their backs to the musicians. If you were to use the diagram above, the musicians would be where the words, FIG. I. and FIG.II. are.

Before you begin dancing, you should know that the distinctive music for Sir Roger de Coverley is written in 9/8 signature, and that the natural way to count it is in 6s and 12s. When you go forward and back, you have 6 counts to go forward and 6 counts to go back. When you go in, right hand turn and back, you have 12 counts to do that sequence.

The head lady (the one at the end of the line, to the right of all the ladies) and the foot gentleman (at the end of the line, to the right of all the gentlemen) will do the action first (we will call them the first diagonal.) The foot lady (left of the ladies) and head gentleman (left of all gentlemen) will do the same thing afterwards (they are the second diagonal.)

So, the dance begins like this:

First diagonal forward and back. Second diagonal same.

First diagonal in, right hand turn,and back. Second diagonal same.

First diagonal in, left hand turn,and back. Second diagonal same.

First diagonal in, two hand turn,and back. Second diagonal same.

First diagonal in, dos-a-dos,and back. Second diagonal same.

Thomas Wilson, The Complete System of English Country Dancing, p. 104

First couple turns toward each other and passes by the right shoulders. They walk behind the second couple, and cross below them, then walk behind the third couple and cross below them. Each time, they pass by alternate shoulders, (first right, then left, then right) so that the lady is always crossing “below” the gentleman. When they reach the bottom, they cross (if necessary) so that they are on the proper side of the set (lady on the ladies’ side and gentleman on the gentlemen’s side).

Thomas Wilson, The Complete System of English Country Dancing, p. 105

 The first couple walks up inside the set towards the top. As each couple in the set is passed (beginning with the bottom couple and working up the set) , they fall into line behind the other couples. The lead couple casts down behind the lines as everyone follows them. They stop when they reach the bottom, and all the people following them stop. Now the top couple has progressed to the bottom, and the other couples are back in their original order. The dance begins again with a new head lady and a new foot gentleman.

My own diagram (just in case Mr. Wilson's is confusing)

Just to clarify the last part, all couples are in the positions shown in my diagram when couple 1 leads up the center. As soon as they are passed, couple 6 falls in behind couple 1, then couple 5 falls in behind couple 6, then couple 4 behind 5, then couple 3 and finally couple 2. At the top, couple 1 casts off and the lady walks down outside the ladies' line while the gentleman walks down behind the gentlemen's line. When they reach the bottom, they stop. The other couples following them also stop, and everyone ends in the positions shown in my diagram. The fact that each couple waits to be passed before falling in means that not all couples travel the same distance. Couple 2 just walks in a small circle before returning to their place. Now the dance begins again with a new first diagonal (new head lady and new foot gentleman.)

Note: It is possible that the first diagonal dancers may not get to their home places before the phrase of music ends. In that case, the second diagonal may begin to move on the first note of their phrase of music, confident that the first diagonal will get out their way.

Note also: The description of the dance says it can be danced by as many as will. Thomas Wilson’s diagrams show nine couples and he says that if there are a lot of couples, the first couple can pass around two couples at once when they weave their way down the set. If you have as many as twenty couples in a set, you would set up lengthwise in the room, and the diagonals will practically have to run to cover the distance. It would certainly change the nature of the dance!