The Cuirassiers Set

The Cuirassiers Set.  Copyright © 2001 Brooks Academy.
 

The Cuirassiers Set - Figure 1

Figure 1 Polka - 112 bars
Opening Position: All four couples hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside.
A LEAD AROUND ALL FOUR COUPLES dance anti-clockwise around until back in original positions (6 bars).  During the last two bars the ladies turn clockwise under their left arms and face partners (2 bars). 8 bars
B SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold. 8 bars
C FIGURE a) TOP COUPLES: HALF RIGHT & LEFT: TOP COUPLES pass through the opposite couple taking right hand in right hand, face partners and pass through taking left hand in left hand.  Partners hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip (4 bars).

b) SIDE COUPLES: HALF RIGHT & LEFT:   Sides repeat (a) (4 bars).

c) LEAD HALF-WAY:  ALL COUPLES  lead anti-clockwise back to place (4 bars).  All couples turn anti-clockwise, one full turn in place (4 bars). (8 bars total).

d) ADVANCE & RETIRE:  ALL four ladies advance to the centre and retire once (4 bars).  All four gents  advance to the centre and retire once (4 bars). 

e) SET:   All face partners holding all hands, left to right and right to left.   All " set to partners" dancing  "down up, down up"  four  times.  The lady stamps on right foot and raises foot in front of left.  Repeat with opposite feet.  Gent stamps on left foot and raises foot in front of right.  Repeat with opposite feet (4 bars).

TURN  PARTNERS:    ALL couples stand right hip to right hip and hold hands outstretched and at shoulder height.  Looking into each other's eyes each couple turns clockwise (one turn), finishing in original positions (4 bars)

f) SWING:  All couples swing in waltz hold (4 bars).

 40 bars
D FIGURE Repeat C with SIDE COUPLES dancing first at (a). 40 bars
E HOUSE ALL  FOUR COUPLES dance around the house. 8 bars

The Cuirassiers Set - Figure 2

Figure 2 Polka - 160 bars
Opening Position: All four couples hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside.
A LEAD AROUND ALL FOUR COUPLES dance anti-clockwise around until back in original positions (6 bars).  During the last two bars the ladies turn clockwise under their left arms and face partners (2 bars). 8 bars
B SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold. 8 bars
C FIGURE a) LADIES SIDESTEP & SET: TOP LADIES sidestep to the couple on the right.  Each group of three dancers holds hands and   "SET" (dance "down up" twice on the spot)  (4 bars).

b) CIRCLE LEFT:  Each group of three dances around clockwise,  with TOP LADIES continuing  in a clockwise direction to face the gent opposite original partner (4 bars).

c) SET & TURN  WITH OPPOSITE GENTS:  TOP LADIES and opposite TOP GENTS "set" to each other (down up four times)  (4 bars) and then dance clockwise around,  the ladies finishing on the right hand side the gents  (4 bars).   8 bars total.

d) ADVANCE & RETIRE: TOP LADY and SECOND TOP GENT advance and retire holding inside hands (4 bars).   4 bars

e) ADVANCE & LADIES DANCE HOME: The two TOP COUPLES advance to the centre holding inside hands.  GENTS take partner's left hand in their  right hand. Ladies turn anti-clockwise under their partner's arm into original position as gents  reverse to place (4 bars).

f) SWING:  ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold (8 bars)

 32 bars
D FIGURE Repeat with SIDE COUPLES leading the figure.  First Sides is on the left of TOPS. 32 bars
E FIGURE Repeat with TOP COUPLES leading the figure. 32 bars
F FIGURE Repeat with SIDE COUPLES leading the figure. 32 bars
G HOUSE ALL FOUR COUPLES dance around the house 8 bars

The Cuirassiers Set - Figure 3

Figure 3 Jigs - 192 bars
Opening Position: All four couples hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside.
A LEAD AROUND ALL FOUR COUPLES dance anti-clockwise around until back in original positions (6 bars).  During the last two bars the ladies turn clockwise under their left arms and face partners (2 bars). 8 bars
B SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold. 8 bars
C FIGURE a) LADIES WHEEL/GENTS DANCE OUTSIDE:   The four ladies join right hands in the centre and dance clockwise around  until back to place while the gents dance anti-clockwise around the outside of the set until back to place (8 bars).

b) "SET" & TURN PARTNERS:  ALL couples "set" and turn partners as in Fig. 1 C (e) (8 bars).

c) DANCE  AROUND OPPOSITE:  FIRST TOPS LADY and SECOND TOPS GENT dance in an anti-clockwise direction around each other.  They face each other as they dance around  into each other's position (4 bars) and continue into original positions (4 bars).    8 bars total.

d) BACK TO BACK: FIRST TOPS LADY and SECOND TOPS GENT pass right shoulder to right shoulder to begin (2 bars) pass back to back  and reverse until left shoulders meet (2 bars).   Repeat the back to back passing left shoulder to left shoulder to begin and reverse passing right shoulder to right shoulder to  finish beside partners (4 bars).   8 bars total.

e) "SET" & TURN PARTNERS:  ALL FOUR COUPLES "set"  and turn partners as in 
 Fig. 1 C (e). 8 bars

 40 bars
D FIGURE Repeat C.  FIRST SIDE LADY (on the left of TOPS) and SECOND SIDE GENT dance  (c) and (d). 40 bars
E FIGURE Repeat C.   SECOND TOPS LADY and FIRST TOPS GENT dance  (c) and (d). 40 bars
F FIGURE Repeat C.  SECOND  SIDE LADY  and  FIRST SIDE GENT  dance (c) and (d).  At C(e) all four couples " SET" & SWING partners. 40 bars
G HOUSE ALL FOUR COUPLES dance around the house 8 bars

The Cuirassiers Set - Figure 4

Figure 4 Polka - 192/112 bars
Opening Position: All four couples hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside.
A LEAD AROUND ALL FOUR COUPLES dance anti-clockwise around until back in original positions (6 bars).  During the last two bars the ladies turn clockwise under their left arms and face partners (2 bars). 8 bars
B SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold. 8 bars
C FIGURE a) SIDESTEP WITH PARTNERS:  ALL COUPLES sidestep with partners (2 bars) dance two threes (2 bars).  Repeat these movements (4 bars).   8 bars

b) LADIES ADVANCE  / GENTS ADVANCE: TOP LADIES advance left shoulder to left shoulder to the centre and retire (4 bars).  TOP GENTS advance right shoulder to right shoulder to the centre and retire (4 bars).    8 bars

c) ALL SIDESTEP:  ALL FOUR LADIES sidestep to the position on the right in front of  gents (2  bars).   ALL FOUR GENTS sidestep to the left in front of the ladies while ladies dance in place (2 bars).  Ladies repeat and gents repeat  (4 bars), bringing all four couples half-way around the set.    8 bars   
 
d) LEAD HALF-WAY:   ALL COUPLES hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the  lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside  and dance around until back in original positions (4 bars).  All couples turn anti-clockwise, one full turn in place (4 bars).  8 bars

e) SWING:  ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold.   8 bars

 40 bars
D FIGURE Repeat C with SIDE LADIES and GENTS dancing at (b). 40 bars
E FIGURE Repeat C.   40 bars
F FIGURE Repeat C with SIDE LADIES and GENTS dancing at (b), 40 bars
G HOUSE ALL FOUR COUPLES dance around the house. 8 bars

The Cuirassiers Set - Figure 5

Figure 5 Polka - 168 bars
Opening Position: All four couples hold left hands in front of gent's chest and right hands on the lady's hip.  All face anti-clockwise around the set, gents on the inside.
A LEAD AROUND ALL FOUR COUPLES dance anti-clockwise around until back in original positions (6 bars).  During the last two bars the ladies turn clockwise under their left arms and face partners (2 bars). 8 bars
B SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold. 8 bars
C FIGURE a) ADVANCE  / LADIES FACE  EACH OTHER:  FIRST TOPS (holding 
   gent's right  hand to lady's left hand) advance, retire and advance to SECOND TOPS 
   COUPLE (6 bars).  TOP LADIES turn anti-clockwise to face each other as the gents 
   face each other  holding partner's right hand in their left hand (2 bars).   8 bars

b) SET & DANCE TO PLACE:  TOP COUPLES "set" (4 threes) on the spot holding gent's  right to lady's left hand (4 bars).  TOP GENTS turn the ladies anti-clockwise under left arms into original position (4 bars).    8 bars

d) CHASSEZ OPEN:  SIDE COUPLES sidestep away from partners (ladies to the 
right and gents to the left), dance two threes,  sidestep back to place and dance two threes.  Simultaneously  TOP COUPLES take inside  hands and dance forwards between the couple on their right and continue to dance clockwise around finishing  on the left hand side of the gent in a line of four.    8 bars

e) TWO LINES ADVANCE & RETIRE:  The two lines of four advance and form a circle.  4 bars

e) CIRCLE LEFT: All dance (four threes) clockwise around finishing one position to the left of original positions.   4 bars

 32 bars
D FIGURE Repeat C with SIDE COUPLES leading the figure, from FIRST TOPS POSITION. 32 bars
E FIGURE Repeat C wisth TOP COUPLES leading the figure, from FIRST TOPS POSITION. 32 bars
F FIGURE Repeat C with SIDE COUPLES leading the figure, from FIRST TOPS POSITION. 32 bars
G SWING ALL FOUR COUPLES swing in waltz hold.  8 bars
H HOUSE ALL FOUR COUPLES dance around the house. 8 bars