Thread
Index
Alternate Money Musk
ReelLass
May 31, 1997, 9:29 p.m. (Message 7857)
Richard Walker asked "Does anyone have the instructions to the 24 bar version
of Monymusk? Assuming the first 16 bars are identical to what is danced
now,..."
Apparently, the first 16 bars are not identical. I have a book printed in
1937 by Countryman Press, Inc. Weston, Vermont: _[THE COUNTRY SERIES] The
Country Dance Book_, by Beth Tolman & Ralph Page. It describes country
dances as "reels, jigs, hornpipes and quadrilles, as well as the stately and
beautiful polkas, galops and schottisches."
This is how it describes the dance Money Musk (from the chapter "SOME CONTRYS
-Hybrid Variety"*
Money Musk
MUSIC: The Same
Country Formation . . . . . . . . . . Six to Eight Couples in a Set
Swing partner in the center 8 bars
Each go below one couple and forward** six 4 "
Right hand to partner, turn three-quarters round 4 "
Forward six 4 "
Right hand to partner, turn three-quarters round to place 4 "
Right and left*** 8 "
Fourth couple also starts the dance
Background given for this dance:
"Another dance that would make a corpse shuffle his feet in his coffin is
Money Musk. They say that this was first danced on the village green of
Money-musk on the river Don in Aberdeenshire. Since it was first danced,
there have been as many variations on the original tune as there have been
fiddlers to play them. And there have been changes in the dance figures,
too. Originally the first call was "right hand to partner, swing once and a
half around." Since this walk-around business proved a bit slow, the young
blades of fifty or sixty years ago revamped it. The oldsters were properly
horrified, but finally gave in, the way they always do. The new version
holds to this day. Moderately difficult to do, Money Musk is perfectly
learnable, with a little concentration"
* An interesting note on word derivation from the beginning of chapter:
"If you are an all-wool Yankee, you naturally call them *contry* dances. If
you're just part-wool, you'll probably mis-hear them as *country* dances.
And if you bother to look the word up, you'll find that contra is the term
as it originated, suggesting, of course, the two "contrary" lines in the
set-up. But, Mr. Webster and the rest notwithstanding, we are calling
them... as we always have ... contry dances."
** The closest I could find to a description for the forward six figure in
the book:
"FORWARD AND BACK: (4 bars): Start with the left foot and advance 3 steps.
On the 4th count bring right foot raised to the heel of the left foot. Now,
starting with right foot walk backwards 3 steps to place, and on the 4th
count, bring left foot up in front."
*** Description for
"RIGHT AND LEFT: (8 bars) Two opposite couples cross over, ladies on the
inside. When in the opposite couple's place, the gents take their partners'
left hand in their left and both turn half around. Repeat to place."
So, this version is not very recognizable as our own beloved Moneymusk.
~~~ Terry Barron
San Jose, CA
The Tolman-Page book does say that there is a swing at the beginning of Money Musk. This is a verson that I have never seen danced, though it may have been done before I danced. Lots of times the present day dancers do a shuffle/clog/stamp in the forward 6 and back. Another bit of tradition is that if the caller is going to call Money Musk he/she calls it first dance after intermission. That way those who like it will dance it and those who dislike it will have another beer in the car. Cheers, Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH