Dafydd's Collection of Playford's English Country Dances

Argeers
The Asymetrical Dance
Another try at reconciling the instructions to the music, this time without throwing out too much and without making too many assumptions.
Square for two couples   With the (long distance) help of Guillaume de Troyes, and Judith (for the Funky Hey).
 
Suggested music sources:
Country Capers, by the New York Renaissance Band, Sally Logemann, Director
Lads & Lasses, by Various Artists
 
Part 1
Verse 1, Part A measure 1 Meet a double.
measure 2 Take your opposite by both hands and take two slips
out of the square (to the men's left) and then two
slips back into the square.
measure 3 Opposites change places, holding hands
measure 4 Turn your partner once and a half around.
Note: In order to actually accomplish measures 3 and 4 in
the music allotted, it might be advisable to combine
them into a single, flowing movement. One way to do
this might be to change by right arm, and then turn
by left arm, grabbed close to the elbow to minimize
turning radius. For fast music or beginning dancers,
reduce the once and a half to a simple half turn, or
simply change places with partner.
Verse 1, Part B measure 1 Meet a double.
measure 2 Change places with your opposite either by both
hands or just right hand (depending on above).
measure 3 & 4 Turn your partner by left arm once and a half
around. (In order to get everyone back to their
proper sides of the square, we need to fudge the
instructions by just this much.)
Meet all, take each others Wo. by both hands, two slips to the left, and two to the right, change places, turn your own once and a halfe _._ Meet again, turn each others Wo. to your places, turn your own
Chorus 1, Part A measure 1 Men change places through the center of the square.
measure 2 Women change places likewise.
measure 3 & 4 All set and turn, left
Chorus 1, Part B measure 1 Women change places through the center of the
square.
measure 2 Men change places likewise.
measure 3 & 4 All set and turn, right.
Men change places, We. change places, set and turn S. _.__ We. change places, men change places, set and turn S.
Part 2
Verse 2, Part A measure 1 Lead your opposites out of the square (to the man's
left).
measure 2 Fall back a double.
measure 3 & 4 Turn your partner all the way around by both hands.
Verse 2, Part B measure 1 Fall back a double with your partner.
measure 2 Meet a double.
measure 3 & 4 All set and turn single, left.
Lead each others Wo. to the left hand, fall a D. back, and turn your own _.__ Back, all meet again, set and turn S.
Chorus 2, Part A measure 1 Men take four slips to the right, going behind their
partner, while the women take four slips to the right.
measure 2 Men take four slips to the left, going behind their
partner, while the women take four slips to the left.
measure 3 & 4 Turn your opposite all the way around.
Chorus 2, Part B measure 1 & 2 Funky Hey:
Women meet a small double (leaving space between)
and then fall back to their places, while the men circle
around behind their opposite woman and then cross
between the women to return to their places.
measure 3 & 4 Finish the Funky Hey:
Women meet a small double (leaving space between)
and then fall back to their places, while the men circle
around behind their partner and then cross between
the women to return to their places.
Men go to the right hand, and back again, the We. going to the left, turn each others We. _.__ We. meet and back, men go the S. Hey, and to your places
Part 3
Verse 3, Part A measure 1 & 2 Take your opposite woman by both hands and
"push" her back, slip to the right, and "pull" her into
your opposite places on the other side of the square.
Note: The exact counts for steps here aren't important, and
if the dancers wish, they could elide the "slip" by
just angling a little to the right as they "push" and
continuing right as they "pull" back into the square.
measure 3 & 4 Set and turn single, left.
Verse 3, Part B measure 1 & 2 Men slip left to your places while women slip right
to your places, the men going to the inside; then
take hands with your opposite and "push" her back,
immediately "pulling" her back into your places.
Note: Again, exact counts are not given for this section. If
the dancers wish, can combine the slipping with the
"pushing" by slipping both forward and left (for the
men, women slip right and back), and then "pushing"
for two beats, followed by a "pull" of four beats.
measure 3 & 4 Set and turn single, right.
Put each others Wo. back by both hands, slip to the right hand; fall down on the contrary side, set and turn S. _.__ slip between each other to your places, put them backward and forward by both hands, set and turn S.
Chorus 3, Part A measure 1 & 2 Chase to man one's left - man one casts off to his
left while woman two casts off to her right, each
leading their partner in an oval back to their places.
measure 3 & 4 Chase to man two's left - man two casts off to his
left while woman one casts off to her right, each
leading their partner in an oval back to their places.
Chorus 3, Part B measure 1 Half a hey: change places with your opposites by
right shoulders.
measure 2 Change places with your partner by left shoulders.
measure 3 Turn your partner half way around by both hands.
measure 4 Fall abreast to the presence (form a single line,
holding hands, facing the head of the hall).
One man cast off with the Co. Wo. the other following then they cast off the other way, the other following, to your places _.__ Then halfe the S. Hey, turn your own, fall all a brest to the presence
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    Dafydd Cyhoeddwr, V3, Monday, 19 June, 2000