Sweets of May
A dance for four couples.
BARS-----------A. Rings
16-------------All join hands and side-step in a ring clockwise, finishing with two short threes. Side-step anticlockwise, finishing as before but on the last two threes, couples break the ring and fall back into original places, retaining partner's inside hand.
-----------------B. Body
8--------------(a) Cross over and back: Top couples, with partners holding inside hands, exchange places with promenade step, men passing left shoulder to left shoulder. Side couples dance two threes in place as Top couples exchange places. Side couples exchange places in the same manner while Top couples dance two threes in place. Repeat this movement to return all couples to their orriginal places.
8--------------(b) Advance and retire: Top couples, still holding inside hands, advance to meet in the center. Meanwhile Sides dance two threes in place. As Tops retire, Sides advance to the center. As Sides retire, Tops advance again, and as Tops retire again, Sides dance two threes in place.
16------------- (c) Ringing bells: Dancers bend and beat left hand on left knee and right hand on right knee four times, then clap hands twice. Repeat movement. Partners side-step past each other, men passing behind and end with two threes. Repeat entire movement and back to orriginal place, with men passing in front of women.
-----------------C. 1st Figure
16-------------Lead around: Partners hold inside hands and lead around in a full circle anticlockwise. Release hands and turn about inwards, and return in a full circle clockwise back to original position.
-----------------D. Body
32-------------Repeat B.
-----------------E. 2nd Figure
16-------------See Saw: All couples swing around clockwise in an anticlockwise direction. After 8 bars, couples reverse their directions and swing back to original positions. br>
-----------------F. Body
32-------------Repeat B.
-----------------G. 3rd Figure
16-------------Sides under: Partners take inside hands. Top couples form and arch and exchange places with side couples using promenade step, 2nd Sides passing under 1st Tops arch and 1st Sides passing under 2nd Tops arch. Release hands and turn about. Take inside hands again and dance back to original place, this time with Sides forming the arches. Repeat movement with opposite Sides. (1st Sides with 1st Tops, 2nd Sides with 2nd Tops)
-----------------H. Body
32-------------Repeat B.
BARS-----------I. Rings
16-------------Repeat A.
