Putney Bridge - 1970 Version

Source: Hugh Rippon; published in English Dance & Song, Summer 1970. Volume XXXII. No. 2
Formation: Longways; Duple Minor; Proper

A	#1Man cross diagonally quickly before #2 Man does the same, then: First Corners Right Arm Turn x2 WHILE Second Corners Right Arm Turn x2 #1Man cross diagonally quickly before #2 Man does the same, then: All: Partner Left Arm Turn x2
B	#1s Arch doing Two Chassees Down WHILE #2s Dive doing Two Chasses Up #1s Dive doing Two Chassees Up WHILE #2s Arch doing Two Chasses Down #1s Cast down one place WHILE #2s Move Up Partner Swing

Music:
Own tune - Putney reach - or any suitable 16-bar Schottische or Hornpipe at around 80-90bpm. Hugh suggests that the band plays ABAB instead of AABB.

This type of dance is done with a strong, slow, Step-Hop.

Putney Bridge - 1996 Version

Source: Hugh Rippon; published in The Willow Tree and other English Folk dances by Hugh Rippon
Formation: Longways; Duple Minor; First Couples Improper

A	Neighbour Right Arm Turn x2 Partner Left Arm Turn x2
B	#1s, holding two hands: Two Chassees Down the Middle WHILE #2s (individually)Two Chasses Up the Outside #1s Two Chassees Up WHILE #2s Two Chasses Down #1s Cast down one place WHILE #2s Move Up Partner Swing

Music:
Own tune - Putney reach - or any suitable 16-bar Schottische or Hornpipe at around 80-90bpm. Hugh also provides the tune "Charabanc Schottische". by John Kirkpatrick.

Nottingham Swing

Source: Collected in Northamptonshire; published in Community Dances Manual 2, 1949
Formation: Longways; Duple Minor; First Couples Improper

A	First Corners Right Arm Turn x2 Second Corners Right Arm Turn x2
B	#1s Lead Down and Back (double step) #1s Cast down one place WHILE #2s Move Up Partner Swing

Music:
Any suitable 16-bar Hornpipe at around 80-90bpm.

Notes:
Putney Bridge is a variant of Nottingham Swing.

In the CDM Hugh says, "The dance happened by chance one night in the early sixties in Wallington, Surrey". In the 1996 version he has made the set Improper so that the men no longer need to dash across the set, avoiding crashing into each other. Strangely, when publishing the dance in his book, nobody noticed that the change of formation meant that the words "(first man goes first)" were no longer necessary!

By 1996 Hugh had also dropped the arches and switched to the standard Nottingham Swing B. The Chassees Down and Up had replaced the original Lead Down and Back by the time I learnt Nottingham Swing in the late 1960s. The #2s doing Chassees in the opposite direction, on the outside, was also commonly done by experienced dancers.

The CDM wording for the Arming is, "First man swings second girl with the right elbow", while Hugh says,"with right arm hold". I was taught to do it as descibed below and that is how I have seen most experienced dancers doing it. It is by far the most satisfying connection for fast turning with a Hornpipe Step.

Forearm Hold with Cupped Elbow

Many Ceilidh dances such as Nottingham Swing use a Hornpipe Step (Step-Hop) at 80 to 90 bpm. When you are bouncing up and down you need a different type of connection. The standard hold for dances like this is to cup your partner's elbow. You get close together so your upper arm is almost vertical, place your forearms together, and gently hook your hand just above your partner's elbow. Note that the thumbs are with the fingers so that you don't grip. This is a great connection, allowing you, with a Hornpipe Step, to get around three times easily (although most dances just specify twice around)!

If you join your hooked left hands underneath then you also have a great ceilidh swing hold for the Hornpipe-Step Swings.

You can get a feel for how Nottingham Swing is danced in this video:

Original page from English Dance & Song, Summer 1970

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