The Dashing White Sergeant

How The Dashing White Sergeant is danced

1. Groups of three form an oval around the floor, lines of three facing each other — one man between two ladies, or one lady between two men.
2. All six hold hands in a circle. Four travelling steps to the left, and four back again.
3. The centre dancer sets to the person on the right: set, clap, two-hand turn.
4. Then sets to the person on the left the same way.
5. Figure of eight on each line of three. The middle person starts by walking to the person on the right, passing shoulder to shoulder, until everyone is back in place.
6. Each line joins hands and advances towards the other, stamps three times, retreats and claps three times.
7. Both lines advance again, one raising hands to let the other pass through to face a new line. Repeat with the next line.

You do not need to memorise any of this. Garry walks the room through every dance before the music starts and keeps calling all the way through it — the steps are here because some people like to read ahead, not because anybody is expected to arrive knowing them.

What it needs, and who it suits

Formation

Threes facing threes in a large ring — one man between two women, or one woman between two men, it genuinely does not matter. The two lines progress past each other, meeting a new three each time.

Music

Reel time, bright and even. The phrasing is very clear, which is part of why it is easy to pick up: the music tells you when each figure ends whether you were counting or not.

The room it needs

A big open ring, so it wants width more than length. It also scales beautifully: forty people or two hundred, the dance is the same and nobody has to sit out.

For beginners

Very easy, and the structure helps — you are between two other people for the whole dance, so there is always somebody to follow. The figure of eight is the only part that needs watching.

Where it falls in the night

Early, often second or third. It is the great equaliser — because it works in threes, an uneven room with more women than men, or a group of friends who do not want to be split into couples, all fit without anyone being left at the side.

What usually goes wrong

• Forgetting to move on. At the end of each round the lines pass through to meet a new three. Standing still is the classic error and it stalls the ring behind you.
• Getting lost in the figure of eight. The middle dancer starts by going to the person on their right. If in doubt, follow the person you are holding on to — the shape sorts itself out.
• Advancing without stamping. The advance, stamp, retreat, clap sequence is what keeps the two lines together; skipping the stamps means arriving early and colliding.

Where it comes from

The tune shares its name with a song from the early nineteenth century, generally attributed to Henry Bishop. Whether the dance took its name from the song or the other way round is not something we would state with confidence — but the pairing is old and well established.