La Bastringue

LA BASTRINGUE
French Canadian

PRONUNCIATION: lah buh-STRANG

TRANSLATION: The honky-tonk

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this progressive mixer from Yves Moreau who learned it from Jean Trudel. Yves taught it at the 1975 Year End Camp and in Edmonton in 1979. John Filcich taught it at the 1977 Idyllwild Workshop Mix-Master.

BACKGROUND: La Bastringue is usually danced as the fifth or sixth part of a long Québec quadrille. The tune is a popular party song that tells a story of a young "Mademoiselle" who is asked to dance the "Bastringue" by a rather older "Monsieur," who then finds that he's just not up to the task. The dance is also known as Les Confitures (the fruit preserves).

MUSIC: Dances of Québec (7"EP) DOQ-8003
Laridaine (7"EP) ML-7902
Legacy (LP) LEG 120
Elektra (LP) E 7266
Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH 1506
Folkways (LP) FG 3532

FORMATION: Cpls in a single cir, facing ctr, W on ptrs L, hands joined at shldr height in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: TWO STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); close L to R (ct &); step fwd R (ct 2). Repeat with opp ftwk.
BUZZ-STEP TURN: In Closed Pos (ptrs facing each other, W R hand in M L hand and held at shldr height with bent elbows, M R hand around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr) step R next to and INSIDE of ptrs R (ct 1); step on ball of L fwd and around ptr (ct &). Repeat.
Style is happy and light but ft are not raised too far off the floor. According to Francis Coleman, La Bastringue "is older than most of its counterparts. When danced by earlier French colonialists in America, it was almost a sedate dance, without the benefit of fast tapping loudly or the more raucus noises that are now customary." So, the Appalachian Clog steps that one sometimes sees and the yelling that one sometimes hears in the Unites States are not be true to the original form of the dance (but they ARE fun, aren't they!).

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

1-10 Dance starts with fiddle music.

I. TO CTR AND BACK

1 Moving twd ctr, step fwd R (ct 1); step fwd L (ct 2);

2 Step fwd R (ct 1); touch L next to R (ct 2).

3-4 Repeat action of meas 1-2 bwd with opp ftwk.

5-8 Repeat action of meas 1-4.

II. TWO-STEPS TO L AND R

1-4 Facing CW and moving in RLOD, dance 4 Two-Steps beg with R and turning to face CCW in LOD on last Two-Step.

5-8 Facing CCW and moving in LOD, dance 4 Two-Steps beg with R and turning to face ctr on last Two-Step.

III. BUZZ-STEP TURN

1-2 M release hands with W on R, raise L hand and turn W on L CW under joined hands with 4 walking steps to end facing ptr in Closed Pos.

3-8 Ptrs turn with Buzz steps (Québec style). End with both facing LOD, W on M R in Open Pos (M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, free hands hanging naturally at sides.

IV. TWO-STEP PROMENADE

1-8 Cpls promenade with 8 Two-Steps beg R. On last Two-Step, cpls turn 1/4 CCW to face ctr and join hands in "W" pos in a single cir to repeat dance with new ptr.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2004 by Dick Oakes

LA BASTRINGUE French Canadian

PRONUNCIATION:	lah buh-STRANG

TRANSLATION:	The honky-tonk

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this progressive mixer from Yves Moreau who learned it from Jean Trudel. Yves taught it at the 1975 Year End Camp and in Edmonton in 1979. John Filcich taught it at the 1977 Idyllwild Workshop Mix-Master.

BACKGROUND:	La Bastringue is usually danced as the fifth or sixth part of a long Québec quadrille. The tune is a popular party song that tells a story of a young "Mademoiselle" who is asked to dance the "Bastringue" by a rather older "Monsieur," who then finds that he's just not up to the task. The dance is also known as Les Confitures (the fruit preserves).

MUSIC:	Dances of Québec (7"EP) DOQ-8003 Laridaine (7"EP) ML-7902 Legacy (LP) LEG 120 Elektra (LP) E 7266 Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH 1506 Folkways (LP) FG 3532

FORMATION:	Cpls in a single cir, facing ctr, W on ptrs L, hands joined at shldr height in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	TWO STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); close L to R (ct &); step fwd R (ct 2). Repeat with opp ftwk. BUZZ-STEP TURN: In Closed Pos (ptrs facing each other, W R hand in M L hand and held at shldr height with bent elbows, M R hand around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr) step R next to and INSIDE of ptrs R (ct 1); step on ball of L fwd and around ptr (ct &). Repeat. Style is happy and light but ft are not raised too far off the floor. According to Francis Coleman, La Bastringue "is older than most of its counterparts. When danced by earlier French colonialists in America, it was almost a sedate dance, without the benefit of fast tapping loudly or the more raucus noises that are now customary." So, the Appalachian Clog steps that one sometimes sees and the yelling that one sometimes hears in the Unites States are not be true to the original form of the dance (but they ARE fun, aren't they!).


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

1-10	Dance starts with fiddle music.

I.	TO CTR AND BACK

1	Moving twd ctr, step fwd R (ct 1); step fwd L (ct 2);
2	Step fwd R (ct 1); touch L next to R (ct 2).
3-4	Repeat action of meas 1-2 bwd with opp ftwk.
5-8	Repeat action of meas 1-4.

II.	TWO-STEPS TO L AND R

1-4	Facing CW and moving in RLOD, dance 4 Two-Steps beg with R and turning to face CCW in LOD on last Two-Step.
5-8	Facing CCW and moving in LOD, dance 4 Two-Steps beg with R and turning to face ctr on last Two-Step.

III.	BUZZ-STEP TURN

1-2	M release hands with W on R, raise L hand and turn W on L CW under joined hands with 4 walking steps to end facing ptr in Closed Pos.
3-8	Ptrs turn with Buzz steps (Québec style). End with both facing LOD, W on M R in Open Pos (M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, free hands hanging naturally at sides.

IV.	TWO-STEP PROMENADE

1-8	Cpls promenade with 8 Two-Steps beg R. On last Two-Step, cpls turn 1/4 CCW to face ctr and join hands in "W" pos in a single cir to repeat dance with new ptr.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2004 by Dick Oakes