Sewdish folk dance varient, that I have done (and performed), with Luleå Hembygdsgille,
just not for about 4 or 5 years.
On 2026-10-06 I visited Björkstalagets’s Tuesday Folk Dance evening. I knew from their schedule that they were doing Menuette this month, and I looked forward to the review. Sure enough, the version they are doing, Menuette från Tjöck, is one I learned, so while it took a bit to get it back, as the base step isn’t exactly easy, I did, eventually, manage.
The base menuette step is done in six counts:
- step forward on the right foot
- pause, with a slight dip/bounce at the knee, still standing on the right foot, left foot in the air
- put the left foot back on the ground, more or less where it started
- step back with the right foot
- put the left foot back on the ground, more or less where it started
- pause, with a slight dip, still standing on the left foot, right foot in the air
For some reason, every time I return to this dance after a break I want to put that second pause on the fifth count, so that both pauses are done standing on the left, and it takes a bit to convince myself to get that pause back to the sixth count. But, by the end of the evening, I had it.
the “sopning” (sweeping) variation:
Starts the same as the basic step, with a step forward on 1, the pause on two, then you walk past your partner with several steps, the pause, sweeping your right foot from left to right, toe just brushing the floor, then the other foot sweeps the other direction, and you turn and face your partner again and do the pause/dip again on the sixth count of the music, ready to start the base step again.
the “snurr” (turning) variation
Starts the same as the basic step, with a step forward on 1, the pause on two, then you do a slow turn in place, getting back to face your partner on time to do the pause/dip again on the sixth count of the music, ready to start the next step as normal.
the full pattern of the dance
Inledning: start standing side by side, holding hands; the person on the right (traditionally the lady) takes a step forward and around to face their partner, then each takes the other’s right elbow with their left hand to do a one set of menuette steps, followed by turning around one another in time to the music to change places
Tur 1: 2 menuette steg + sopning x 3
Mellandel: join hands again, 1 menuette steg, then two sets of turning around one another , and another two turning the wrong direction back to place
Tur 2: 2 snurr + sopning x3
Avslutning: join hands again, and dance back to the side by side position of the start