Away to the Camp is a triple minor longways dance, which was published in London in 1782 in 24 Country Dances by Samuel, Ann & Peter Thompson, as well as in Thompson’s compleat collection of 200 favourite country dances: perform’d at court, Bath, Tunbridge & all public assemblies with proper figures or directions to each tune, set for the violin, German-flute, Volume 5 of 5, printed in London, c. 1788. It was handwritten by Jeremiah Brown in a Massachusetts manuscript circa 1782.
Here are the directions from Thompson’s collection of 200 dances (The typographical differences between it and the 1782 book are insignificant.):
The 3 Ladies Promenade round the 3/ Gent .|. the 3 Gent: round the 3 Ladies/ :|. lead down the middle up again and/ cast off .|: Allmand with your Partner :|:
Here are the directions from Jeremiah Brown:
away to the camps [sic]
the three ladies prominade [sic] round the three gentlemen/the three gentlemen round the three ladies lead/down the middle up again and cast of [sic] allemand with your partner
The Wayside Inn Steppers dance it this way:
Away to the Camp (Triple Minor Longways)
- A1 First lady leads the other two ladies around the three gents
- A2 First gent leads the other two gents around the three ladies
- B1 Ones lead down the middle, return and cast off
- B2 Allemande with your partner (all),
Allemande reverse with your partner (all)
The ladies take hands for the leading around in A1, and the gents do the same in A2. Since the sources do not indicate who does the allemandes, we chose to have everyone do them.
Footwork: We use a skip-change step for this dance, with chassees for leading down the middle in B1, followed by a beaten step, and chassees for returning.
Here is the sheet music:
Here is the tune for you to listen to: Away to the Camp