Cushion Dance / Joan Sanderson/ Dons Pluvak
Words English REFERENCES
Davies Gilbert
`Some Ancient Christmas Carols`2nd ed 1823
Old Cornwall Society Magasine
1925 - 31
Inglis Gundry, Canow Kernow, Soundpost Publications, 1966 (see Bibliography) p 5
Racca 2, Calstock, 1997 (see Bibliography) No 163
Davey, A and M Corollyn, Cam Kernewek, Perranporth, 1993 (see bibliography).
NOTES
This dance shares antiquity with the Cornish Squire and is included in Playford`s Dancing Master 7th to 18th Editions. Davies Gilbert provides evidence that it was still popular in the Duchy in the early 19th century and the Old Cornwall Society Magazine of 1925 -31 verifies its continued use in this century.
Cushion dance is also included in Walshes `Compleat country dance master 1718` which "containing a variety of dances both old and new particularly those performed at Masquerades. Together with all choicest and most notable country dacnes performed at court, the Theatre and public balls. Walsh NOTES the same tune as Davies Gilbert.
Sharp records the Gloucestershire Round and the Staffordshire round in hisfolk Dance NOTES (1 p 3)describes it as the cushion dance in it`s almost original form, they played Greensleeves when they did this dance "Maude Karpeles collected same dance in Newfoundland which also went by the name of Kissing dance. A Hankerchief was carried rather than a cushion;
Although it`s origins as a Cornish dance may be uncertain, the cushion dance has clearly been around in the Duchy for a very long time and deserves to be seen as part of Cornish tradition. If it was not of Cornish origin then it certainly found a foster home here when puritan influences in England discouraged these dances along with Christmas carols etc.
(Corollyn, Cam Kernewek, Perranporth, 1993 (see bibliography).
