"Hit and Misse" appears in the first edition of Playford's English Dancing Master as a four-couple longways dance with all the couples proper. However, it is difficult to see how to follow Playford's instructions in this formation. Cecil Sharp instead made it into a two-couple dance, but I find this version a bit repetitive. Recasting it into a Sicilian circle avoids the repetition as you now get to dance with other couples.
The music, Daphne, is only 22 bars, so four changes of a hey around a square has to be rushed to complete it in only 6 bars of music. The variation given below needs only three changes of the square hey.
Sicilian circle. Folk dance
| • | 'Hit and Miss', 3x22 bars, The Ranchers on the LP 'Tunes for the Dancing of Country Dances from The English Dancing Master'. Issued originally on EFDSS PLA3, but more recently re-issued within an EFDSS CD set. | ||
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| • | Here is a longer track:
Hit and Miss (Daphne) (6x22 bars)  (file size 3.85MB).
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| bars | |
| A 1‑8 | In fours circle left; circle right. |
| B 1‑2 | Lead partner towards the other couple, |
| 3‑4 | Turn away from your partner and each man leads the other lady away so some pairs go inwards towards the centre of the large circle while the rest go outwards, |
| 5‑6 | Turn back individually and lead back towards partner, |
| 7‑8 | Give partner right hand and fall back with them to Sicilian circle. |
| C 1‑6 | Face partner and
make three changes of a square hey (with hands) around your current four. Turn to face partner, but note that all are in progressed places and so will be dancing with a new couple |
| 2A | Into-line siding right shoulder to right shoulder with partner; into-line siding left shoulders. |
| B, C | As above with new couple to progress again. |
| 3A | Arm right with partner; arm left. |
| B, C | As above, to finish further progressed. |
