Longways set, 3 couples.
Foot Up | Ch 1 | Half Gyp | Ch 2 | Whole Gyp | Ch 3 | Rounds | Ch 4 [ending with] All Up & Show.
Long stick held in Rh [held vertically, hand at midpoint] or hankies.
A R Hook is a sort of backpeddling kick in the air [i.e. lift the foot, move it backwards, kick it downwards, continue it moving forwards] with the heel pointed down.
Hands as for a Galley.
L then R Triple Steps [2 bars]. Then LF + R Hook + Lhop + R Hook [1 beat each] with turning acw. Caper onto Rft then onto Lft [1 bar]. The next Basic will have R & L switched & turn cw.
If using hankies, swing them in circles [infront of face, in a theta = 45 deg phi = 0 plane, Rh cw, Lh acw] continuously during the Triple Steps [up on 2nd & 4th beats of the bar]. Use them as normal for the Hook & Capers.
If holding a stick in Rh, swing it during the Triple Steps [up on beat 3 [totally different to hanky use]] and swing the other arm the same.
To ‘Hook Into’ some figure means to do a step + hook + hop + hook [i.e. 3rd quarter of a basic] before starting the figure. Typically it is used to take up the left over bar in a 4-bar phrase in a corner dance after the 3 corners have each done the same 1-bar action.
Remember to start on the opposite foot to which one would start the figure alone on because this changes the free foot.
When used before a Hey, partners come into towards each other and do it facing in the direction they will be travelling. [This should cause the hooking to be a neatly synchronised parallel motion of the close inside feet of each couple.]
By replacing the last 2 bars of the final section with 4 capers ending facing up with sticks touching partner's forming arches across the set. On the Capers, both arms go down then up then down then up.
In order to get a Half Gyp done in one Basic, it helps start turning and moving back to place on the hop of the 2nd bar [which results in a sort of sideways hop] and continue this in the first step of the 3rd bar [i.e. starting the hook sequence with more of a backstep or sidestep than a forward step]. This also results in a 360 deg turn on the way back.
Standard Lagabag start but clash stick with partner on the jump if using sticks.
Bleddington with sticks has clashes all over the place. Clash with partners at the end of every verse and at the end of the first half of the verse. If it is awkward to reach [e.g. in the middle of Rounds] then mime clashing with the air.
An ‘RTB’ in Bledington actually refers the whole sequence of a pure RTB, standing up with a stamping RC and 2 Capers.
All up in 4 capers & show with sticks in an arch.
It is important to start moves on the correct foot for the subsequent turns with hooks. Start each verse by stepping onto the outside foot except for Gyps & Half Gyps which start Lft and Heys & Half Heys which start with the outside foot of the initial turn into the hey [i.e. Dap 1, 3 & 6 start Rft & the others Lft].
Bleddington is very similar to Fieldtown but faster and bouncier in style [which makes it both easier to do, because it is easier to cover up mistakes, and more entertaining for normal audiences]. Many dances are common to the two traditions.
This page only contains features specific to this tradition. Where not specified, the features of this tradition are in common with Cotswold Morris in general.
[Bledington] [Different Traditions] [Abbreviations] [General Cotswold Morris Features]