Hit stick butts vertically on ground behind right [beat 1 of bar 1] then tips in front to the left [beat 3]. Then tips clash up forehand with partner then backhand [beats 1 & 3 of bar 2]. Repeat all the clashing but clash thrice with partner [beats 1, 2 & 3 of bar 4] up forehand. Then do a Half Hey in one Basic [4 bars] clashing with partner at the end of the Half Hey. Repeat all that back to place [8 more bars].
Different chorus sticking: Hit stick butts vertically on ground behind right thrice [beats 1, 2 & 4 of bar 1]. Then tips clash up forehand with partner then backhand [beats 1 & 3 of bar 2]. Repeat clashing to ground [bar 3]. Then throw stick [in vertical orientation] to partner, catch partner’s stick and clash up backhand with partner [beats 1, 2 & 3 of bar 4]. [Source = Westrefelda.]
This can be danced to the Christmas carol tune ‘Deck the Hall’ but needs an adjustment to the rhythm. The original tune was 6 beats per bar [counted as 4 in a quick-slow-quick-slow rhythm for the stepping] whereas the carol is in 4 beats per bar so regularise the stepping to one count per beat. The last 3 “LA” syllables of the carol’s well known refrain ending of “FA-la-La-la-Laa-l’-LA-LA-LA” are often sung as 3 slower & of almost equal length [though written as lasting 1, 1 & 2 beats respectively] and these fittingly coincide with the triple up forehand clashing section so make those clashes fit the “LA-LA-LA” timing. During the final half Ch [the one ending with the Capers] sing the 2nd quarter of 1st verse of the carol, “’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la” whilst dancing. [Origin = Lagabag invention for a carol service performance.]
Learnt as part of Lagabag Morris’s dance repertoire.
This page only contains features specific to this dance. Where not specified, the features of this dance are in common with other dances in this tradition.
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