Cotswold Notes: Raglan: Portsmouth

Form

Longways set, 2 couples.

Props

Hankies.

Phrasing

(A+B)x3+A.

Music

It uses the traditional tune ‘Portsmouth’.

Verses

Dance On | Ch | Half Gyp | Ch | Square | Ch | Diagonal Square | Ch | Dance Off

Basic

One triple step in place [starting RI] rotating hankies above head [Rh acw, Lh cw with them going forwards on beats 1 & 3] then one triple step travelling [starting LF or LB] with hankies going gently vertically down [on beat 1] and up high above head [on hop].

Dance On

4 forward basics up to come on to the dance area.

Dance Off

4 forward basics down to leave the dance area.

Square

(Half a Basic in place turning to face next place acw around set then F to next place in the second half of the Basic.) x 4 back to place.

Diagonal Square

Like Square except that the 1st & 3rd repeats are each replaced by Dap2 & Dap3 doing a Basic in place whilst the others turn to face in place in half a Basic and then cross Rsh in the 2nd half of the Basic.

Chorus

(RFA flicking Lft up behind [a bit like falling onto Rft] then LI [like rocking back onto Lft] with body turned diagonally L but head facing partner [1 beat each step]. Lh hanky vertically down by side whilst Rh hanky rotates acw above head flicking out forwards towards partner on the RFA steps) x 7 but stamp last LI. Then RC with a stamp [1 beat] and pause a beat standing to attention. Repeat all that but with mirrored R to L.

Variation 1

It has been adapted by Westrefelda Morris into an 8 person dance. It is done as 2 independent groups of 4 dancing as above except that the Half Gyp with partners has been replaced with one towards the other group of 4 so that the dancers form 2 lines of 4 across the set at the extreme position.

Variation 2

Change the stepping from step + step + step + hop to step + hop + step + step to make it closer to the original.

Origin

This dance is not really an original Raglan one but one invented by Phoenix Morris in the Raglan style. [Source = Mike.]

Source of Information

Westrefelda Morris who got it from Bullnose Morris.

Further Information

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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