Cotswold Notes: Sherbourne: Orange in Bloom

Form

Corner dance, 3 couples.

Verses

Foot Up | Salutes Chorus | Rounds | Galleys Chorus | Rounds | Brush Capers Chorus | Rounds | Split Capers Chorus | Heys on the Side [ending with] All Up & Show.

Props

Two hankies.

Music

It has six beats per bar [but mainly danced as a fast quick + slow + quick + slow] except for the Brush & Split Caper when it has four beats per bar and is slower.

Phrasing

A+(Ax2+(B+A)x3)x2+(Ax2+(C+A)x3)x2+Ax2. A, B & C are each 4 bars. A & B have 6 beat bars musically but are danced to 4 counts, C has 4 beat bars.

Start of Dance

Start with Slipback x 3 then FTJ [2 bars total].

Salute

A R Salute [RS + LC + RS + Rhop] is done to the timing 1 beat + 2 beats +1 beat +2 beats and the LC is almost LCB.

Basic

Start with a LF + Lhop + RF + LF triple step [fitted to a 6 beat bar with 1 beat + 2 beats + 1 beat + 2 beats timing]. The music is fairly slow so the hop needs to be high. Hankies go down fast on the hop and up during the last RF + LF. When the hankies go up, they go vertical [theta = 0 deg]. When they go down they go slightly back [theta approx. 20 deg, phi = 180 deg].

Repeat on the other foot. Then Galley Round 180 deg [1 bar]. Then Caper & leap landing on both feet with hankies up [1 bar].

Start with the outside foot. Alternate basics alternate in leading foot.

Take care to start off on the correct foot for the direction of turn to be performed at the end of the Basic.

Slipback

Slide RB whilst turning lower body slightly acw by pivoting on the balls of the feet. Slide LC straightening again.

Rounds & Foot Up

Start these on the outside foot [otherwise one will be on the wrong foot for the Galley Round].

Choruses

(Choruses consist of two dancers doing four of the named items [1 bar each] starting the first Rft & alternating feet for subsequent ones. They then swap places in one Basic starting RF.) x 3 done as a corner dance.

Corners that are waiting to go next can do a single bar of stepping [like that from the first bar of a Basic] on the spot during the bar before they come in.

Variation 1

Instead of starting with Slipback x 3 & FTJ, start with a Foot Up & Foot Down in 2 Basics but with the second half of each Basic replaced by that Slipback x 3 & FTJ combination.

Variation 2

Leap rather than step onto the supporting foot at the start of the Galley and hop on it during the Galley. [Source = Mike.]

Source of Information

Learnt as part of Lagabag Morris’s dance repertoire.

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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