Longways set, 3 couples.
Foot Up | Salutes Chorus | Set | Galleys Chorus | Back to Back | Brush Capers Chorus | Face to Face | Split Capers Chorus [ending with] | Hey | Show.
None.
(Ax2+Bx2)x4. A is 4 bars, B is 8 bars.
The step is: Pause [1/2 beat] + leap onto Lft with RFww heel touching ground a little way infront [1/2 beat] + transfer weight briefly to heel RI [1/2 beat] + transfer weight immediately back LI [1/2 beat]. Next step has R & L switched. Do 6 in total then 3 stamps [on the next 3 beats] in place.
Upper arms remain vertically down for the stepping. Hands are clenched as fists with palms facing backwards when arms are down and forwards when arms are up. Fists go sharply down infront to straighten arms on the leap of the 1st, 3rd & 5th step and sharply up infront to the shoulders on the leap of the 2nd, 4th & 6th.
The leap is a very small low one that is more of a swap of feet positions than a travelling leap [the forward foot comes back quite a bit].
Start with inside foot.
It rhythm is a distinctly staccato “1a2.3a4.”.
The Foot Up is done on the spot, first facing up for 8 steps then down.
Like a Half Gyp but only into line [on the set’s centre line] not all the way across [to partner’s side].
Like a Whole Gyp where each half ends like a Back to Back instead, i.e. cross to partner’s position using a semicircular path forwards passing by one shoulder then turn abruptly to face out and reverse back to place passing by the other shoulder.
End feet together with both hands up [theta = 45 deg, phi = ± 90 deg] on last stamp facing across.
(Corners in turn do the named item then [in the 4th bar] everyone falls forwards [feet remain in place] to touch partner palms to palms [except for hands containing tankards of course!], pause supported there and push off [on last beat of 4th bar] back to upright. Then do a Half hey on the Sides in 8 steps.) x 2 to place.
This can be a very compact dance. Its compactness and its ability to be done with a drink makes it fitting for doing in pubs.
It can be done with hankies. In which case they flop backwards over the shoulders and lie there for a bit when hands go up to shoulders.
The Basic can be ended with a Show every time not just at the end of the dance.
Can be done with a tankard of beer in one hand. Obviously reduce the vertical motion of that hand [or use an empty tankard].
Some sides do it with arms going up in the Basic when they are going down in the above description and vice versa.
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.
[Sherbourne] [Different Traditions] [Abbreviations] [General Cotswold Morris Features]