Esperance Morris Book vol 2 - online book

A Manual Of Morris Dances Folk-songs And Singing Games With Sheet Music And Instructions

	4	THE ESPERANCE MORRIS BOOK.—II.
	DESCRIPTION OF THE DANCES.
	i.—BEAN SETTING (Stick Dance)— Hold sticks in right hand in the middle, more or less like a pen, and keep them at side except when using them. During Circle, Hands across, and Back to back, Nos. 2, 4, and 6 hold their sticks horizontal with their eyes on 1st beat of bar 4 each time it occurs. Nos. 1, 3, and 5 knock sticks of 2, 4, and 6 on 3rd beat of same bar. The dance is started with a circle, which is as follows : No. 2 turns right about, and following No. 4 dances to place of No. 5. No. 4 turns right about, and following No. 6 dances to the place of No. 3. No. 6 follows his partner, No. 5, and dances to the place of No. 1. No. 5 follows No. 3, and dances to the place of No. 2. No. 3 follows No. 1, and dances to the place of No. 4. No. 1 follows his partner, No. 2, and dances to the place of No. 6, as follows—			face front, sticks in same position as at start, on last beat of all. The Dibbing is as follows :— On 1st beat, bar 5, all knock sticks on ground. On 2nd beat, bar 5, all knock sticks on ground. On 1st beat, bar 6, knock partner's stick and keep sticks crossed. In bar 7, knock sticks as in bar 5. On 1st beat, bar 8, odd numbers knock sticks of even. On 2nd beat, bar 8, No. 1 knocks stick of No. 3. On 1st beat, bar 9, No. 3 knocks No. 5. On 2nd beat, bar 9, No. 5 knocks No. 6. On 1st beat, bar 10, No. 6 knocks No. 4. On 2nd beat, bar 10, No. 4 knocks No. 2. And on 3rd beat, bar 10, all knock partners' sticks again. Repeat whole, but start dancing with the final knock (see below). When partners knock sticks in bar 6, they knock with the lower part nearest the ground. In bar 8, Nos. 1, 3, and 5 strike with the top of their sticks the bottom part of the sticks of their partners, and in the knocking which follows, the striker always strikes with the top of his stick the bottom of his neighbour's. At the end of Dibbing it is better to start dancing the next figure simultaneously with the final knock, so as to begin the next figure without break (as in music); but this knock can be performed separately, if desired. In this case it is necessary to play through the music for Dibbing twice in its entirety, omitting altogether the 2nd time bar (bar 100). 2.—RODNEY {Stick Dance)— This dance is the same as " Rigs o' Mar low" (" Esperance Book, I " p. 7), except that the Shake up is danced differently, and that in the Shake up, Hands across, and Back to back the step is as in Fig. I, instead of as in Fig. III. In the tapping the step is the same as in " Rigs o' Marlow," except in bars 15 and 16, when it is R R L R instead of R L R L. The tapping itself is also different in these bars, as shown in the following diagram, the round dots showing the position of the hand—
	AUDIENCE.
	This should take four bars, and just before the 3rd beat of bar 4, Nos. 2, 4, and 6 bring their sticks up horizontal and parallel to the body, a little lower than the shoulders, and on the 3rd beat Nos. 1, 3, and 5 tap their sticks from above. Then all dance back to places, thus—
	AUDIENCE. and tap sticks as before. Partners are then lacing each other in original places ready for Dibbing. The dance is as follows : for position, partners cross sticks in front, on a level with shoulders and horizontal with the ground, the arms slightly bent. Once to yourself.—On last beat odd numbers tap sticks of even. Bars 1 In 4 twice.—Circle. Bars 5 to 10 twice.-—Dibbing. Bars 1 to 4 twice.—Hands across. Bars 5 to 10 twice.—Dibbing. Bars 1/04 twice.—Back to back. Bars 5 to 10 twice.—Dibbing and All in ; that is, finish
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