Esperance Morris Book vol 2 - online book

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

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6
THE ESPERANCE MORRIS BOOK.—II.
4.—BLUE-EYED STRANGER {Handkerchief Dame)— Hold a handkerchief in each hand by the corner, and
during Shake up, Hey up, etc., move the hands in time to the feet as in Fig. VII—
Bars 9 to 16 twice.—-Repeat A.
Bars 1 to 8.—Back to back.
Bars 9 to 16 twice.—Repeat A.
Bars 1 to 8.—Whole hey up, and
All in ; i.e. in last two bars all turn and dance towards the centre, and instead of final jump, put right foot up and flinging both hands above head give a cry.
In the Side step put left foot in front of right, make a quarter turn right, and keeping feet in this position move slightly to left corner, taking the weight of the body first on L, then on R, then on L, then hop on L, swing R in front of L. Make a quarter turn left, and do the same to right corner, taking weight first on R, then on L, then on R, then hop on R. In this step the feet are raised only slightly from the ground.
This step is the same as that used in " Jockey to the Fair," " Esperance Book I," p. 9 ; and in " Old Mother Oxford," described later in this volume, p. 9, but in both these cases it is twice as long. The hands are circled during side step, but rather higher than at any other time.
Half hey up is simply half the evolution Hey up; that is, the leaders and ends will have changed places at the end of the figure.
5.—DOUBLE SET BACK (Handkerchief Dance)—
All the movements in this dance are done twice. There is no jumping, and the second back step must be used throughout, so that the effect of the dance is that the feet are much more on the ground than in the other dances.
The Side step is the same as in A of " Blue-eyed Stranger," but it continues for three bars instead of two, and consequently there is only one bar of back step. The following diagram should make it plain—
In the first two bars of the side step the dancer moves slightly, first towards the left, then towards the right, as in " Blue-eyed Stranger," but the third bar should be danced in position, so that he can be well in his original place by the end of the back step.
Music, once to yourself.—Jump on 3rd beat of last bar.
Bars 1 to 8 twice.—Shake up, double ; i.e., down and back twice, turn ; up and back twice, all quarter turn left, giving the following positions—
Dance in this position-Bays 9 to 16.—Side step and back step (Fig. IX) twice.
Bars 1 to 8 twice.—Hey up twice ; face partners.
Bars 9 to 16.—Side step and back step twice.
Bars 1 to 8 twice.—Hands across twice.
Bars 9 to 16.—Side step and back step twice.
Bars 1 to 8 twice.— Back to back twice.
Bars 9 to 16.—Side step and back step twice.
Bars 1 to 8 twice.—Hey up twice. All in centre, and cry.
Note that after the first Hey up Nos. 2, 4, and 6 face their partners as in the other dances, and dance the other Side steps in this position.
As the dance is very long, it is possible to do Hey up, Hands across, and Back to back singly instead of doubly, in which case bars 1 to 8 will be played onlv once every time after the Shake up.
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