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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	THE ESPERANCE MORRIS BOOK.—II.		13
	The leader holds up the frame formed by the swords, and all dance round. Stop, and each take with left hand the handle of his sword and draw it out. Dance round, Nos. 3 and 7 holding up their swords crossed in the air, the others clashing their swords on them. Hold sword low down by left side, parallel to the ground, and grasp the point of the sword of the dancer behind with right hand ; dance round (16 steps). The leader stops and turns towards No. 2, still holding point of No. 2's sword in right hand ; he and No. 2 lower No. 2's sword, and No. 2 jumps over it, going to his right. No. 3 and the other dancers all jump over it in turn, and finally the leader. The dancers are now in reversed order. Note that during the jumping the circle has never been broken. All now dance round to right (16 steps). The swords are now outside the circle, i.e., held in left hand by handle, the point over right shoulder of dancer in front, and grasped by him. No. 2 turns back by the right (while No. 1 stands) and lifting sword turns under his left arm ; all the other dancers then dance in turn under sword thus upraised. All dance round in reverse direction (16 steps). The swords are now inside the circle, though still held in left hand with the point over right shoulder of dancer in front, and grasped by him. No. 2 turns back by the left (while No. 1 stands) and again turns under left arm; others follow under. The direction of dancers is by this process again reversed, and the swords again outside circle. All dance round (16 steps). They now form into two lines, thus—	No. 1 takes point of No. 2's sword in right hand, and No. 2 does the same with No. i's sword ; and they hold them parallel to each other and to the ground. They then raise the swords above their heads and go down the middle, twisting twice under the swords, turning outwards to do this. The other couples repeat this whole manoeuvre, i.e., dance up line and back, and go down the middle twisting under swords. The positions are again as at Fig. II. Each couple now raise swords (still held as in last manoeuvre) for Nos. 1 and 2 to pass under. When they get to the end all turn under swords (outwards) as before. Now follows the movement called " corkscrew" in the Swedish dance, the leaders working from end to top. When they reach top all turn (outwards) under swords, and when they reach bottom all turn again. The cork­screw is continued till the leaders have been up and down the line and up again, turning under swords at each end. and chain. No. 1 of course turns (by his right) at once, faces the others, and works down the line ; the others work up, and turn and work down as soon as they reach the top. All the dancers hold their swords in left hand over left shoulder for this manoeuvre. When the leader has reached top again, he works down to bottom again, and then All form a circle, and grasping the point of the sword of the dancer in front with the right hand dance round as at the beginning (16 steps). Lock the swords in the form of a frame as before, and all dance round, the leader holding up the locked swords. The music to the dance goes straight through as often as needed; the circles (16 steps) will, of course, take up one strain of the music, and the dancers should endeavour to make each manoeuvre occupy one strain.
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