Taken from the dancing of Powederkeg and Breathless in Berthoud Morris with occasional tweaks of our own.
Instructions
This is a dance for pairs. Each pair are numbered 1 and 2. There are two ways of arranging the dancers:
For a small number of pairs, the dancers form a conventional longways set.
For four or more pairs the longways set can be wrapped around the band, so that the band are standing in the middle of the dance. The number 1’s have their backs to the band and the number 2’s face the number 1’s. The band stand in the centre of the dance with the number 1s close to them and the number 2s radiating out from the 1s. The visual effect is that of spokes, a pair of dancers forming each spoke, radiating out from a central hub.
| Figure | Music |
|---|---|
| Forward, Back and Line | A |
| Chorus | B |
| Pear Drops | A |
| Chorus | B |
| Do-si-breather | A |
| Chorus | B |
| Tip, Butt and Turn | A |
| Chorus | B |
| Sword Fighting | A |
| Chorus | B |
| Dance Off | A |
Forward and Back, and Line (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-4 | Dancers begin the dance facing each other, and on beat 1; turn and take four steps down the set. If the dance is being danced in a circle, turn and dance anti-clockwise around the circle |
| 5-8 | Four steps backwards to where you started |
| 9-10 | 1s and 2s face each other and take two steps forward to end up side by side, lining up right shoulders |
| 11-12 | Step two on the spot |
| 13-14 | Two steps back to place |
| 15-16 | Two steps on the spot facing your partner |
Chorus (B) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-2 | Three forehand stick strikes with partner in time to the first three beats of the music. Count ‘one, and, two’. |
| 3-4 | Face partner while exchanging places. Pass right shoulders and maintain eye contact. |
| 5-16 | Repeat 1-4 a further three times. |
Pear Drops (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-4 | Swap stick to left hand and right hand turn 360 degrees with partner, stick resting on left shoulder. |
| 5-8 | Take two steps away from partner and turn left to face partner, while changing the stick back to the right hand. Take two steps back to partner. This move should create a tear-drop shape. |
| 9-12 | Left hand 360 degrees with partner, stick resting on right shoulder. |
| 13-16 | Take two steps away from partner and turn right to face partner. Take two steps back to partner. This move also creates a tear-drop shape. |
Chorus (B)
Do-si-breather (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-8 | 1s go around their partners, in a do-si-do. 2s stand still. |
| 9-16 | 2s go around the 1s in a do-si-do. 1s stand still. |
Chorus (B)
Tip, Butt and Turn (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-2 | Tip and butt sticks with partner while stepping. Swing stick up and out after butt strike (it will naturally go in the right direction) and use this momentum to start you into the turn. |
| 3-4 | Turn right three quarters yourself, while moving ¼ anti-clockwise round partner, a bit like a planet spinning on its axis while it also rotates around the sun. |
| 5-16 | Repeat 1-4 three further times until back in place. |
Chorus (B)
Sword Fighting (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1 | Clash stick with partner – high forehand while stepping clockwise round him. |
| 2 | Clash stick with partner – low backhand while stepping clockwise round him. |
| 3-16 | Continue clashing high forehand, low backhand while moving around partner. There is enough time to go three times round your partner in the 16 counts. Ensure you finish back in place. |
Chorus (B)
Finish this chorus facing away from partner with stick held high horizontally in the air. Yell! The music will wait for applause before continuing.
Dance Off (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-8 | Stay still, retaining the position you finished the last chorus in. |
| 9-16 | Dance off into the audience, doing right-handed twirls, still holding sticks high and horizontal. |
