An original dance created by Anonymous Morris.
Instructions
For three dancers, with hats.
The hats should be in a straight line on the ground with enough space between them for the dancers to be able to dance around their hats easily.
Dancers start in a line, parallel to the line of the hats. Distance from the hat should be close enough that you can just reach your outstretched hand directly over your hat. Dancer 1 has the other two dancers to his left.
There is no reason not to hold the stick in the middle throughout the dance, as several figures require it.
| Figure | Music |
|---|---|
| All Around My Hat (Chorus) | A |
| Do-si-hat | B |
| Chorus | A |
| Deerstalker | B |
| Chorus | A |
| Crown | B |
| Chorus | A |
| Sheepskin Hey | BA |
| Dance Off | B |
Chorus, or All Around My Hat (A) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-4 | Hold the stick in the middle with your right hand and position it vertically directly above the hat. Keeping the stick in that position, dance clockwise threequarters around the hat. Dancers should end up in line with the hats. |
| On the off-beat between four and five, right hand turn 180 degrees and switch stick to the other hand, without moving the stick from its position above the hat. | |
| 5-8 | Without moving the stick position, dance threequarters anti-clockwise around hat. Dancers should end up in a line parallel to the line of hats. |
| On the off-beat between eight and nine, left hand turn 180 degrees and switch stick to the other hand, without moving the stick from its position above the hat. | |
| 9-16 | Repeat 1-8, bringing stick back to shoulder position on the last beat. |
Do-si-hat (B) |
|
|---|---|
| Note: Dancers in this figure should stand still when not involved. | |
| Count | Moves |
| 1-4 | Dancer 1 does a do-si-do with their hat. Two steps forward passing hat right shoulder, and two back passing left into place. |
| 5-8 | Dancer 2 does a do-si-do with their hat. |
| 9-12 | Dancer 3 does a do-si-do with their hat. |
| 13-16 | All dancers do-si-do their hats. |
Chorus (A)
Deerstalker (B) |
|
|---|---|
| Note: Sticks resting on right shoulders. Dancers not involved in the figure stand still. | |
| Count | Moves |
| 1-8 | Dancer 2 dances round the outside of the hat to their right and continues round their own hat before returning to place.
Once dancer 2 has passed the right hat, the dancer on the right, dancer 1, will follow behind them, but only dance around their own hat. The two dancers should time it so that they return to their places at the same time, each finishing with a right hand turn, ending up facing their own hat. |
| 9-16 | Exactly the same as above, but the middle dancer goes round the outside of the hat to their left and is followed by the left dancer, dancer 3. This time both finish with a left hand turn to face their hats. |
Chorus (A)
Crown (B) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-4 | Sticks on shoulder, dancers 1 and 3 dance round the outside of their hats and come towards the centre hat.
On the fourth beat, dancer 2 takes a step forward, so that the dancers form an equilateral triangle around the centre hat. |
| 5-8 | Sticks positioned directly over the hat, dancers do a right hand star. |
| 9-12 | Turn in and do a left hand star. Sticks should still be in the right hand, and be held out at arm's length. Left fists in above the hat. |
| 13-16 | Dancers 1 and 3 dance around the outside of their own hats to return to place. Dancer 2 takes one step back to place. |
Chorus (A)
Sheepskin Hey (BA) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-24 | Dancer 1 goes round their own hat to lead the dancers down the other side of the line of hats. As dancer 1 goes around the outside of dancer 3's hat at the other end, the dancers are lead into a sheepskin hey around the hats.
Sheepskin hey: weave around the line of hats, turning back into the weave when you have passed the third hat. The person at the back of the line of dancers always turns in after the second hat, placing them in front of the line. Each dancer should lead the weave at least twice, and the hey should finish with dancer 1 having returned to the front. |
| 25-30 | At the end of the hey, the dancers go around number 3’s hat for the last time, and end up their starting positions, still facing in a line. |
| 31-32 | Bend down and pick up your own hat and place it on your head. |
Dance Off (B) |
|
|---|---|
| Count | Moves |
| 1-16 | Follow dancer number 1 wherever he goes – generally leading off into the audience. |
