The Morris Book, Part 1: A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of EnglandSharp, Cecil J. (Cecil James)
History
The Morris Book, Part 1: A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of England
Sharp, Cecil J. (Cecil James)
Morris dance
Having mastered these, one last instruction may be given. The 4/3 Morris
step is occasionally varied, so as to make it exactly like the
polka-step--that is, with the final hop danced like a dotted note; like a
quaver, if the music be in common time. This is a variation practised
occasionally by the Morris men themselves, and the enthusiastic amateur
will find himself dropping into it occasionally, following his
enthusiastic leader. No instructions for this changing of the step will
be given in the Notation, for it cannot be specified. The whole side will
fall into it naturally, upon occasion: for instance, where there is a
long stretch of the step, danced in one position, couples facing, arms
swinging and handkerchiefs waving, as in "Blue-eyed Stranger." This is
fairly intoxicating to the dancer, and here the hop will often suggest
itself. And again, in hurrying, if one gets left behind a pace, as, for
instance, in the Chain. But to hop, or not to hop, unevenly in the 4/3
step, that is a matter that will be easily arranged by the spirit of the
dancers and the discretion of their leader. We desire merely to indicate
a rule that, upon occasion, may be agreeably infringed.
POSITIONS, AND CHANGE OF POSITION.
The Morris side, when in position for dancing, stands in, or returns to,
the positions as shown hereunder. The only exception to these is the
Ring, as explained below.
POSITION 1 (COLUMN). POSITION 2 (Front).
^ ^
1 2 1> <2
^ ^
3 4 3> <4
^ ^
5 6 5> <6
Thus the six stand in two parallel lines of three each. The top, as the
rule is in dancing, is set towards the music. The angles represent the
dancers: the apex of each angle points as the dancer's face is turned;
the numbers within the angles will be used throughout in describing
movements of individual dancers.
The dancer at the top left-hand corner, No. 1, is _invariably_ the leader
of the side. No figure is completed, and no dance can end, until No. 1
has returned to his place at the top left-hand corner.
It is the duty and privilege of No. 1 to call loudly and clearly the name
of each figure or part of a figure as each falls due for
performance--"Corners," "Chain," "Back-to-back," and so forth, and to
announce the end of the dance by the call of "All in."
In Position 1, or Column, the dancers stand in two files, and all face
the same way.
This is called in the Notation--Column, or Col.
In Position 2, or Front, the dancers are turned inward, and face each
other in pairs.
This is called in the Notation--Front, or Fr.
The change of position, from Column to Front, or _vice versa_, whether
made by jumping or by stepping to measure, is executed invariably thus:--
To change Column to Front the dancers turn inward. Thus, in Position 1,
Nos. 1, 3, and 5 make a half-turn to the right; Nos. 2, 4, and 6 make a
half-turn to the left.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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