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
At the end of the second bar, No. 5 should be at No. 3's place, in the
centre of the figure; No. 1 should have already passed it, and No. 3 be
coming to it, so that No. 5 passes between Nos. 1 and 3. In second half
of Chain, same positions are to be observed.
In the second four bars, for completion of the Chain, the movements
already described are simply reversed. As No. 1 is always leader (_see_
p. 38), and must turn outward and be followed by Nos. 3 and 5 on the
lines of the figure 8, he must now return to his station along the double
curve travelled in the first four bars by No. 5. No. 3 must follow No. 1
in the other circle of the 8, and No. 5 must get back to his station
along the double curve travelled in the first four bars by No. 1. Thus:
[Illustration: Fig. 6.]
[Illustration: Fig. 7.]
The Chain is danced by Nos. 2, 4, and 6 precisely in the same way: No. 2
is always leader; always turns _outward_; and Nos. 4 and 6 always follow
No. 2 on the lines of the double curve, or figure 8. No. 6, as No. 5,
passes between Nos. 2 and 4, in chaining.
Occasionally, as for instance in "Country Gardens," the term "Half-chain"
will be found. This means that the movement shown in Fig. 4 is executed
to four bars of music; another movement follows; then "Half-chain" again,
bringing numbers back to original stations.
If, as very often occurs, the Chain follows a movement executed in Front
formation, the dancers simply turn and follow one another as shown in
diagrams, when the Chain music begins.
This is called in the Notation--Chain.
CROSS-OVER.
This movement is executed in Front formation, to eight bars of music, as
follows:
In the first two bars each dancer crosses over and takes the place of his
partner, setting the pairs back to back, thus:
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
In crossing and re-crossing, _invariably_, each must keep his partner to
the right, that is, the right shoulder of each passes by the right
shoulder of each partner.
In bars 3 and 4 (keeping up the step all the time) all come to the
right-about, that is, face inward again, by turning to the rightward
(maintaining position all the time), thus:
[Illustration: Fig. 3.]
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
In bars 5 and 6 all cross over again, right shoulder to right shoulder,
bringing the side back to back and in original stations.
In bars 7 and 8 all make a full turn to the right (as in Fig. 3) bringing
the side again to Front.
As there are two bars to turn in after crossing over, and again after
re-crossing, the dancer must, of course, turn slowly and evenly, so that
the turn is completed just in time for the jump in bars 4 and 8.
This is called in the Notation--Cross-over.
BACK-TO-BACK.
As with the Cross-over, this movement is completed in eight bars.
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