The Circle Dance

Tune: Glise à Sherbrook (The Big Ship)1) MOTley Morris often used a medley (MP3 played by Jeff Bigler & A.J. Liuba) Set: 4 dancers; 28 ¼“(medium) sticks2) The Not For Joes use shorter sticks ; skipping (single steps) Source: (Connecticut) Not For Joes Chorus: stick neighbor-partner-high/low, partner-neighbor low/high; repeat. Figures: dance on & rounds, , , , , double time or rounds & off

Detailed Description

Chorus

Clashing.

#1 and #4 (first corners) are clashing on the “outside”. The pattern for #1 and #4 is:

Beat 1: partner (backhand) Beat 2: neighbor (forehand) Beat 3: corner, low (forehand) Beat 4: corner, low (forehand) again Beat 5: neighbor (forehand) Beat 6: partner (backhand) Beat 7: corner, high (backhand) Beat 8: corner, high (backhand) again Beat 9: partner (backhand) Beat 10: neighbor (forehand) Beat 11: corner, low (forehand) Beat 12: corner, low (forehand) again Beat 13: neighbor (forehand) Beat 14: partner (backhand) Beat 15: corner, high (backhand) Beat 16: pause

Repeat sequence.

#2 and #3 (second corners) are clashing on the “inside”. The pattern for #2 and #3 is:

Beat 1: partner (backhand) Beat 2: neighbor (forehand) Beat 3: corner, high (backhand) Beat 4: corner, high (backhand) again Beat 5: neighbor (forehand) Beat 6: partner (backhand) Beat 7: corner, low (forehand) Beat 8: corner, low (forehand) again Beat 9: partner (backhand) Beat 10: neighbor (forehand) Beat 11: corner, high (backhand) Beat 12: corner, high (backhand) again Beat 13: neighbor (forehand) Beat 14: partner (backhand) Beat 15: corner, low (forehand) Beat 16: pause

Repeat sequence.

The final chorus (after Bombast) is done twice, once at regular speed and once faster (called “double time”, though it's not actually twice as fast).

Figures

Staggered Back-to-Back

Beats 1-2: first corners (dancers #1 and #4) cross by the right shoulder. Beats 3-4: second corners (dancers #2 and #3) cross by the right shoulder. Beats 5-6: first corners return (backwards), passing by the left shoulder. Beats 7-8: second corners return (backwards), passing by the left shoulder. Beats 9-10: first corners (dancers #1 and #4) cross by the left shoulder. Beats 11-12: second corners (dancers #2 and #3) cross by the left shoulder. Beats 13-14: first corners return (backwards), passing by the right shoulder. Beats 15-16: second corners return (backwards), passing by the right shoulder.

Diagonal Hey

Beats 1-2: dancers #1 and #4 hop backwards while dancers #2 and #3 hook approximately 3/4 of the way around each other (approximately 270º), passing right shoulders. At this point, the dancers are in a straight line, at a 45º angle to the music. Beats 3-12: dancers pass each other, alternating shoulders. The first pass is by the left shoulder (because #2 and #3 already passed by the right), then right, then left, etc. When you get to the end of the line, loop around your left shoulder instead of passing someone. (Remember that everyone else is passing, so you have to “skip” a shoulder as you do this.) Beats 13-16: Dancers #1 and #4 loop around slowly to their original places. Dancers #2 and #3 meet and once again go 3/4 of the way around each other (approximately 270º) to end up in their original places.

Starburst

Dancers face the center and back up on beats 1-4, then come in on beats 5-6, jump up in the air with their sticks held high on beat 7 (turning 90º to land on the “and” after beat 7, and another 90º on beat 8).

Repeat, backing up on beats 9-12, and coming back in on beats 13-16.

Red Herring shouts “Ho!” as we leap on beat 7.

(Square) Bombast

We sometimes describe this as “hookers and sliders”. On beats 1-4, the dancers in positions 1 and 4 (“sliders”) move straight along the sides of the set, #1 heading for position #3, and #4 heading for position #2. The dancers in positions 2 and 3 (“hookers”) hook around each other (and also around #5), with #2 ending up in position #1 and #3 ending up in position #4. On beats 5-8, the same thing happens. Note that the dancers who were “sliders” on beats 1-4 are now “hookers”, and the dancers who were “hookers” on beats 1-4 are now “sliders”.

The same happens on beats 9-16, at which point the dancers are back in their original positions.

Tune

Red Herring sometimes uses a medley of several tunes, including (but not limited to) the following: