Over the Top
Tune: Over the Top (MP3 played by Jeff Bigler), by Jeff Bigler
Set: 4 dancers; 32“ (long) sticks; skipping (single steps)
Source: MOTley Morris / Jeff Bigler (2000)
Chorus: (1) high-low while (2) dib & toss; then clash while dancing through to corner's space. Repeat with (2) high-low while (1) dib & toss.
Figures: dance on & rounds, staggered back-to-back, J-loops, out-to-the-left, (square) bombast
Detailed Description
This dance was written circa 2000 by Jeff Bigler for MOTley Morris.
Chorus
Beat 1: #1 & #4 clash high while #2 and #3 dib
Beat 2: #1 & #4 clash low while #2 and #3 toss
Beat 3: #1 & #4 clash high while #2 and #3 dib
Beat 4: #1 & #4 clash low while #2 and #3 toss
Beats 5-8: dance through the set, all four dancers passing their corner by the right shoulder with an all-in clash as they pass on the “and” after beat 5. The dancers have now changed places with their corners.
Repeat the chorus, this time with #1 & #4 dibbing and tossing, and #2 and #3 clashing high-low. At the end of the chorus, the dancers are back in their original positions.
Figures
Dance On & Rounds
The dancers enter from the sidelines. When they get to the center, they continue in a circle, forming the set in time for the chorus.
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.
J-Loops
Beat 1 (right foot): dancers step in place
Beat 2 (left foot): dancers surge forward to just past their partner
Beat 3 (right): dancers slide to the right, passing behind their partner
Beat 4 (left): dancers move slightly backward into a single straight line
Beat 5 (right): dancers move backward, with the right foot crossing behind the left so that the motion is diagonally back toward their original place.
Beats 6-8: dancers pass by the right shoulder to their partner's place, then turn around over the stick (right) shoulder to face their partner.
The figure repeats on beats 9-16, with the dancers ending up back in their original positions.
Out to the Left
Each dancer turns 90º to the left (starting from facing center) and dances for beats 1-2, then turns 180º (over the right shoulder) and backs up (moving in the same direction but facing the opposite way) on beats 3-4. Then the dancers turn slightly so that when they move in, they will pass their corner by the right shoulder. The dancers come in on beats 5-8, clashing with everyone on the “and” between beats 7 and 8.
Then the dancers continue forward on beats 9-10, turning again over the right shoulder and continuing in the same direction but backward on beats 11-12, then coming in on beats 13-16, clashing with each other again on the “and” between beats 15 and 16.
(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
X:1 T:Over the Top C:Jeff Bigler (2000) A:Border M:C L:1/4 Q:132 P:(AB)5 K:D %%partsfont Times-Bold 16.0 %%staves [1 2] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% V:1 clef=treble nm="I" snm="I" %% %%MIDI channel 1 %% %%MIDI control 7 100 % melody volume = 100 %% %%MIDI program 41 % General MIDI violin %% %%MIDI transpose 0 %% %%MIDI gchordoff %% V:2 clef=treble nm="II" snm="II" %% %%MIDI channel 2 %% %%MIDI control 7 50 % harmony volume = 50 %% %%MIDI program 41 % General MIDI violin %% %%MIDI transpose 0 %% %%MIDI gchordoff %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% P:A V:1 % melody A, | D D/E/ F D | G/A/ B A2 | d c/B/ A F | B/A/G/F/ E2 | D D/E/ F D | G/A/ B A2 | d c/B/ A F | G/F/ E D || %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% V:2 % harmony z | z4 | z2 z A, | D D/E/ F D | G/A/ B A2 | d c/B/ A F | B/A/G/F/ E2 | D D/E/ F D | E/D/ C D || %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% P:B V:1 % melody A \ %%setbarnb 9 | d f/d/ c e/c/ | B/d/c/B/ A2 | G B/G/ F A/F/ | E/D/E/F/ E A | d f/d/ c e/c/ | B/d/c/B/ A2 |:\ "last time only play 3x"G/d/B/G/ F/d/A/F/ :| E C D |] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% V:2 % harmony z \ %%setbarnb 9 | z2 z A | d f/d/ c e/c/ | B G/B/ A F | G/A/ B c2 | z2 z A | d f/d/ c e/c/ |:\ B G/B/ A F :| G/F/ E D |]