This is a stick dance from Fieldtown in Oxfordshire. It's danced by a set of six dancers arranged in two columns of three.
This is a two-part tune the parts labelled 'A', and 'B' in the usual manner. The dots are below:
Hold stick by the middle in the right hand: stick should be roughly upright
except when clashing.
All dancers face up (towards the musician)
Start dance by striking stick tips with opposite
At the end of the final chorus omit the "feet together, jump and clash";
rather all face up towards the music with sticks crossed with opposite.
Wait for the thunderous applause to finish.
Then with number 2 standing still and holding his arms out forward all
walk round in a circle, each placing their stick on number 2's arms as
they pass him.
With number 1 leading, all walk off in single file followed finally by
number 2 carrying all the sticks.
Move forward 2 double steps (right foot, left foot, right foot, hop on right
foot then left foot, right foot, left foot, hop on left foot)
Then turn to face down (away from the music).
Then feet together, jump, and strike tip of stick with opposite.
Then move down 2 double steps (right foot, left foot, right foot, hop on right
foot then left foot, right foot, left foot, hop on left foot.
Then turn to face your opposite, then feet together, jump and strike tip of
stick with opposite.
Consists of four parts: the sticking, a half-hey inverting the set, the sticking repeated and then a further half-hey returning the set to its initial state.
Face opposite, initially place left hand on left knee, hold stick in the middle,
upright
Strike butt of stick on ground three times
Strike butt of opposite stick three (strike from right to left three times)
Strike butt of stick on ground three times
Strike tip of opposite stick three (strike from right to left three times)
Numbers 1 and 2 (the two at the top of the set) start towards the musician;
diverge and then dance round in a loop to the bottom of the set. (To the positions
normally occupied by the two at the bottom of the set, numbers 5 and 6).
At the same time, the pair in the middle, numbers 3 and 4, also dance round in a
loop, largely following the first pair, but ending up back in their own starting
positions.
Again at the same time, the pair at the bottom of the set, numbers 5 and 6, start
off dancing away from the musician (down), diverge and loop round to the top of
the set. They pass between the others, (number 5 betwen 1 and 3 and number 6
between 2 and 4) as they do so.
This is exactly the same as the first sticking.
This is the mirror image of the first half-hey. Numbers 1 and two dance down the set (away from the musician), then split and loop round back to their original positions. They are, again, followed by numbers 3 and 4, who loop round and back to their own positions. At the same time, numbers 5 and 6 start off towards the musician then split and loop round back to their original positions, passing between the others as they do so. (5 between 1 and 3, 6 between 2 and 4)
Face opposite.
Pass opposite by right shoulder first time.
Move forward 2 double steps.
Then hop backwards on right foot followed by hop on left foot back to original place.
Then feet together and jump and strike stick tips with the opposite dancer.
Then repeat all that but passing opposite by left shoulder.
Face opposite.
Pass opposite by right shoulder first time.
Move forward 1 double step - then move sideways to the right to pass opposite back
to back on second double step.
Then hop backwards on right foot followed by hop on left foot back to original place.
Then feet together and jump and strike stick tips with the opposite dancer.
Then repeat all that but passing opposite by left shoulder and moving left in the back to back.
Left hand column face up, right hand column face down, both columns bulge a bit
in the middle so as to form the set into a circle with all dancers facing round
the circle clockwise.
Move forward 2 double steps spiralling into the centre to form a small circle.
Then make a hop backwards on the right foot followed by one on the left foot.
Then feet together and jump and strike stick into the air while turning to face
opposite direction (anticlockwise).
Move forward 2 double steps spiralling into the centre to form a small circle.
Then make a hop backwards on the right foot followed by one on the left foot
and this should bring all the dancers back to their original places.
Then feet together and jump and strike stick tips with the opposite dancer.
