Jolly Roger

Tune: Üsküdara Gideriken (traditional Turkish song) Set: 6 dancers, 28 ¼“ (medium) sticks, single steps Source: Beltane Border Morris (via YouTube video), with modifications by Red Herring Chorus: middles clash forehand-backhand with 1st corners, then spin over left shoulder and clash forehand-backhand-forehand with 2nd corners. Then spin over left shoulder back to 1st corners. Repeat a total of 4 times. Figures: , , , ,

Detailed Description

Chorus

Outer dancers are in a square. Inner dancers are standing back-to-back, facing first corners.

Beats 1-2: middles clash forehand-backhand with 1st corners, then spin over non-stick (left) shoulder to face second corners. Beats 3-4: middles clash forehand-backhand-forehand with 2nd corners, then spin over non-stick shoulder to face first corners. Repeat sequence a total of four times.

Figures

Square Hey

Beats 1-2: Dancers move across the set, passing right shoulders. Beats 3-4: Dancers turn 3/4 (hard turn) out from the center. Beats 5-6: Dancers cross up & down, passing left shoulders. Beats 7-8: Dancers turn 3/4 (hard turn) out from the center.

Repeat on beats 9-16.

All turns are out from the center, i.e., first corners will turn over their left shoulders and second corners will turn over their right shoulders.

Implode & Explode

Beats 1-2: Dancers cross through the center, passing right shoulders and clashing on beat 1. Beats 3-4: Dancers continue moving out from the set. Beats 5-6: Dancers turn and start back in toward the center. Beats 7-8: Dancers come back in toward the center. (Dancers are now corner-crossed from their original places.)

Repeat on beats 9-16 to get home. (The turn is a little later the second time because the dancers have less far to go.)

Solar System

Beat 1: Dancers clash as they pass by the right shoulder. The clash defines which direction they travel around the circle and how far out. Beat 2: Dancers continue around in their orbit. Beat 3: Dancers clash as they pass, ¼ of the way around the circle (90°) from their starting point. Beat 4: Dancers continue. Beat 5: Dancers clash as they pass, ½ way around the circle (180°) from their starting point. Beat 6: Dancers continue. Beat 7: Dancers clash as they pass, ¾ of the way around the circle (270°) from their starting point. Beat 8: Dancers continue.

Repeat on beats 9-16.

(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.

Rounds & Off

Beats 1-8: Dancers dance around in a circle. Beats 9-16: #1 leads the dancers off into the audience.

Tune