Freaks dances
The original versions below may be useful if you can't display PDF, but the best current source is a comprehensive PDF booklet of the dances and music (thanks Richard!), and there's also a potentially handier PDF crib sheet (thanks Simon and Chris!).
If the notation here makes no sense to you, it's probably because you have not learned the dances from real people yet. The notations on this page are meant as a reminder only, and it is highly recommended that you come to a Freaks event to learn the dances in person.
Upton Upon Severn Stickand Hanky -|- Pershore Stick and Hanky -|- White Ladies Aston -|- Tinner's Rabbit -|- Much Wenlock -|- California -|- Worcester Hey -|- Welly Boot -|- Twiglet -|- Days of Truce -|- Cuckoo's Nest -|- Molonglo
Upton Upon Severn
stick dance for 6
Tune: Upton Stick Dance Tune A(ABB)x6A
Long sticks
Stepping: two singles and a double. End each chorus with three stamps. Keep figures as big as possible.
MORRIS - start with sticks high in a tipi shape. Stamp LRL, lower sticks and spread out quickly into big rounds.
CHORUS - 1st & 4th time: tips & butts, 2nd & 5th: quarterstaffs (left hand down) 3rd & 6th: fencing. 8 strikes while standing still, then a 9th strike on the first beat of an individual circle round to the left.
BACK TO BACK RIGHT - pass round by the right (4 bars) and on the spot (4 bars)
CHORUS
BACK TO BACK LEFT - as above, but by left.
CHORUS
CROSS AND TURN - a figure 8 across the set: cross over passing right, turn right, sharp turn left. On return, pass right shoulder and turn right to face.
CHORUS
THREE TOPS HEY - a hey for 3 at either end of the set. Ends back off while middles go left into hey, starting with 3 passing 2 and 4 passing 5 by the right shoulder first.
CHORUS
UPTON HEY - spacious hey with pairs coming close together at the ends and apart in the middle. CHORUS MORRIS - rounds. End with tipi on last beat, count 4 and drop sticks on 5, scattering in all directions (with some enthusiasm, please)
Upton Upon Severn hanky dance for 6
Tune: Bonnets o' Blue
Stepping: single step throughout. Hankies go down and up. Continuous figures without a chorus.
MORRIS - everyone turn over right shoulder, once round
BACK TO BACK RIGHT - 16 beats, on the spot for any extra
BACK TO BACK LEFT - as above
CROSS AND TURN - cross right shoulder, turn right
THREE TOPS HEY - middles go left
UPTON HEY - in at the ends, out in the middle
ANGLES - BtBR: 1 with 6 in middle, 2 with 4 and 3 with 5 on ends. (Set essentially turns 60 degrees clockwise)
BACK TO BACK LEFT - as above
CROSS AND TURN - as above
THREE TOPS HEY - as above
UPTON HEY - as above
MORRIS - as above, but: End on 4 plain capers with big outward circle arms
Pershore
stick dance for 8
Tune: Brighton Camp
Short sticks
Stepping: Single step throughout 4 bar half figures followed each time by 4 bars of short chorus.
CHORUS - 8 strikes by the right (knapping) while stepping
CROSS OVER - cross by right, turn right, knapping, cross back same, knapping.
INTO LINE AND CAST - top pair cast to bottom while others into line by right shoulders: in 2, 4 on spot, out 2, veering up to avoid creeping set. Knapping. Repeat for second half
CORNERS CROSS - 1st corners cross (2 to cross, 2 to turn), 2nd corners same. Knapping. Repeat for second half.
REEL - reel of four on each side: middles face ends, pass right to begin. Halfway, then knapping, other half, knapping End with sticks up on last beat.
Pershore
hanky dance for 8
Tune: Speed the Plough
Stepping: Single step throughout. Hankies down and up
CHORUS: round and round and down and up
FIGURES as above, replacing "knapping" with hanky chorus. end on the "up" of last chorus.
White Ladies Aston
stick dance for 8
Tune: Whitehaven Volunteer, Rub-a-Dub (Lord of the Dance, in a pinch) A(AABB)x5AA
Short sticks
Stepping: Single step throughout
CHORUS - Bit on the side. Progressive half hey on the side: 1 & 2 face up, all others face down. 1 & 2 pass right with 3 & 4 first and work their way down. Everyone pass 3 people total, then 8 clashes by right with partner across (knapping)
ROUNDS AT THE TOP - Top 4 circle left in 8 steps, sticks vertical in middle, while bottom 4 knapping for 8. Reverse roles, then repeat entire sequence.
CHORUS
CROSS OVER - cross over by right shoulders, turning right into partner's place on beat 7 & 8. Knapping for 8. Repeat back to place.
CHORUS
PROCESS UP AND BACK - all face up and single step. Each couple starting with 7 & 8, take 4 to move up the middle and 4 to return to place
CHORUS
LINKED HEY - Pairs link up and hey as in Chorus, i.e. progressive. Plenty of time, don't rush it. Extra turns at ends. Knapping until end of phrase if necessary.
CHORUS
CHARGE UP - all face up. Each pair, starting with 7 & 8, take 4 to charge up (bellowing) and 4 to shuffle into top place, while others shuffle back continuously to make room.
CHORUS - end with sticks up on last beat of knapping.
Tinner's Rabbit
stick dance for 3
Tune: Uncle Bernard's or LNB Polka(AB)x7
Long sticks
Stepping: everyone single step for figures, stand still to stick.
CHORUS - one strikes 2, 2 strikes 3, 3 strikes 1, etc. for a total of 12 strikes, then 3 on the ground.
DANCE ON- start off to the side, dance on in a line (1, 2, 3) until music tells you, then form anti-clockwise circle
CHORUS
NUMBER 1 FIGURE 8 - number 1 goes between 2 and 3, turns right and does 3 turns of a figure 8, back to place.
CHORUS
NUMBER 2 FIGURE 8 - as above
CHORUS
NUMBER 3 FIGURE 8 - as above
CHORUS
RIGHT HAND STAR - sticks in and vertical, star until music tells you
CHORUS
LEFT HAND STAR - left hand wrist hold star, clash with other sets as you go round.
FINAL CHORUS - as before, but on last count jump to face out with stick in both hands horizontal above head
Much Wenlock
stick dance for any multiple of 4
Tune: Much Wenlock AAB(ABB)x5
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout
CHORUS - Squire's side (odd numbers) stick (starting forehand and alternating) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7...9...11...13...("..." denotes pause for one beat) and one final strike on 15, overhead as if trying to hit partner's head, while partner protects head with stick held horizontally over it (important). Repeat sticking in opposite role, Bagman's side striking. THEN allemande (or P on the floor): cross right, turn right, loop left, return to meet partner in body swing for remaining music, ending up on original side.
REPEAT CHORUS
STARS - in sets of 4, clashing in middle every other beat. Twice around in same way.
CHORUS
BACK TO BACK - by right shoulder, followed immediately by left.
CHORUS
SOD OFF - everyone turn to own left and lines lead off for half the figure then leads back on for other half.
CHORUS
DANCE OFF - Join up in pairs, follow 1 & 2 off
California
stick dance for 6 plus any number of pairs
Tune: Off to California A(AB)ad infinitum, quite slow
Long sticks
Stepping: 2 singles and a double, with a surge on the double, throughout. 4 in a set "onstage" while other pairs line up "offstage"
STICKING - butts (on ground) tips (on ground) throw (vertical stick, simultaneously catching partners stick with same hand) and clash. Repeat total of 4 times.
THOSE 4 REEL - 1 & 4 back out while 2 & 3 start the diagonal reel by passing right in the middle. One full reel back to place.
HEAD DOWN - all 4 face down, dance down for 16, turn out & back up, bringing next couple in line so as to form set of 6.
MORRIS HEY - ends cast out, tops turn sharp, middles follow tops. One full hey, plus 1 & 2 do one extra turn to slink off down to the bottom of the set waiting offstage, leaving 3&4 at the top of a set of 4.
REPEAT - until the original top couple are again at the top, then in the Head Down, bring everyone back on for one final sticking.
DANCE OFF - pairs join up and lead off, following 1 & 2.
Worcester Hey
stick dance for 6
Tune: Jump at the Sun
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout
WORCESTER HEY - 8 beats for tops to head down centre, circle 3/4 over outside shoulder to face in, while others turn sharply over bottom shoulder to take 2 steps out, two up, two in and two on the spot. Repeat until tops are back at the top, then sticking: tips and butts for 8.
STARS - tops cast up and out to lead into quick star once round, then 8 clashes as above.
WORCESTER HEY
HALF ROUNDS - everyone turn over right shoulder into rounds halfway, sticking.
Set is now upside-down. Repeat dance in new orientation, i.e. tops (at bottom) now lead Worcester Hey up set, etc. End with last Worcester Hey, but top couple leads off instead of turning to face.
Welly Boot
stick dance for 5
Tune: Welly Boot (collected in Brittany by Tim Brewster)
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout, except during sticking. 4 in a square, numbered anticlockwise from top left, with 5 in the middle.
HALF ROUNDS - middle holds stick straight up while corners circle once to left, clashing middle, and return other way.
CHORUS - middle person and 1 strike butts on ground behind and tips together, middle repeats with 2, 3 & 4 in turn (clashing butts twice with last person). Hey: (everyone single stepping throughout) middle changes places with 1 by right shoulder, 1 with 2, 2 with 3 and 3 with 4, who ends up middle.
HALF GYP - corners half gyp by right across set, then by left up and down. Middle does what fancies.
CHORUS
WHOLE GYP - as half gyp above.
CHORUS
BACK TO BACK - as half gyp and whole gyp.
CHORUS
WHOLE ROUNDS - as half rounds, but twice round to left.
End with regular chorus, plus extra chorus with first 3 corners spinning over left shoulder after clash. Sticks in tipi over middle person on last beat. DO NOT drop sticks in manner of Upton Stick ending.
Twiglet
stick dance for 5
This is the hardest dance we do at Freaks. You almost certainly can't learn it from this notation alone, come and learn it in person.
Tune: Theme Vannetais (AB)2, AAB, (AB)2, BB....
| Up | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | |
| 5 | ||
| 2 | 3 | |
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout, keep stepping during chorus.
CROSS OVER - 1, 2, 3 and 4 cross over to the opposite corner, passing to right of 5 (who steps in place) and turning so as to brush bottoms against 5 and back up into corner. Repeat x4.
CHORUS - All: strike tips on floor, then 5 & 1: clash twice, 4 & 3 clash once and 2 brandish. Repeat total of 8 times (clashing pattern turns 1/4 turn anti-clockwise each time, so 2nd time: 5 & 2 twice, 1 & 4 once, 3 brandish, etc.)
REELS - 1, 5 & 3 reel, starting with 1 & 5 passing right, until back to place, then 2, 5 & 4 reel, starting with 5 & 2 passing right.
CHORUS
WEAVE - 4 & 2 step in place throughout, turning on the spot as they are passed by: 1, 5 & 3 form line and follow 1 (right) around 4 clockwise to start sheepskin hey: 1 stops in middle, 5 & 3 continue between 1 & 4, around 1, between 1& 2 and around 2 clockwise, 1 turns anticlockwise on the spot and joins on at the end of the line as it passes. After rounding 2, 5 (who is in the lead) stops in the middle, 3 & 1 pass between 5 and 2, etc. (obviously, this is impossible to learn through reading, so you'll have to learn it at Freaks) Repeat this until all 3 dancers have been the middle person, then 1 goes straight back to place on the next pass while 5 & 3 twiddle around each other back to place.
CHORUS
CROSS AND PASS - Like cross over, except you cross to opposite corner 1st time, then squarely accross set with partner the second, then to opposite coner, then accross with partner. Makes a bow-tie shape. Meanwhile, 5 slips out of the near-collision in the middle each time and does a big figure 8 around the whole set to be back in time to start:
CHORUS
SURREEL - 1& 4 link up, 3&2 link up and start linked hey with 5 passing 1 by right. (two steps in to link, two steps out and back for space, start hey on five) Reel until home and form straight line, top to bottom 1, 4, 5, 2, 3.
AARDVARK - 1 peels off over left shoulder to make anticlockwise big half circle back to opposite end of line in 4 steps while 4 & 5, 2 & 3 clash 4 times. 4 (who is now at top) peels off likewise while 5 & 2, 3 & 1 clash 4 times. Continue until 1 is back at the top, then one begins slow rounds, joined by others as they fall off the end of the Aardvark. Last person clashed ground 4 times (since they have no one to clash with) before joining rounds and off.
ROUNDS AND OFF - see above.
Days of Truce
stick dance for 8
Tune: The Lasses of Duns
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout, except walk the reels
CHORUS - walk a reel of 4 on the side for 16, then sticking, (middles with nearest ends) clash, pause, clash, pause, 4x clash, alternating forehand and backhand. Repeat sticking.
FACE-OFF - cross and turn. Pass right, turn right, loop left (as in P on the floor), repeat 3 more times back to place.
CHORUS
CHALLENGE - 1st corners: in for 2 to meet, clash twice, back off for 4. 2nd corners repeat. Repeat all.
CHORUS
BATTLE - ends cast 4 steps to meet on side while middles cast to end places. 4 clashes on spot. Original ends 4 steps in to new middle, while original middles cast to new ends (set is now perpendicular to former self). 4 clashes across set. Reverse pattern back into place.
CHORUS
PEACE CIRCLE - middle 4 make stick-tipi and take 12 steps to circle once c/w (slowly) while ends circle large and fast ac/w until middles meet their ends back home. 4 to change places by left hand. Repeat in new circle back to place.
CHORUS
End on sticking: second half of sticking is done with partner across set.
Cuckoo's Nest
stick dance for 2
Tune: Cuckoo's Nest
Short sticks
Stepping: single step throughout
FOOT UP - 4 steps up, 4 steps back, repeat
CHORUS - (stepping) 3 clashes, pass by the right and turn to face, repeat 4 times.
BODY SWING - Body swing by the right, then by the left
CHORUS
BACK TO BACK - 2 stands still while 1 does a 4-step back to back by the right around 2. 1 then stands still while 2 does same. Repeat.
CHORUS
BUTTS AND TIPS - clash butts, then tips, both step 1/4 turn to right, turning over right shoulder, to face up and down set (Petronella turn, for those who know.) Repeat to face across from opposite's place. Repeat all that back to home.
CHORUS
WINDMILLS - clash sticks, first high, then low, making a big circle with arm. At the same time, circle each other approximately 3 times (it's very quick) back to place.
LAST CHORUS - end facing up, stick horizontal in both hands above head.
Molonglo
stick dance for 8
Tune: Stop the Cavalry
Long sticks
Stepping: single step throughout except no stepping during chorus and some other times.
CHESHIRE ROUNDS - anti-clockwise
CHORUS - stick right, left, partner, parner, turn (middle face ends) repeat sticking X2, turn back to original direction, stick once more.
ENDS AND MIDDLES - ends cross through middles, out the side and back to place, middles out through ends and back to place.
CHORUS
SWING - on right diagonal then left diagonal
CHORUS
STARS - star at each end, right hand then left hand
CHORUS
MOTORCYCLE HEY - number 6(?) starts, cycle through middle in figure 8 shape. Bob says you have to make rumbling Harley noises, but the rest of us aren't convinced.
CHORUS
ROUNDS - circle clockwise, end with sticks up and then dropped in middle.