Much Wenlock Stick Dance

Tradition: Border

Set: 4 dancers (facing across, #1 is in the right front position), but we’ve also done a three person version.

Props: Sticks

Stepping: Single

Figures:

(See below for explanation of figures.)

• Crossover

• Crossover

• Star (Right & Left)

• Hey

• Rounds

Chorus:

• Clash Across

• Clash to the Side

• (repeat until end of musical phrase; seems to be 7 reps total)

• Finish with Triple Clash Across

Notes:

• FINISH: Clash all sticks in the center of the set one beat after the end of the music.

Figure Explanations:

• Crossover: Dance forward, passing right shoulders, Clash on beat 1. Start to turn right but loop back left. Approach each other and join left forearms (without gripping with the thumb) and circle round until end of musical phrase, ending in original spot.

• Star (Right & Left): Dancers make a R hand packsaddle star (that is, they make a star using the R hand to grasp the R forearm of the person in front of them), holding the sticks out in their outside hands. They turn the star until end of phrase (about a full turn) then they individually turn inward to form a L hand packsaddle star, passing the stick to their outside hands. They turn the star back to home and reform the set.

• Hey:

  • #1 dancer goes wherever desired, returning to home before chorus.

  • #2 and #3 do right shoulder pass, turn, and come back to home.

  • #4 does a right shoulder pass with an imaginary #1, turns, and comes back to home. (NOTE: #4 dancer gives right of way to #2 and #3 as they do their pass to avoid a collision.)

• Rounds: #1 dancer goes randomly wherever desired and all other dancers follow in train. Eventually #1 dancer re-forms the set into a circle moving clockwise.

Less Wenlock (Much Wenlock for 3)

A three person variation of the dance.

Set: 3 dancers facing each other in an equilateral triangle (dancers are numbered 1, 2, and 3, moving counter-clockwise, starting with the dancer closest to the music)

Chorus:

• Two dancers clash Forehand then Backhand 7 times while the other dancer circles round them clockwise.

• In place of the triple clash that usually ends the chorus, #1 clashes with #2, #2 clashes with #3, and #3 clashes with #1 (done rapidly, in same time as usual). This pattern is used at the end of each chorus.

• The dancers take turns circling. After the first Crossover, #1 circles. After the second Crossover, #2 circles. After the Star, #3 circles. After the Hey, #1 circles.

Figure Explanations:

• Crossover: All three dancers go forward, passing right shoulders with the flagpole center of the set. They do not clash on beat 1. All start to turn right but loop back left. Approach each other and make a L hand packsaddle star and circle round until end of musical phrase, ending in original spot.

• Star (Right & Left): Same as normal. Dancers make a R hand packsaddle star (that is, they make a star using the R hand to grasp the R forearm of the person in front of them), holding the sticks out in their outside hands. They turn the star until end of phrase (about a full turn) then they individually turn inward to form a L hand packsaddle star, passing the stick to their outside hands. They turn the star back to home and reform the set.

• Hey:

  • #1 dancer goes wherever desired, returning to home before chorus.

  • #2 and #3 do right shoulder pass, turn, and come back to home.

  • ALTERNATE: All three dancers do a right shoulder pass with the flagpole center of the set, turn, and come back home.

• Rounds: Same as normal. #1 dancer goes randomly wherever desired and all other dancers follow in train. Eventually #1 dancer re-forms the set into a circle moving clockwise.