Ockington
Tradition: Border
Set: 4 dancers
Props: Sticks
Stepping: Single
Figures:
Rounds
Back to back
Samurai
Inside hey
Outside hey
Rights and lefts
Chorus:
Swing sticks around to cross in the center in sequence (1, 2, 3, 4)
Repeat
Triple-tap on ground
Figure Explanations:
Rounds: All dance in clockwise circle, clash three times on ground, continue around for another circle in same direction.
Back to back: 1 & 3 cross in the center (right-shoulder pass), clashing sticks on beat 2, back up to place (left-shoulder pass), clashing on beat 6. Then 2 & 4 do the same.
Samurai: 1 & 3 surge to cross in the center (right-shoulder pass) clashing sticks on beat 1, crouch at opposite corners on beat 4, leap and turn over left shoulder to clash on beat 5, then cross (right-shoulder pass) while staring each other down to return home. Then 2 & 4 do the same.
Inside hey: 1 & 3 go to clockwise inside the set to clash with 4 & 2, cross to opposite corners and clash with each other, continue clockwise to clash with 2 & 4, return home and clash with each other. Then 2 & 4 do the same.
Outside hey: 1 & 3 circle clockwise while 2 & 4 circle counterclockwise for first time around, starting with right-shoulder pass, then left, then right, then left. After returning home, reverse the circle, again starting with a right-shoulder pass.
Rights and lefts: 1 & 3 clash to the right (with 2 & 4 respectively), to the left (with 4 & 2), across with each other, then dance across to opposite corners. Repeat same from this new position, dance back home. Then 2 & 4 do the same. Without going into chorus, this sequence is repeated twice more, with increasing speed each time.
Notes:
Start the dance with all four standing back to back, facing outward. Thereafter, dancers will be turned to the inside of the set.
Each phrase ends with three clashes on the ground in time with the music, usually toward the middle of the set.
Passive dancers should meet clashes to make the dance more visually interesting.
During the chorus, sticks should swing around as if they have been knocked down by the previous stick. This sometimes takes a very slight anticipation to get the timing right. It can help to shout out the number of the clash ("one!" "two!" etc.)
A variant of the final figure has the sequence repeating with increasing speed until the dancers can't keep up.