Dragon Dance
This dance was brought to us by one of our formers members, Maureen, after she had learnt it in a workshop at a festival. Unfortunately she couldn't remember the name of the dance. In fact, once she started teaching it, she realised she couldn't really remember quite how the dance went either. So we kind of fiddled around with what she could remember and created a dance which we called Mo's Muddle. After she left the side we renamed it the Dragon Dance after the Dragon's Hey, which apparently was in the original dance. If anyone ever says that this dance reminds them of something else it would be great to find out where it came from to begin with.
A feature of this dance is the hitchback. This involves stepping back onto your left foot and raising your right foot ready to move forward.
Tune - Worcester Hornpipe
Set - Four people in a square set
2 4
Music
1 3
Order of Dance - Chorus, Cross and Swing, Chorus, Back to
Back Right Shoulders,Back to Back Left Shoulders,
Chorus, Diagonals, Chorus, Dragon's Hey, Chorus,
Four Hands Round, Chorus, Double Time Chorus
Chorus - 1: Clash on floor to the left
2: Clash in floor to the right
3&4: Three forehand clashes with partner
5: Clash backhanded with person diagonally to the right
6: Clash forehand with the person diagonally to the left
7&8: Three backhanded clashes with partner
Repeat
Cross and Swing - 1: Hitchback
2-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
5-8: Turn to face your partner
1-8: Full body swing, finishing in your original place
Back to Back - 1: Hitchback
Right Shoulders 2-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
5-6: Two steps to the right, facing out
7-8: Two steps back into line
1: Hitchback, turning 45 degrees left
2-8: Pass your partner right shoulders and dance
across to the position where your partner
started, turning to across the set
Back to Back - 1: Hitchback
Left Shoulders 2-4: Cross the set, passing left shoulders
5-6: Two steps to the left, facing out
7-8: Two steps back into line
1: Hitchback, turning 45 degrees right
2-8: Pass your partner left shoulders and dance
across to the position where your partner
started, turning to face across the set
Diagonals - 1-4: Nos. 1 & 4 hitchback then swap places, passing
right shoulders
5-8: Nos. 2 & 3 hitchback then swap places, passing
right shoulders
1-4: Nos. 1 & 4 hitchback then swap places, passing left shoulders
5-8: Nos. 2 & 3 hitchback then swap places, passing
left shoulders
Dragon's Hey - 1: Hitchback
2-4: Nos. 1 & 2 dance down through the middle of
the set, while Nos. 3 & 4 dance up the outside
5: Hitchback
6-8: Nos. 1 & 3 dance across the middle of the set, while Nos. 2 & 4 dance across the outside
1: Hitchback
2-4: Nos. 3 & 4 dance down through the middle of the set, while Nos. 1 & 2 dance up the outside
5: Hitchback
6-8: Nos. 2 & 3 dance across the middle of the set, while Nos. 1 & 4 dance across the outside
Four Hands - 1: Hitchback
Round 2-7: Link left hands and dance round anti-clockwise
8-1: Turn to face in the opposite direction, swapping sticks to the left hand and linking right hands
2-8: Dance round clockwise back to place
Tune - Worcester Hornpipe
Set - Four people in a square set
2 4
Music
1 3
Order of Dance - Chorus, Cross and Swing, Chorus, Back to
Back Right Shoulders,Back to Back Left Shoulders,
Chorus, Diagonals, Chorus, Dragon's Hey, Chorus,
Four Hands Round, Chorus, Double Time Chorus
Chorus - 1: Clash on floor to the left
2: Clash in floor to the right
3&4: Three forehand clashes with partner
5: Clash backhanded with person diagonally to the right
6: Clash forehand with the person diagonally to the left
7&8: Three backhanded clashes with partner
Repeat
Cross and Swing - 1: Hitchback
2-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
5-8: Turn to face your partner
1-8: Full body swing, finishing in your original place
Back to Back - 1: Hitchback
Right Shoulders 2-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
5-6: Two steps to the right, facing out
7-8: Two steps back into line
1: Hitchback, turning 45 degrees left
2-8: Pass your partner right shoulders and dance
across to the position where your partner
started, turning to across the set
Back to Back - 1: Hitchback
Left Shoulders 2-4: Cross the set, passing left shoulders
5-6: Two steps to the left, facing out
7-8: Two steps back into line
1: Hitchback, turning 45 degrees right
2-8: Pass your partner left shoulders and dance
across to the position where your partner
started, turning to face across the set
Diagonals - 1-4: Nos. 1 & 4 hitchback then swap places, passing
right shoulders
5-8: Nos. 2 & 3 hitchback then swap places, passing
right shoulders
1-4: Nos. 1 & 4 hitchback then swap places, passing left shoulders
5-8: Nos. 2 & 3 hitchback then swap places, passing
left shoulders
Dragon's Hey - 1: Hitchback
2-4: Nos. 1 & 2 dance down through the middle of
the set, while Nos. 3 & 4 dance up the outside
5: Hitchback
6-8: Nos. 1 & 3 dance across the middle of the set, while Nos. 2 & 4 dance across the outside
1: Hitchback
2-4: Nos. 3 & 4 dance down through the middle of the set, while Nos. 1 & 2 dance up the outside
5: Hitchback
6-8: Nos. 2 & 3 dance across the middle of the set, while Nos. 1 & 4 dance across the outside
Four Hands - 1: Hitchback
Round 2-7: Link left hands and dance round anti-clockwise
8-1: Turn to face in the opposite direction, swapping sticks to the left hand and linking right hands
2-8: Dance round clockwise back to place