White Ladies Aston
This dance is from the village of that name in Worcestershire, and was collected by John Phillips in 1906, A L Glover in 1927, and Dave Jones and others from local man Bill Scarrott in 1988. Trevor taught the dance to Pretty Grim but we abandoned it after a particularly awful performance at Rochester Sweeps festival! Several years later, after a bit of YouTube research, I brought the dance back into our repertoire.
Tune - Wednesday Night / Lord of the Dance
Set - 8 dancers in a longways set, sometimes we dance out with 6 instead
2 4 6 8
Music
1 3 5 7
Order - Chorus, Process Down, Chorus, Stars and Sticking, Chorus,
of Dance Linked Hey, Chorus, Arm Swing, Chorus, Belt Up
Chorus - 1-8: Hey Down - Top pair start a progressive hey, passing
right shoulders, other dancers join in as the top pair
pass them (on 3, 5 and 7)
1-2: Top pair begin the first of 8 forehand clashes
3-4: Second pair join in on the third clash
5-6: Third pair join in on the fifth clash
7-8: Bottom pair join in on the seventh clash
1-8: Hey Up - Top pair start a progressive hey, passing right
shoulders, other dancers join in as the top pair pass them (on 3, 5 and 7)
1-2: Top pair begin the first of 8 forehand clashes
3-4: Second pair join in on the third clash
5-6: Third pair join in on the fifth clash
7-8: Bottom pair join in on the seventh clash
Process - 1-4: Top pair take four steps down the middle of the set
Down 5-8: Top pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Second pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Second pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Third pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Third pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Bottom pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Bottom pair take four steps back to place
Stars - 1-8: Nos. 1 - 4 dance a clockwise star while Nos. 5 - 8 and Sticking do 8 forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 1 - 4 swap sticks to their left hands and dance an
anti-clockwise star while Nos. 5 - 8 do 8 forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 5 - 8 dance a clockwise star while Nos. 1 - 4 do 8
forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 5 - 8 swap sticks to their left hands and dance
anti-clockwise star while Nos. 1 - 4 do 8 forehand clashes
Linked - All dancers link arms over shoulders. Odd Nos. face down.
Hey Even Nos. face up. All dancers do a full hey in linked pairs.
Arm - 1-6: All dancers link arms and swing for one and a half Swing turns.
7-8: Swap sticks to left hand
1-6: All dancers link arms for and swing for one and a half
turns
7-8: Back to place
Belt Up - 1-2: Nos. 7 & 8 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 7 & 8 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 5 & 6 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 5 & 6 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 3 & 4 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 3 & 4 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 1 & 2 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 1 & 2 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 7 & 8 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 7 & 8 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 5 & 6 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 5 & 6 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 3 & 4 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 3 & 4 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
5-8: Nos. 1 & 2 dance up through the middle of the set and off
Set - 8 dancers in a longways set, sometimes we dance out with 6 instead
2 4 6 8
Music
1 3 5 7
Order - Chorus, Process Down, Chorus, Stars and Sticking, Chorus,
of Dance Linked Hey, Chorus, Arm Swing, Chorus, Belt Up
Chorus - 1-8: Hey Down - Top pair start a progressive hey, passing
right shoulders, other dancers join in as the top pair
pass them (on 3, 5 and 7)
1-2: Top pair begin the first of 8 forehand clashes
3-4: Second pair join in on the third clash
5-6: Third pair join in on the fifth clash
7-8: Bottom pair join in on the seventh clash
1-8: Hey Up - Top pair start a progressive hey, passing right
shoulders, other dancers join in as the top pair pass them (on 3, 5 and 7)
1-2: Top pair begin the first of 8 forehand clashes
3-4: Second pair join in on the third clash
5-6: Third pair join in on the fifth clash
7-8: Bottom pair join in on the seventh clash
Process - 1-4: Top pair take four steps down the middle of the set
Down 5-8: Top pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Second pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Second pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Third pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Third pair take four steps back to place
1-4: Bottom pair take for steps down the middle of the set
5-8: Bottom pair take four steps back to place
Stars - 1-8: Nos. 1 - 4 dance a clockwise star while Nos. 5 - 8 and Sticking do 8 forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 1 - 4 swap sticks to their left hands and dance an
anti-clockwise star while Nos. 5 - 8 do 8 forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 5 - 8 dance a clockwise star while Nos. 1 - 4 do 8
forehand clashes
1-8: Nos. 5 - 8 swap sticks to their left hands and dance
anti-clockwise star while Nos. 1 - 4 do 8 forehand clashes
Linked - All dancers link arms over shoulders. Odd Nos. face down.
Hey Even Nos. face up. All dancers do a full hey in linked pairs.
Arm - 1-6: All dancers link arms and swing for one and a half Swing turns.
7-8: Swap sticks to left hand
1-6: All dancers link arms for and swing for one and a half
turns
7-8: Back to place
Belt Up - 1-2: Nos. 7 & 8 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 7 & 8 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 5 & 6 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 5 & 6 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 3 & 4 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 3 & 4 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 1 & 2 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 1 & 2 continue to the top of the set while everyone else dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 7 & 8 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 7 & 8 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
5-6: Nos. 5 & 6 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
7-8: Nos. 5 & 6 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
1-2: Nos. 3 & 4 dance up through the middle of the set while everyone else dances two steps back
3-4: Nos. 3 & 4 continue to dance off while everyone else
dances two steps on the spot
5-8: Nos. 1 & 2 dance up through the middle of the set and off