Wrekin Havoc
I learnt Wrekin Havoc around 15 years ago when I
was told that it was one of the few traditional border dances. Recent research
has led me to discover that, in fact, the dance was written in a workshop at
the Wrekin Folk Festival in the late 1980’s. The workshop was mainly attended
by members of Plum Jerkum, a Border side originally from the village of
Eathorpes in Warwickshire, and the Iron Men. Our version is a little different
to the original
Tune - Harvest Home
Set - A longwise set for 6
2 4 6
Music
1 3 5
Order of Dance - Chorus, Upton Hey, Chorus, Three Hands Round,
Chorus, Cross and Swing Right Shoulders, Chorus,
Cross and Swing Left Shoulders, Chorus, Three Tops
Hey, Eathorpes Cross, Chorus, Eathorpes Return,
Chorus, Snodsbury Hey, Rounds and Charge Off
Chorus - 1-6: Clash butts and tips three times
7&8: Three forehand clashes
Repeat
Upton Hey - Nos. 1&2 face down, Nos. 3-6 face up, to start a hey
on the side. All dancers go through the middle and out
at the ends.
Three Hands - Nos. 1, 2 & 4 form a three, Nos. 3, 5 & 6 form the
Round other three. Dance round for 8 then return in the
opposite direction.
1: Form up
2: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
3: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
4: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
5: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
6: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
7-8: Change direction and swap stick to left hand
1: Form up
2: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
3: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
4: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
5: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
6: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
7-8: Back to place
Cross and Swing - 1-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
Right Shoulders 5-8: Turn to face your partner
1-8: Full body swing, finishing on opposite side
Cross and Swing - 1-4: Cross the set, passing left shoulders
Left Shoulders 5-8: Turn to face your partner, swapping your stick
to your left shoulder on 7
1-8: Full body swing, finishing on original side
Three Tops Hey - 1-8: No. 3 heads down the set and No. 4 heads up
the set (following their sticks), pass
1-8: between the bottom and top pairs
respectively and start a hey on the end. Just
once round and back to place with a turn on
the end to use up the music.
Eathorpes Cross - 1-5: Turn left, odd numbers follow No. 1 and even
numbers follow No. 6
Nos. 1 & 6 lead their side round 3/4 of a circle
to the left and then across the set
6: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
7: Nos. 1 & 4 and Nos. 3 & 6 clash
8: Nos. 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 clash
1-8: Nos. 1 & 6 turn right and lead their side
round 3/4 of a circle and up or down the set,
everyone ends up opposite their original
position.
Eathorpes Return - 1-5: Turn right, odd numbers follow No. 1 and even
numbers follow No. 6
Nos. 1 & 6 lead their side round 3/4 of a circle
to the right and then across the set
6: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
7: Nos. 1 & 4 and Nos. 3 & 6 clash
8: Nos. 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 clash
1-8: Nos. 1 & 6 turn left and lead their side round
3/4 of a circle and up or down the set,
everyone ends up in their original position.
Snodsbury Hey - 1-2: Into line, odd Nos. face down, even Nos. face up
3-4: Two on the spot
5-6: Two little step-hops to the left
7-8: Two step-hops to the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: To the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: To the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: Into rounds
1-8: Dance off
Set - A longwise set for 6
2 4 6
Music
1 3 5
Order of Dance - Chorus, Upton Hey, Chorus, Three Hands Round,
Chorus, Cross and Swing Right Shoulders, Chorus,
Cross and Swing Left Shoulders, Chorus, Three Tops
Hey, Eathorpes Cross, Chorus, Eathorpes Return,
Chorus, Snodsbury Hey, Rounds and Charge Off
Chorus - 1-6: Clash butts and tips three times
7&8: Three forehand clashes
Repeat
Upton Hey - Nos. 1&2 face down, Nos. 3-6 face up, to start a hey
on the side. All dancers go through the middle and out
at the ends.
Three Hands - Nos. 1, 2 & 4 form a three, Nos. 3, 5 & 6 form the
Round other three. Dance round for 8 then return in the
opposite direction.
1: Form up
2: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
3: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
4: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
5: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
6: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
7-8: Change direction and swap stick to left hand
1: Form up
2: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
3: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
4: Nos. 2 & 5 clash
5: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
6: Nos. 3 & 4 clash
7-8: Back to place
Cross and Swing - 1-4: Cross the set, passing right shoulders
Right Shoulders 5-8: Turn to face your partner
1-8: Full body swing, finishing on opposite side
Cross and Swing - 1-4: Cross the set, passing left shoulders
Left Shoulders 5-8: Turn to face your partner, swapping your stick
to your left shoulder on 7
1-8: Full body swing, finishing on original side
Three Tops Hey - 1-8: No. 3 heads down the set and No. 4 heads up
the set (following their sticks), pass
1-8: between the bottom and top pairs
respectively and start a hey on the end. Just
once round and back to place with a turn on
the end to use up the music.
Eathorpes Cross - 1-5: Turn left, odd numbers follow No. 1 and even
numbers follow No. 6
Nos. 1 & 6 lead their side round 3/4 of a circle
to the left and then across the set
6: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
7: Nos. 1 & 4 and Nos. 3 & 6 clash
8: Nos. 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 clash
1-8: Nos. 1 & 6 turn right and lead their side
round 3/4 of a circle and up or down the set,
everyone ends up opposite their original
position.
Eathorpes Return - 1-5: Turn right, odd numbers follow No. 1 and even
numbers follow No. 6
Nos. 1 & 6 lead their side round 3/4 of a circle
to the right and then across the set
6: Nos. 1 & 6 clash
7: Nos. 1 & 4 and Nos. 3 & 6 clash
8: Nos. 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 clash
1-8: Nos. 1 & 6 turn left and lead their side round
3/4 of a circle and up or down the set,
everyone ends up in their original position.
Snodsbury Hey - 1-2: Into line, odd Nos. face down, even Nos. face up
3-4: Two on the spot
5-6: Two little step-hops to the left
7-8: Two step-hops to the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: To the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: To the right
1-2: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
3-4: To the right
5-6: Corners turn and face, everyone else to the left
7-8: Into rounds
1-8: Dance off