Jem's Cross / Triangle
This dance was written by our former squire, Jem, who adapted it from the Upton on Severn Stick Dance. She liked the variation in the sticking choruses and decided to make that the main feature of the dance. The dancing we do between sticking just gives a bit of movement as we swap partners. The dance was originally written as a cross formation set for 8 dancers. As the side shrunk we adapted it to a triangular formation with 6 dancers, although these days it is usually danced as a triangle only if we have two sets up. On one occasion it was even performed as Jem's Pentagon with 10 dancers!
Tune - Felucca / Cuckoo's Nest
Set - 8 people in a cross formation or 6 people in a triangular
formation, usually men on the outside and women on the inside
M M W W
Music M W W M Or Music M W
W W
M M
Order - Butts & Tips, Chorus, Staves, Chorus, Fighting, Chorus,
of Dance Real Staves, Chorus, Real Fighting, Face and Charge
Butts - 1-8: Eight clashes, alternating butts and tips
& Tips 1: Forehand clash with your partner
2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Chorus - 1-8: Men dance to the left, two places around the set
1-8: Full body swing with your new partner, men
finishing on the inside
1-8: Women dance to the right, one place around the
set, turning in to the left and then continuing with a full turn in place to use up the music
1-8: Full body swing with your new partner, women finishing on the inside
(NB - if dancing a Triangle then the women dance two places around the set)
Staves - 1-8: Hold both ends of the stick, left hand down, and do eight clashes, turning your stick after each
clash
1: Forehand clash with your partner
2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Fighting - 1-8: Eight clashes, swinging the stick round in a circle, clashing at the top and bottom of the circle
1: Forehand clash with your partner 2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Real - 1-8: Hold both ends of the stick, left hand down, Staves and do eight clashes, turning your stick after each clash with the women pushing the men backwards
1-8: Repeat with the men pushing the women back into the set (start the chorus with a single forehand clash)
Real - 1-8: Eight clashes, swinging the stick round in a circle Fighting clashing at the top and bottom of the circle, with the women pushing the men backwards
1-8: Repeat with the men pushing the women back into the set (start the chorus with a single
forehand clash)
Face - After the final chorus dancers do a final forehand
and Charge clash and then stand and stare for a count of 8 before
charging off
Set - 8 people in a cross formation or 6 people in a triangular
formation, usually men on the outside and women on the inside
M M W W
Music M W W M Or Music M W
W W
M M
Order - Butts & Tips, Chorus, Staves, Chorus, Fighting, Chorus,
of Dance Real Staves, Chorus, Real Fighting, Face and Charge
Butts - 1-8: Eight clashes, alternating butts and tips
& Tips 1: Forehand clash with your partner
2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Chorus - 1-8: Men dance to the left, two places around the set
1-8: Full body swing with your new partner, men
finishing on the inside
1-8: Women dance to the right, one place around the
set, turning in to the left and then continuing with a full turn in place to use up the music
1-8: Full body swing with your new partner, women finishing on the inside
(NB - if dancing a Triangle then the women dance two places around the set)
Staves - 1-8: Hold both ends of the stick, left hand down, and do eight clashes, turning your stick after each
clash
1: Forehand clash with your partner
2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Fighting - 1-8: Eight clashes, swinging the stick round in a circle, clashing at the top and bottom of the circle
1: Forehand clash with your partner 2-8: Swap places with your partner, passing right shoulders
Repeat
Real - 1-8: Hold both ends of the stick, left hand down, Staves and do eight clashes, turning your stick after each clash with the women pushing the men backwards
1-8: Repeat with the men pushing the women back into the set (start the chorus with a single forehand clash)
Real - 1-8: Eight clashes, swinging the stick round in a circle Fighting clashing at the top and bottom of the circle, with the women pushing the men backwards
1-8: Repeat with the men pushing the women back into the set (start the chorus with a single
forehand clash)
Face - After the final chorus dancers do a final forehand
and Charge clash and then stand and stare for a count of 8 before
charging off