JACK IN THE GREEN MORRIS MEN REPERTOIRE
Although many spectators only recognize "the hanky dance" and "the stick dance" there are actually about two dozen dances in our current repertoire. While they are all either hanky or stick dances, most originated in the Cotswold villages of Bledington and Bessels Leigh. We have also composed some of our own dances in these traditions. Below is a list of our dances and some fun details about them.
"Processionals" are the dances that we use when we are entering the dance space and "recessionals" are dances that we use to leave the dance space.
Most of our dances are "set dances" done with six dancers, but there are also "jigs" that are performed by fewer dancers, sometimes as few as one!
Processionals
Hey Diddle Dis
Bledington Tradition.
Winster
Part of its own tradition. Used by many morris teams.
Bledington Hanky Dances
Morning Star
Tune is "Idbury Hill" traditional.
Queen's Delight
Adapted from Bucknell tradition
Glorishers
Leaping dance, from many traditions.
Cuckoo's Nest
Sequential dance, traditional.
Trunkles
Corner crossing dance, traditional.
William & Nancy
Traditional.
Another May Day Morning
Tune by Jim Blake. Dance by our own Kris Arnold. We sing, we dance, we go home.
Bledington Stick Dances
Young Collins
AKA "Thud thud whack thud whack thud whack" -- traditional.
Flowers of Monadnock
Tune: Lilybulero. Composed by the team.
Three Musketeers
Tune: "Dancing Sailor" dance composed by the Binghamton Morris Men in another tradition.
Black Joke
Traditional.
Old Man of the Mountain
Tune: "Trip to Cheltenham" dance composed by the Green Man in honor of our former state symbol.
Greensleeves
Much-recomposed dance. No one knows where this one really came from I think.
The Bull
Hard hats required! Over the head stick dance. Tune is "The Archers" Origins uncertain. We got it from Australia.
Bessels Leigh Hanky Dances
Constant Billy
Traditional tune from the Headington tradition.
Herne's Hunt
Corner crossing dance composed by Carol Compton.
Dancing Jack
Also composed by Carol.
Curly-Headed Ploughboy
All into the center for the chorus. Probably tradtional, but who knows?
Bessels Leigh Stick Dance
Leap Frog
Performed with two short sticks per dancer. The tune is "Go and List for a Sailor" Composed dance.
Jigs
Princess Royal
Bledington traditional. Watch for Carol to slip into the minor key!
Ladies Pleasure
Bledington traditional.
Jockey to the Fair
Bledington traditional.
Recessional
Bonny Green Garters
Bampton tradition. Which lyrics will they sing?
- Craig Brandon
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