Newtowne Cheat Sheet
Double-Step Traditions
Stanton Harcourt
Stepping
Double-step always starting on left, back up with hop-backs, end feet-together-jump. Heys are always up towards the music, double-step to meet your partner face to face and back into place on the hop-backs. All dances end on rounds.
Figures
- Dance in place
- Advance, meet and retire
- Cross over (right then left)
- Back to back (right then left)
- Rounds
Nightingale
“Jump and Clash” (stick dance with hankies)
- Odds caper and clash three times while evens present
- Half hey
- Evens caper and clash while odds present
- Half hey
Greensleaves
“The Other One” (stick dance with hankies)
- All strike the ground to the right three times
- Odds clash three times while evens present
- All strike the ground to the left three times
- Evens clash three times while odds present
- Half hey
- Repeat
Brighton Camp
“Headbangers” (stick dance with hankies)
Always turn counter-clockwise (pivot left) in the chorus. Present sticks over the back of the head when being struck.
- Middles up (bottom odd on even)
- Middles down (top even on odd)
- Odds on evens
- Evens on odds
- Half hey
- Repeat
Nutting Girl
“The Hankie Dance” (hankie dance)
The chorus uses a distinctive kick-back step in place of the double-step.
- All turn up and step in place
- Half hey
- Repeat
Maid of the Mill
“The Circle Dance” (hankie dance)
Start in a circle facing the Maid in the center. Omit the Advance, meet and retire figure.
- Advance toward the Maid using the kick-back step
- Hop-backs back to the circle
- Repeat
Fieldtown
Stepping
Double-step usually starting on left for the first half of the figure, right for the second half, then back up with hop-backs, end feet-together-jump. The Foot up figure starts outside foot for normal length dances, inside food for double length, and ends with a galley. Heys use closed side-steps on the leading foot, up and then down, tops and bottoms face down and up into the set at the end of the side-steps to form the “box.” End with four plain capers facing up, except for Shepherd’s Hey.
Figures
- Foot up and down
- Half gyp (pass right shoulder, then left)
- Back to back (pass right shoulder, then left)
- Rounds (odd side doesn’t cast the first time)
Balance the Straw
“With Tosses” (stick dance)
- Strike the ground to the right twice with butts
- Clash with partner forehand then backhand
- Strike the ground to the right twice with butts
- Toss the stick to your partner and clash once forehand
- Half hey
- Repeat
Banks of the Dee
“Up Then Down” (hankie dance)
Perform the special caper on position 1’s outside foot. Positions 2, 4 and 5 must add a catch step to switch feet prior to the hey.
- Special caper up
- Half hey
- Special caper down
- Half hey
- Salute
- Galley
- Bug squasher
- Upright caper
Shepherd’s Hey
“Signposts” (hankie dance)
Come in and end every sequence with a show, arms extended, and hold for three beats. Rounds is into a circle.
- Half hey up
- Half hey down
Step Back
“Dead Fish” (double hankie dance)
Come in and end every sequence with the stamp-step in place of hop-backs. Figures are double length.
- Four side-steps right in place
- One side-steps left, feet-together-jump
- Half hey
- Repeat
Dearest Dickie
“Slow Galleys” (double corner dance)
Figures are double length. After slow capers perform a slow galley, or come in with slow hop-backs.
- First corners side-step right, double-step, side-step left, feet-together-jump in place
- Special crossing, starting on right
- Galley right to face corner
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat
- Swagger
- Plain capers
- Bug-squashers
- Upright capers
Upton upon Severn
Stepping
The Stick Dance uses a modified double-step, slightly crossing the other foot across on the hop, always starting on the left, ending with a step-stamp. The Hankie Dance uses a standard double-step, always starting on the right, then two step-hops, end with feet-together-jump. Both dances end on rounds.
Figures
- Rounds
- Back to back right
- End hey (middles go right)
- Side hey (middles bulge)
- Jump across (in the Stick Dance)
- Corners and set (in the Hankie Dance)
- Rounds
Stick Dance
“The Stick Dance” (stick dance)
Always the same chorus, clashing with partners forehand up and backhand down, then a small circle to the left.
Hankie Dance
“The Hankie Dance” (hankie dance)
Always the same chorus, dance in place four double steps, facing right 45° for the right double-steps and left 45° for the left, then a small circle to the left.
Ducklington
Stepping
Double-steps, always starting on the left, then two forey capers on the left. Open side-steps, always starting to the left. The whole hey starts with a double-step half hey, then forey caper out to form the “box” with the middles in the center of the set, then double-step half hey and end with four plain capers facing up. Set jigs use variant heys in the chorus.
Figures
- Foot up and down
- Rounds
- Rounds
- Whole hey
Boys of the Bunch
“Lollipop Man” (corner dance)
- First corners side-step left then right in a circle back to place
- Forey caper in place, ending in the center face-to-face
- Hold for two beats
- Double-step to the corner position
- Forey caper to turn left and face corner
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat, optionally passing back to back on the side-steps
The Fox
“The Fox” (corner dance)
- First corners side-step left then right to center face-to-face
- Forey caper passing right shoulders and turning to exchange places
- Side-step left then right back to original position
- Forey caper to turn left and face corner
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat, optionally passing back to back on the side-steps
- First corners forey caper in place
- Side-step to the corner position
- Forey caper to turn left and face corner
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat
- First corners slow caper in place
- Side-step to the corner position
- Forey caper to turn left and face corner
- Second corners repeat, coming in with the second slow caper
- Third corners repeat, coming in with the second slow caper
- All come in with the second slow caper before hey up
Jockey to the Fair
“Jockey Duck” (set jig)
Each couple performs twice at the top of the set, then casts out with the second set of forey capers. The first couple walks to the bottom, the second back to the middle, and the third capers all the way around to face their partner for the chorus.
- Double-step in place
- Side-step left then right in a circle back to place
- Slow capers
- Side-step left in facing lines
- Side-step right back to place
- Forey caper out to form the box, middles in the center
- Single-step forward to complete the half hey
- Repeat capers, box, and single-steps
- Face up for the next figure or plain capers to end
Black Joke
“Black Joke” (set jig)
Each couple performs once at the top of the set, then casts out with forey capers, then travels down the set with four plain capers while the next couple capers up to the front. The first couple walks to the bottom, the second back to the middle, and the third forey capers all the way around to face their partner and all perform four plain capers in place before the chorus.
- Double-step in place
- Side-step left then right in a circle back to place
- Slow capers
- Side-step left in facing lines
- Side-step right back to place
- Forey caper out to form the box, middles in the center
- Single-step forward to complete the half hey
- All face partners for four plain capers
- Repeat side-steps, forey capers, box, and single-steps
- All face up for four plain capers
Single-Step Traditions
Bampton
Stepping
Single-step always starting on the left, then step-hops, end with a forey caper. Closed side-step in the hey and crossing, always starting on the left. Travel forward in the hey during the step-hops. Open side-step when dancing in place, always starting on the left. End on rounds or with a forey caper facing up.
Figures
- Foot up and down
- Half gyp (pass right shoulder, then left)
- Whole gyp (circle right, then left)
- Rounds
Binghamton Stick Dance
“The Stick Dance” (stick dance)
Ends on rounds.
- Grip both ends, right end up
- Clash stick centers three times
- Slide to two-handed grip
- Clash forehand and backhand
- Slide back to stick ends
- Clash stick centers three times
- Change to one-handed grip
- Wind up and clash forehand once
- Half hey
- Repeat
Donkey Riding
“Strike Down” (stick dance)
- Grip one-handed
- Clash down backhanded, up forehanded, down backhanded
- Slip the stick right and back
- Grip both ends, right end up
- Clash stick centers three times
- Grip both ends, left end up
- Clash stick centers three times
- Half hey
- Repeat
John Barleycorn
“John Barleycorn” (stick dance)
- Grip stick two-handed
- Clash forehand right twice
- Clash across forehand then backhand
- Clash forehand left twice
- Clash across backhand then forehand
- Grip the stick two handed at waist
- Open side-step left and right
- Step back and dip
- Step forward and caper to clash forehand
Trunkles
“Challenge and Cross” (corner dance)
First crossing is back to place. Ends on rounds.
- First corners challenge, side-steps to meet in the center
- First corners side-step to cross, turning left
- All four plain capers
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat
Shepherd’s Hey
“Long Foot Up” (corner dance)
Foot up is triple length, with each couple dancing up, then casting out and walking down the set. First crossing is back to place. Ends on rounds.
- First corners side-step and step-hop to cross, turning right
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat
Rose Tree
“Country Gardens” (corner dance)
First crossing is back to place. Ends on rounds.
- First corners side-step to cross, turning left
- Open side-steps left and right
- All four plain capers
- Second corners repeat
- Third corners repeat
Old Tom of Oxford
“Funky Hey” (hankie dance)
- Closed left side-step in place at a 45° angle
- Double-step in place, turning 180° to the right at the end
- Closed left side-step in place
- Double-step in place, turning the easy way to face at the end
- Half hey, bottoms come up the middle while tops cast down the outside
- Repeat
Maid of the Mill
“Left Then Right” (hankie dance)
- Open side-step left and right in line
- Two forey capers in place, clapping at the end
- Half hey
- Repeat
Step and Fetch Her
“Cross With Partner” (hankie dance)
- Four forey capers to cross by the right and turn right
- Four closed side-steps to cross back by the right and turn left
- Whole hey
Glorishears
“Stamp and Clap” (clapping dance)
- Stamp left then right
- Clap four times at heart hight
- Repeat stamp and clap
- Half hey
- Repeat
Bonny Green Garters
“Recessional” (hankie dance)
No chorus, perform the figures in order. Ends with a serpentine recessional, alternating closed side-steps and forey capers.
Brackley
Stepping
Single-step starting on the outside foot, ending with a quick feet-together-out-together. The second ending is preceded by two shows. Crossings start with closed side-steps on the right.
Figures
- Up and down
- Down and up
- Lines
- Belly to belly, back to back
Jockey to Revere
- Four closed side-steps to cross to the corner position, turning right
- Four single-steps to meet face-to-face in the center
- Four plain capers in place
- Two single-steps, two shows and feet-together-out-together to back into place
Haste to the Wedding
- Four closed side-steps to cross, turn right, and meet in the center
- Two plain capers
- Two single-steps, two shows and feet-together-out-together to back into place