Steamfitters

Tune: The Orange in Bloom (traditional) Source: Attributed to Roy Dommett/Albemarle Morris Men Chorus #1 (“singles”): walk across to partner's place clashing behind on beat 4. Starting on beat 8, clash in a circle with large wind-up, starting with the dancer in position #2. Galley right & half hey. Repeat (places, not faces). Chorus #2 (“doubles”): Same as chorus #1, but with two simultaneous clashes traveling around the circle, starting with dancers in positions #2 & #5. Chorus #3 (“triples”): Same as chorus #1, but with two simultaneous clashes traveling around the circle, starting with dancers in positions #2, #3 & #6. Chorus #4 (“double time”): Same as chorus #3 (triples), but with the clashes sped up. Figures: , , , , ,

Detailed Description

Chorus

Chorus #1 (“singles”): Dancers walk across the set to their partner's place, clashing behind on beat 4, with middles bulging to end in a circle by beat 6. #1 (who is now in position #2) winds up & clashes with #3 (in position #4), then the clash continues around the circle once per beat. After the final clash (with dancer #2 in position #1), dancers galley right and do a half hey. Repeat with places, not faces. (Clashing starts with dancer #2 in position #2, etc.) Chorus #2 (“doubles”): same as chorus #1, but both first corners (in positions #2 and #5) clash on beat 1, so there are two clashes traveling around the circle. Repeat with places, not faces, i.e., clashing starts with second corners in positions #2 and #5). Chorus #3 (“triples”): same as chorus #1, but all three of the first triangle (dancers #1, #4 & #5 in positions #2, #4 & #6) clash on beat 1, so there are three clashes traveling around the circle. Repeat with places, not faces, i.e., clashing starts with second triangles in their home positions of #2, #4 and #6.) Chorus #4 (“double time”): same as chorus #3, but the clashes around the circle are sped up.

Figures

Once to Yourself

Hankie dances: stand in position, trying not to look stupid. Five beats before the end of the tune, bring the hankies up to chest-level and rise onto your toes. Then two hop backs and a foot-together-jump. Stick dances: stand in position, trying not to look stupid. Two beats before the end of the tune, do a foot-together-jump.

Foot Up & Down

Face up. Two double steps in the “up” direction (one stationary, one in place). Galley (out from the center). Foot-together-jump to face down. Face down. Two double steps in the “down” direction (one stationary, one in place). Galley (out from the center). Foot-together-jump ¾ of the way around to face across.

Half Gyp

Face across. Two double steps, one to cross to your partner's position (starting on the left foot1) this will be the outside foot as you pass and passing by the right shoulder) and one in place. Hop backs to return to place. Foot-together-jump. Face across. Two double steps, one to cross to your partner's position (starting on the right foot2) this will again be the outside foot as you pass and passing by the left shoulder) and one in place. Hop backs to return to place. Foot-together-jump.

Back-to-Back

Face across. Two double steps: on the first one cross to your partner's position (starting on the left foot and passing by the right shoulder), and on the second one slide to your right. Hop backs to return to place, this time passing your partner by the left shoulder. Foot-together-jump. Face across. Two double steps: on the first one cross to your partner's position (starting on the right foot and passing by the left shoulder), and on the second one slide to your left. Hop backs to return to place, this time passing your partner by the right shoulder. Foot-together-jump.

Rounds

On the catch-step (“and”) before the downbeat, hop into a circle and face clockwise. Middles will need to move outwards (“bulge”). One double step around the circle (clockwise). On the second double step spiral into a clump, ending halfway around the circle but closer to the center. Hop backs to your corner's place (halfway around the circle). Foot-together-jump. On the catch-step (“and”) before the downbeat, all dancers turn a little more than 180° over their left shoulders (“hard turn”) and go back the way they came (counter-clockwise). Again, on the second double step spiral into a clump, ending halfway around the circle but closer to the center. Hop backs to your original place. Foot-together-jump.

Whole Hey

The whole hey is just two consecutive half heys.

Tune