Border Dance Summary (current and recent repertoire only)

Border Crossing (5 dancers; long sticks) Tune: I Fought the Law, by Sonny Curtis Chorus: motorcycle hey for 5, then center clashes with #1, #2 (“I fought the law”), #1-4 clash with center (“and the law won”), center clashes with #3, #4 (“I fought the law”), #1-4 clash with center (“and the law won”). Figures: barrier rounds; out to the left (“choo-choo”); bombast; starburst; tosses.

Captain Bike (8 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: Captain Bike, by Jeff Bigler Chorus: (Bar 1) clash with partner. (Bar 2) clash with partner while crossing to partner's place. (Bar 3) Turn right and clash with partner. (Bars 4-6) Move along the line to the next person & clash. When you reach the end, loop around & head back toward the top of the set. (Bars 7-8) turn out from middle to face partner. Repeat once. Figures: dance on/bicycle wheels; cross & swing; J-loops; motorcycle hey & off.

The Circle Dance (4 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: The Big Ship (MOTley Morris often used a medley) Chorus: stick neighbor-partner-high/low, partner-neighbor low/high; repeat once. Figures: once-to-yourself; rounds; staggered back-to-back; hey; starburst; bombast; rounds & off (alternate ending: doubletime chorus).

The Fool and the Bag (8 or 4 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: The Fool and the Bag, by Jeff Bigler Chorus: clash, toss & cross, clash, clash 3x, clash, toss & cross, clash forehand-backhand-forehard. Figures: dance on/rounds; cross & swing; starburst; motorcycle hey (or bombast if done for 4) & off.

Four Lane End (4 dancers; medium sticks; Bedlam stepping) Tune: Four Lane End, by John Kirkpatrick? Chorus: sticking sequence by dancer #1, then #2, #3, #4: left-middle-right-middle-left-middle-right then forehand-back for next dancer to start sequence. End with repeated forehand-backhand, alternating between neighbor & partner. Figures: dance on/rounds; high-low; multiples; turn & toss; tosses. On final chorus, repeat next-to-last bar 3×, getting faster.

Mister Dolly (4 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: George Green's College Hornpipe, by George Green Chorus: clash G-G-PPP (G = ground; P = partner) [low]; R-L-PPP [high]; repeat once. Figures: “Addams Family” intro; cross & swing; J-loops; mini-brook; dragon's bane; rounds w/ sounds & off.

Moonstruck Marrow (8 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: Moonstruck Marrow, by George Martin Fell Brown Chorus: 1. Outside four go 1/4 of the way around CCW while middle four go 3/4 around CW; clash w/ partner. (Set is now rotated 90°.) 2. Top & bottom sets of four each go half-way around CCW; clash w/ partner. Repeat 3x to get home. Figures: dance on/hey; zipper hey; linear bombast for 8.

Over the Top (4 dancers; long sticks) Tune: Over the Top, by Jeff Bigler Chorus: 1st corners high-low while 2nd corners dib & toss; then clash while dancing through to corner's space. Repeat once, swapping roles. Figures: dance on/rounds; staggered back-to-back; J-loops; out-to-the-left (“choo-choo”); bombast. On final chorus, keep going after 2nd clash-through.

Takking (6 dancers; long sticks) Tune: Scottiche a Bethanie Chorus: Clash across 3x. #1 & #6 cross over, #3 & #5 slide up, #2 & #4 slide down, clash 2x. Rotate new set 90 degrees so #1 & #6 clash (in middle) on beat 2. Reverse pattern. Repeat once. Figures: clashing rounds; zig-zag; hey (A music 2x); posts; through & off.

Tinner's Rabbits (groups of 3 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: “Scotch Polka” Chorus: clash around triangle: (1-2, 2-3, 3-1) 4 times, then everyone strike the ground 3 times. Figures: once to yourself; #1 reels (around #2 and #3); 3-person star; #2 reels; “rabbit traps”; #3 reels; rounds & off. (If dancing with multiple sets, small rounds transitions into one large rounds.)

Woodhouse Bog / Boghouse Door (8 dancers; medium sticks) Tune: The Keel Row Chorus: H-L-H-L-H-L-FBF (all but last FBF while stepping) Sequence: once-to-yourself; chorus for 0-2; forearm swings; chorus for 2-4; star; chorus for 4-6; casting (mirror) hey; chorus for 6-8; motorcycle hey; chorus for 8-6; casting hey; chorus for 6-4; star; chorus for 4-2; forearm swings; chorus for 2-0, speeding up and ending with one dancer chasing the other.