Oak Apple Day

This dance has never been in Banbury Cross's repertoire, but may be someday.

Tune: The Twenty-Ninth of May (traditional)
Source: adapted from the Headington dance by Oak Apple Morris
Chorus #1 & #3: Cannons. Modified half hey.
Chorus #2 & #4: Birdcage. Half hey.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds.

Detailed Description

Chorus

Chorus #1 & #3: “cannons” or “explode”: 4 double steps.

#1: 1st corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
#2: 2nd corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
#3: 3rd corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
#4: all dancers “explode” outwards. Then modified half hey, moving in from “exploded” positions. Repeat.

Chorus #2 & #4: “birdcage”: #1, 2, 5, & 6 do four double steps clockwise around the set while #3 & #4 dance around each other (like a whole gyp) in the center counter-clockwise; half hey. Repeat.

Figures

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⁾ 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⁾ 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.

Tune

X:1
T:The Twenty-Ninth of May
T:(Oak Apple Day)
M:C
L:1/8
C:Traditional
S:Bacon (6MDJ)
N:c.f. Lads-a-Bunchum (Adderbury)
A:Headington
O:English
R:Reel
P:A.(A2B2)4.A
Q:1/4=138
K:G
V:1
%%MIDI channel 1
%%MIDI control 7 50	% volume = 50
%%MIDI program 41       % General MIDI violin
%%MIDI transpose 0
%%MIDI gchordoff
P:A
|: D>G | B2 B2 B>cd>B | c2 A2 A2 B>c | d>ed>B c>dc>A | B2 G2  G2 :|
P:B
|: g>f \
%%setbarnb 5
| e2 d2 d2 G>A | B2 B2 B2 g>f | e2 d2  c2 B2  | A>GF>E D2 D>G |
B2 B2 B>cd>B | c2 A2 A2 B>c | d>ed>B c>dc>A | B2 G2  G2 :|

¹⁾

this will be the outside foot as you pass

²⁾

this will again be the outside foot as you pass