Last updated: 2021/10/17 16:59
Note: Dances created by Banbury Cross Morris & Sword are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. This license gives you permission to perform, share, distribute, adapt and/or modify our dances, provided that you credit Banbury Cross Morris & Sword as the author, and that you share our dances with others under the same terms. The copyrights for dances created by other teams or individuals are retained by those teams or individuals.
Dances with titles that are crossed out are not in Banbury's current repertoire.
For tunes (PDF and MIDI files), follow the links for the individual dances.
Tune: Banks of the Dee, by John Tait (1775)
Source: traditional
Chorus #1: Face up. Tops show, then middles, then bottoms, then everyone. half hey. Repeat facing down.
Chorus #2: Same as chorus #1, but with galleys in place of shows.
Chorus #3: Same as chorus #1, but with "beetle crusher" capers in place of shows.
Chorus #4: Same as chorus #1, but with upright capers in place of shows. All up at the end.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
This dance has never been in Banbury Cross's repertoire, but may be someday.
Tune: Dearest Dickie (traditional)
Source: traditional
Chorus: open side steps R-L-R, foot-together-jump. Corner cross (1st time two double steps, 2nd time four plain capers, 3rd time two "beetle crushers", 4th time two upright capers), galley right (1st and 2nd times normal, 3rd & 4th times slow) to corner's place.
Figures: once to yourself, long foot up & down, long half gyp, long back-to-back, long rounds.
Tune: Idbury Hill (traditional)
Source: Jeff Bigler / Banbury Cross Morris (2012)
Equipment: Linked Hankies
Chorus: process down & half hey; process up & half-hey
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds & all in.
Tune: Glorishears (traditional)
Source: traditional
Choruses: walk around with salute at top of the set; walk around with galley at the top of the set; walk around with "beetle crusher" at the top of the set; leapfrogs using upright capers
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds & all up.
This dance has never been in Banbury Cross's repertoire, but may be someday.
Tune: Jockey to the Fair (traditional)
Source: Paul Handford / Thames Valley International Morris
Chorus #1: Each corner in turn: closed side step right, double step, closed side step foot-together-jump. Corners pass on 2 double steps, 4 plain capers, 2 shows, hop backs, foot-together-jump.
Chorus #2: Same as chorus #1, but with plain capers in place of shows.
Chorus #3: Same as chorus #1, but with "beetle crusher" capers in place of shows.
Chorus #4: Same as chorus #1, but with upright capers in place of shows. All in at the end.
Figures: once to yourself, long foot up & down, long half gyp, long back-to-back, long rounds
Tune: The Lass of Richmond Hill, by James Hook
Source: adapted from the Longborough dance Lass of Richmond Hill by Martin Johnson of the Hammersmith Morris Men (1970)
Chorus #1: open side steps out, then in; galley out, then in; process on double steps
Chorus #2: open side steps out, then in; galley out, then in; process on plain capers
Chorus #3: open side steps out, then in; galley out, then in; process on "beetle crushers"
Chorus #4: open side steps out, then in; galley out, then in; leapfrogs (upright capers)
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
This dance has never been in Banbury Cross's repertoire, but may be someday.
Tune: Nine Men's Morris
Source: Nine Men's Morris by Great Western Morris
Chorus: closed side step right, double step, closed side step left, foot-together-jump. Back dancers leapfrog over middles, then tops on upright capers. Hop backs & foot-together jump.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, hey, cross-over, rounds & lift.
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.
Tune: Processional (traditional)
Source: traditional
Sequence: 6 double steps, galley, foot-together-jump. Repeat as many times as needed to get into position.
Tune: The Rose (traditional)
Source: traditional
Chorus: two half heys, but with galleys (in toward the center) at the end of each sequence instead of hop-backs.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds & all up.
Tune: Saturday Night (Bledington)
Source: ?
Sequence: Additive dance. First #1 solo, then add one dancer each time through the sequence (#3, then #5, 6, 4, 2). Once all six dancers are in the set, two half heys ending all up.
Tune: The Bearer of the Ring by Maury Laws
Source: Conifer Gilbert (2019) / Banbury Cross Morris
Equipment: hankies
Chorus: Chorus: two double steps in a spiral, hop-backs, foot-together-jump. Two open sidesteps, two "beetle crusher" capers (fore capers), two closed sidesteps, galley, foot-together-jump.
Figures: foot in & out, star, rounds, vortex
Tune: Valentine (traditional)
Source: adapted from the Ascott-Under-Wychwood dance (traditional)
Chorus #1: Each corner in turn: open side step right, open side step left, 2 shows. Corners pass on double steps, meet, galley right to place.
Chorus #2: Same as chorus #1, but with galleys in place of shows.
Chorus #3: Same as chorus #1, but with "beetle crusher" capers in place of shows.
Chorus #4: Same as chorus #1, but with upright capers in place of shows. All up at the end.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Fire by Conifer Gilbert (2020)
Source: Jeff Bigler, Finn Donnelly, Ash Gast, Conifer Gilbert, Kai Henning, Rachel Nicholson / Banbury Cross Morris (2021)
Equipment: Linked Hankie & Stick (yes, really)
Chorus: partners clash (turning clockwise to face) & cross. Two pinwheels (counterclockwise), partners clash (turning clockwise to face) & cross. Half-hey.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds & all in.
Tune: Balance the Straw (traditional)
Source: traditional
Chorus: dib (behind), dib (front) clash (forehand), clash (backhand), half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Black Joke (traditional)
Source: traditional
Chorus: dib (behind), dib (front) clash (forehand), clash (backhand), half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself with “butts-tips”, foot up & down with “butts-tips”, half gyp with “butts-tips”, back-to-back with “butts-tips”, rounds with “butts-tips”
Tune: Bobby and Joan (traditional)
Source: traditional
Chorus: Masters hit apprentices (“bats high”). Apprentices hit masters (“bats high”). Clash butts-tips-butts-tips. half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Riding on a Donkey, traditional work song (ca. 1857)
Source: Binghamton Morris Men
Chorus: clash low-high-low regrip (2 hands). 3 clashes with right hand high. 3 clashes with left hand high. half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: The British Grenadiers (traditional)
Source: Cold Barn Morris
Chorus: tops & bottoms clash ground-person-ground-person. Middles clash partner-ground (while ducking)-partner-ground. Half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Saturday Night (Bucknell)
Source: adapted from the Hogtown dance by the Toronto Morris Men (TFMM)
Sequence: Additive dance. First #1 solo, then add one dancer each time through the sequence (#3, then #5, 6, 4, 2). Once all six dancers are in the set, two half heys ending all up.
Tune: Fireworks, by Jeff Bigler (1994)
Source: Jeff Bigler / Middlesex Morris (1994)
Chorus: Galley & foot-together-jump into a circle. Toss/clash sequence. (See detailed description). Foot-together-jump. 4 double steps to explode outward, turn and come back to a basket clash, galley & foot-together-jump. Repeat chorus.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back to back, rounds
Tune: Froggy's First Jump by Dave Whetstone / The Albion Band
Source: Paul Handford / Thames Valley International Morris
Chorus: sticking & cross over, galley, foot-together-jump. Repeat. Sticking is: RB-RB-PF PB-PB-LF RB-RB-PF-PB LF-PB. Rhythm is “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, too old!” Crossings are struts (#1 & #2) and plain capers (#3 & #4).
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back to back, rounds
Tune: The Gallant Weaver, by Robert Burns
Source: adapted from the Bledington dance by Peter Redgate / Green Fiddle Morris
Chorus: Each corner in turn: dib tips, butts, clash forehand, backhand. 2 hockle-backs, foot-together-jump (without clash). Corner cross on double steps, galley & foot-together jump
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back to back, rounds
Tune: The Gentleman Soldier military, collected by A.G. Gilchrist (1907)
Source: Roy Dommett
Chorus: One dancer (#1 in the first chorus, then #2, #5, #6) steps in & clashes forehand-backhand clockwise with each other dancer around the circle, then galley right to a set. (No repeat.)
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Swallowtail Jig (traditional)
Source: Nyx Bigler / Banbury Cross Morris & Sword
Chorus: Corners each in turn come into the center & dance around each other clashing F-B-F-B, then loop around. (Clashes are 1st corners, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 3rd.) Then half hey. (Chorus does not repeat; second & fourth figures & choruses are done from inverted positions.)
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back to back, rounds
Tune: Theme from Pirates of the Caribbean, by Klaus Badelt
Source: Banbury Cross Morris (2011)
Chorus: clashes, run around (see detailed description), two half heys, “Musketeers”, “Swords”
Figures: dance on, once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds with “stab”
Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, by Patrick Gilmore, 1863
Source: adapted from the Duns Tew dance by Jeff Bigler / Red Herring Morris (2001)
Chorus: Masters dib butts-tips, “shoot.” Apprentices repeat. Half hey. Then “hand-to-hand” clashes right hand high, then left hand high, then “baseball” clashes forehand-backhand-forehand. Half hey.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back to back, rounds
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: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds, whole hey
Tune: The Rambling Sailor/The Trim-Rigged Doxy (traditional)
Source: adapted from the Bledington dance attributed to Roy Dommett
Chorus: 1st corners step in & clash high-low while middles clash high-low with 2nd corners. Then 2nd corners step in & clash high-low while 1st corners clash with middles. Then all clash high-low-high (forehand)-high (backhand). half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
Tune: Waltzing Matilda, traditional (Australian)
Source: unknown
Choruses #1 & 2: Dib, dib, clash clash. Dib, dib short toss, clash, half hey. Repeat.
Choruses #3 & 4: Dib, dib, clash clash. 1st corners toss, 2nd corners toss, 3rd corners toss, clash. half hey. Repeat.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds
This dance has never been in Banbury Cross's repertoire, but may be someday.
Tune: Wedding Day Celebration, by Jeff Bigler (1991)
Source: Adapted from the Bledington dance by Jeff Bigler / Middlesex Morris (1991)
Chorus #1: 4 plain capers: clashing (forehand-backhand-forehand) on the last 3. Repeat sequence. Half hey. Repeat chorus.
Chorus #2: Plain caper, clash, toss, clash. Repeat sequence. half hey. Repeat chorus.
Choruses #3 & 4: 1st corners toss while 2nd corners clash with middles; 2nd corners toss while 1st corners clash with middles; middles toss while tops & bottoms clash across, all clash across. Repeat sequence. Half hey. Repeat chorus.
Figures: once to yourself, foot up & down, half gyp, back-to-back, rounds