Headington Dances
This page contains dance descriptions only. For tunes, follow the links for individual dances.
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Bean Setting
Dancers: 6
Sticks: one 19“ (short) stick
Stepping: Headington single-steps, foot-together-jump
Source: traditional
Chorus: dib-dib-clash (across, low), dib-dib-clashes: 1→3 3→5 5→6 6→4 4→2 2→1 across (high). Repeat?
Sequence: foot up & up, chorus, crossover, chorus, back-to-back, chorus, whole hey, chorus & all up.
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: The Blue-Eyed Stranger or Brighton Camp (The Headington Quarry Morris Men have used both tunes)
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: traditional
Chorus: sidestep right (“crossback” hankies), sidestep left (“crossback” hankies), double-step, 2 plain capers, half-hey. Repeat.
Sequence: foot up & up, chorus, crossover, chorus, back-to-back, chorus & all in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Constant Billy
Dancers: 6
Sticks: two 19“ (short) sticks
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: Lionel Bacon, A Handbook of Morris Dances
Chorus: sticking together-right-together-left-together-right-left-right, half hey. Repeat.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & up, chorus, cross over, chorus, back-to-back, chorus, whole hey, chorus & all up
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Getting Upstairs
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: traditional
Chorus: 2 plain capers (“crossback” hankies), double-step, 2 plain capers (“crossback” hankies), double-step, half-hey. Repeat.
Sequence: foot up & up, chorus, crossover, chorus, back-to-back, chorus & all in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Haste to the Wedding
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: traditional
Chorus: 3 bars sidesteps (R-L-R) with arms down-up, foot-together-jump; half-hey, but with stepping: 2 plain capers (R-L) with arm circles, double-step, cross-backs, foot-together-jump; repeat
Sequence: foot up & up, chorus, crossover, chorus, back-to-back, chorus & all in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Hunt the Squirrel
Dancers: 6
Sticks: one 19“ (short) stick
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: Lionel Bacon, A Handbook of Morris Dances
Chorus: 2\ bars sticking: OT/EB1) ET/OB OT/EB ET/OB
bar #3: two steps back (bowing), bar #4: caper and clash (tips). Repeat.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & up, chorus, cross over, chorus, back-to-back, chorus, whole hey, chorus & all up
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Laudnum Bunches
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source Sharp Morris Book I Bacon A Handbook of Morris Dances
Chorus: each corner meet (2\ double steps), cross (2\ double steps or 2\ whole capers; see below), 4\ plain capers (arm circles) & back to place.
D.F. are #1 & #2: double steps; #3 & #4: whole capers
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, chorus/double-steps, cross over, chorus/double-steps, back-to-back, chorus/whole capers, whole-hey, chorus/whole capers & all-in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: The Twenty-Ninth of May
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: Oak Apple Morris via Damaris Rosenow
Chorus: #1 & #3: “birdcage”: #1, 2, 5, & 6 dance clockwise around the set while #3 & #4 dance around each other (like a whole gyp) in the center counter-clockwise; half hey. Repeat.
#2 & #4: “cannons” or “explode”: 4 double steps.
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#1: 1st corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
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#2: 2nd corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
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#3: 3rd corners move to just past the center (others dance in place);
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#4: all dancers “explode” outwards. Then modified half hey, moving in from “exploded” positions. Repeat.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up, chorus/birdcage, crossover, chorus/cannons, back-to-back, chorus/birdcage, whole hey, chorus/cannons & all-in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Rigs O'Marlow
Dancers: 6
Sticks: one 19“ (short) stick
Stepping: Headington single-steps, foot-together-jump
Source: Lionel Bacon, A Handbook of Morris Dances
Chorus: sticking while hopping:
bar #1: 4 hops L–L–L–L; on last two hops, masters strike OT→EB OT→EB
bar #2: 4 hops R–R–R–R; on last two hops, apprentices strike ET→OB ET→OB
bar #3: 4 hops L–L–L–L; on last two hops, masters strike OT→EB OT→EB
bar #4: 4 hops L–R–L–R; strike ET→OB OT→EB ET→OB clash (across)
Repeat.
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & up, chorus, cross over, chorus, back-to-back, chorus, whole hey, chorus & all up
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Tobin's Favorite
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: Damaris Rosenow
Chorus: each cross on 4\ double steps or 2\ whole capers, then sidestep right, sidestep left, 4\ plain capers
D.F. are #1 & #2: double steps; #3 & #4: whole capers
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, chorus/double steps, cross over, chorus/double steps, back-to-back, chorus/whole capers, whole-hey chorus/whole capers & all-in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Trunkles
Dancers: 6
Hankies: bagged
Stepping: Headington double-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: traditional
Chorus: each corner challenge (3~double steps, stamp & kick corner's foot); then each corner cross and back to center on distinctive figure, then cross-backs, FTJ back to place.
D.F. are #1: double steps; #2: sidesteps; #3 & #4: whole capers
Sequence: once to yourself, foot up & down, challenge, chorus/double-steps, cross over, challenge, chorus/sidesteps, back-to-back, challenge, chorus/whole capers, whole-hey, challenge chorus/whole capers & all-in
Style: Headington (Cotswold)
Tune: Bacca Pipes
Dancers: 1 or 2
Equipment: bagged hankies, crossed clay pipes
Stepping: Headington single-steps, cross-backs, foot-together-jump
Source: Cecil Sharp, The Morris Book, Lionel Bacon, A Handbook of Morris Dances
Setup: the pipes are set up as shown below. Dance positions are numbered 1-8, with the dancer's head facing in the direction of the >. Toe/heel taps occur in positions A-D. (The image is from The Morris Book, by Cecil Sharp.)
Distinctive Figures:
Sequence: