The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #104324   Message #2140630
Posted By: Richard Bridge
04-Sep-07 - 11:17 AM
Thread Name: Faversham Hop Festival
Subject: RE: Faversham Hop Festival
I'm thinking that there is (insert side name) first mixed border sword garland dance in this... Possibly to the tune of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll" or maybe "Do you want to touch".

Men and women line up facing each other, men with the usual sticks and women with small one-handed hoop in left hand, and machetes in right.

All caper, men brandish their sticks and women coyly raise their hoops and look from side to side (hiding machete behind apron).

Genders approach, women thread stick in hoop, hold end and gentle fling.

Stand facing, women flirt with hoop, centre, right, and left. Men bang stick on ground, centre, left and right. Woman to right of man holds stick briefly, man returns to present stick to woman opposite, (ie partner at beginning of this tourney) who flays into it with machete - like the usual border bang bang.

Men and women caper forward past each other then back, turn backs on each other, which changes to a hay up and down each line (men up and down men's line, women down and up women's line). At the end of the hay each man is now opposite the woman formerly to his right and who last held his stick. Lead man capers to end of line.

Repeat until every woman had machete'd every man's stick.

Who said I had no interest in dance...