The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #133141   Message #3018315
Posted By: Mo the caller
29-Oct-10 - 05:10 AM
Thread Name: Máirtín de Cógáin: What's the Brush Dance?
Subject: RE: Máirtín de Cógáin: What's the Brush Dance?
I've only heard it called 'broom dance'. When we go to an Irish Set Dance ceili (in Manchester) there is often an interval spot of solo dancing, either girls doing fancy stepping or men doing the broom dance. Starting with a broom on the ground and dancing round it, then raising one end higher and higher to dance over it. The Welsh also have this tradition. There is an English dance 'Bacca Pipes', danced round and over long churchwarden clay pipes crossed on the ground, and of course the Scottish Sword dance over crossed swords.