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numbers change places, and at half-bar of bar 4, all jump, j., in a half-turn to Front; then complete Chain and jump to Front again, j., on last half-bar of bar 8.
In "Cross-over," "Back-to-back," "Go-and-come," all executed in Front formation, the whole side jumps in position, Ju., at half-bar in bars 4 and 8.
In Corners and Capers, wherever opposites change places, the rule is that they jump on last half-bar, as they finish their part in the figure—that is, as they complete the movement of changing or re-changing places.
In "Blue-eyed Stranger," where the whole side dances in position for eight bars, all jump at half-bar in bar 8. Should the side elect to keep up the step for sixteen bars (see p. 50), then all jump at half-bar in bar 16.
In "Bluff King Hal" and "Morris Off," there is no Jump at all.
THE HANDS.
The movements of the hands are made invariably according to rule, as follows:—
These rules apply, as with the Jump, to all Handkerchief and Corner dances.
In making the Jump, the hands are always, with rigid arms, thrown above the head.
In "Down-and-back" and "Up-and-back," "Chain," "Cross-over," "Back-to-back," "Go-and-come," movements of the hands are always the same. That is: Commencing with the preliminary Jump, when the hands are above the head, on beginning of first bar, with first step (of 4/3 or 6/3 step), hands are swung backward; forward on half-bar; back again, beginning of bar 2, and forward on half-bar of bar 2. In bar 3 (4/2 or 6/2 step) the hands, being already upward and forward, are swung twice in a circle, commencing inward, so that the handkerchiefs are waved in a double circle over the head. At beginning of bar 4 the hands are lowered straight in line with the body, and at half-bar of bar 4, with the Jump, they are thrown straight above the head on rigid arms.
These movements of the hands are always the same in every Handkerchief and Corner dance. Whenever the 4/3 or 6/3 step is used the hands are swung as already described. Also, wherever there are the two bars of 4/2 or 6/2 step, the hands are also used as already described—double circle overhead; down, and up on the Jump.
In Capers, wherever the 4/1 or 6/1 High Step is used, the hands are swung backward on beginning of bar, forward and upward on half-bar; and this movement is continued all the time the High Step (4/1 or 6/1) is used.
The arms in all these movements described, should really be swung as far, both backward and forward, as possible. The Morris-men themselves swing the arms behind to an angle of 45 degrees or so; but in the forward swing their hands are raised forward and a little higher than the head, on arms slightly bent at the elbows.
THE CALL.
In the Notation it will be seen that at the end of some dances the side is instructed to "Call." This means that on last half-bar all raise their voices on a high-note "Ah!" something after the |
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