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Social Distance sword dance
May. 29th, 2020 09:48 pm Southern Star are going to have their first practice since lockdown began. On Monday evening, in my cul de sac.
Because six people are allowed to meet as long as they don't come closer than 2m. And we can do that, with one, and only one dance. (and by missing out some of the moves...)
Bouffons, as it is usually known, is an odd animal. It's a matachine dance from France in the 16th century, and the only one of its kind to have come down to us in any detail. In 1589, a book called Orchesography was written by man using the pseudonym of Thoinot Arbeau. This gives a complete step by step description of the dance and also provides the music.
Matachine dances are the most likely ancestor of English morris dances with sticks (morris dances without sticks came centuries before the dances with sticks).
Although they use swords, matachine dances don't have any connection to longsword dancing. Longsword is equally old, but is a linked sword dance.
If you watch, you'll see the distancing, particularly on the initial figure, which is the one we're learning. Miss out the shoulder pass and it's perfect.
It's a lot harder than it looks. Memorising the sequence of moves took some time. We've been practising it during lockdown over zoom. Three of our dancers live in one house, so they had it easy. They just tapped the kettle on the kitchen table when striking swords with the fourth dancer. Trudy managed to use her daughter to act as one person, but had problem with the turns as there was no one beside her. Sue was all on her own, but did surprising well.
I've got it off pat (I think), but I'm the one who went back to source for the choreography and music, so I had to learn it to be able to write it down for the others. If anyone is mad enough to want the notation, it's on http://www.southernstarlongsword.co.uk/
Some of us can do the stepping, which is harder than it looks. But it will be a long time before we can do stepping and sword moves at the same time. Trust me on that. It's much more difficult than you think. Try it!
Longsword is easier, it's mostly a walking or running step (though the moves are just as complex).
Because six people are allowed to meet as long as they don't come closer than 2m. And we can do that, with one, and only one dance. (and by missing out some of the moves...)
Bouffons, as it is usually known, is an odd animal. It's a matachine dance from France in the 16th century, and the only one of its kind to have come down to us in any detail. In 1589, a book called Orchesography was written by man using the pseudonym of Thoinot Arbeau. This gives a complete step by step description of the dance and also provides the music.
Matachine dances are the most likely ancestor of English morris dances with sticks (morris dances without sticks came centuries before the dances with sticks).
Although they use swords, matachine dances don't have any connection to longsword dancing. Longsword is equally old, but is a linked sword dance.
If you watch, you'll see the distancing, particularly on the initial figure, which is the one we're learning. Miss out the shoulder pass and it's perfect.
It's a lot harder than it looks. Memorising the sequence of moves took some time. We've been practising it during lockdown over zoom. Three of our dancers live in one house, so they had it easy. They just tapped the kettle on the kitchen table when striking swords with the fourth dancer. Trudy managed to use her daughter to act as one person, but had problem with the turns as there was no one beside her. Sue was all on her own, but did surprising well.
I've got it off pat (I think), but I'm the one who went back to source for the choreography and music, so I had to learn it to be able to write it down for the others. If anyone is mad enough to want the notation, it's on http://www.southernstarlongsword.co.uk/
Some of us can do the stepping, which is harder than it looks. But it will be a long time before we can do stepping and sword moves at the same time. Trust me on that. It's much more difficult than you think. Try it!
Longsword is easier, it's mostly a walking or running step (though the moves are just as complex).
