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Social Distance sword dance
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).
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Most dance moves can be called, "double under", etc. but this one, you have to learn the whole sequence in a figure as one entity because the dance speed is faster than you can call the individual moves.
High Forehand clash with partner, follow through move with sword and then clash high backhand with partner, turn anti-clockwise until you are facing another dancer and do a low forehand clash with them.
That's six beats of music...
But I'm still looking forward to it!
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H
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This looks good, nice to know you managed to get some men involved.
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Well, one man.
An old friend of my son's about 15 years ago. Moved back into our distict, knocked on our door "Does Henry still live here?" "No, he's moved out with his fiancee, but the morris team meets on Thursday and the sword dance team are on Monday"
I'm very direct in my recruiting methods!
He tried both (having never done either before), decided the sword dance was more for him, and then recruited his mum and his sister :)
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Still, I think the young man made the right choice. I’ve stumbled on a Morris team rehearsing, years ago when a friend and I were taking a break from our SCA fight practice at Melbourne University, where we met on Wednesday nights. We thought it looked so pretty, but changed our minds about giving it a go when we were told about some of the accidents you can have with those sticks! The worst you can expect when fighting in armour in the SCA is a few bruises.
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Anonymous morris have only had one stick accident in a decade, and that wasn't terribly bad.
Mind you, we are VERY serious about replacing damaged sticks. Flying splinters could be very nasty. Not all teams are as careful in that regard.