Morningstar (for 4)

Source: Originally a single-stick dance by the Shropshire Bedlams. Collected by the Hounds from a Mixed Morris Ale workshop videotape in 1988. Adapted by the Hounds to a double-short-stick dance in 1990.

Tune: Morningstar (Bledington) as A(AB)3A (A=sticking, B=figures).

Variants: The Hounds do this for 3 and for 8.


Formation: A square set of 4, each with 2 short sticks.

Sequence: Once to Yourself, Stick in Pairs, U-Shaped Hey, Stick in Line, Hey in Line, (reorient to face up and down the set), Stick in Pairs, Hey in Line (across the set), Stick in Line

Stick in Pairs: No stepping.
T=together: clash your own two sticks together, with the sticks held "vertically" and the right-hand stick closer to your body.
A=across: clash both your partner's sticks with yours, sweeping your sticks from right to left.
L=left high: point your left-hand stick over your partner's head and your right-hand stick at their toes and clash both forehand.
R=right high: point your right-hand stick over your partner's head and your left-hand stick at their toes and clash both backhand.
The sequence is | T A L L | A T R R | T A L L | A T R - |, and repeat.
Helpful hint: during both "left high" and "right high", both sticks move clockwise.

Stick in Line: No stepping. Your two sticks remain parallel.
L=left: both sticks clash to the left, so your right-hand stick clashes the right-hand stick of your partner, and your left-hand stick clashes the left-hand stick of the person to your diagonal left. Both sticks sweep right to left.
R=right: swap left and right in the preceding.
CL=center from the left: both sticks clash with your partner's, sweeping from left to right.
CR=center from the right: both sticks clash with your partner's, sweeping from right to left.
LL=left from the left: like L, but with the sticks sweeping left to right.
D=down: sweep the sticks in a smooth arc to the right and down to point at your partner's toes, clashing both your partner's sticks by sweeping right to left.
The sequence is | R L CL CL | L R CR CR | R CR CL L | LL CL R D |, and repeat.

U-Shaped Hey: Face up and down the set and pass right shoulders. At the top of the set (by the musician) face across and pass left shoulders; at the bottom, turn in place over your right shoulder but do not cross. Repeat a total of 4 times, ending back in place.

Hey in Line: Move to the centerline of the set as if to pass right shoulders with your partner, then turn to your right. Do a full hey in line, starting by passing right shoulders with your partner. End by passing right shoulders with your partner, then looping back to place.

This page was written by Mike Miller of the Bassett Street Hounds and was last edited on 10/21/00.

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