Lexington-in-the-Bluegrass



These are the dances in the Lexington-in-the-Bluegrass morris tradition. This tradition was initially designed in 2003 and 2004 in Lexington, Kentucky, to be danced by the Squash Beetle Morris Dancers. In general the person who had the initial concept is indicated as author, but most dances are actually the result of collaborative effort by Squash Beetle Morris, often going through several iterations before arriving at the current form. In fact, by the time you read this we may be dancing them differently.

Permission to dance these dances (either as written or with modifications) is granted to anyone who wants to dance them. We ask only that you properly attribute their origins when feasible. And if possible let us know that you are dancing them.

Stepping:

  1. Main step: Double steps and pushbacks. 
  2. Up steps (as in Duns Tew).
Styling: By default start on the right foot.  Turns should be sharply angled, not curving.  In general, turn on the "and" when turning 90 degrees or less.  Turn on the jump otherwise.

Hankies: flick forward shoulder width, just below shoulder height on the "and" of each double step.  Flick at a 45 degree angle from forward (1:30 and 10:30) on beats 1 and 3 of the pushbacks.

Sticks: held in the right hand during stepping in figures.  Held vertically with the hand in the center of the stick about 15 inches in front of the right shoulder during double steps.  Push the stick out then pull back at a 45 degree angle from forward on beat 1 of the pushbacks, and push the empty left hand out then pull back at a 45 degree angle from forward on beat 3 of the pushbacks.

Capers:
  1. Pit capers: plain capers, hands flick up from arm pits and slightly out to the sides on each caper.
  2. Beetle squashers: as in Fieldtown. 
  3. X-capers: as in Bucknell.  
Figures:
  1. Up and Out (aka Diamond Eyes): 1 ds out and up, at a 45 degree angle to the set; 1 ds back in and up, at a 45 degree angle to the set; pushbacks, ftj back (down) along the original line of the set ending back in place.  1 ds out and down, at a 45 degree angle to the set; 1 ds back in and down, at a 45 degree angle to the set; pushbacks, ftj back (up) along the original line of the set ending back in place.  face in on the jump (usually).
  2. F-Gyp: turn left 90 degrees and dance 1ds along the set (master side up, apprentice side down); turn left 90 degrees and dance 1 ds straight out from the set; pushbacks back to the set ending where you were after the first ds; turn left 90 degrees and dance 1 ds down the set; turn left 90 degrees and dance into the set passing partner by the left and then back to back (push off the right foot on the second step of the second ds to slide back to back with partner); pushback to original place.
  3. E-Gyp: ds across the set to partner's place, passing by the right, turning to the right to face up or down the set on the hop; hanky flick straight up or down the set and continue turning to the right to dance 1 ds into the set, again passing by the right but only going just past partner; pushbacks to partner's original place.  Repeat in the second half, again passing by the right, ending at home.
  4. Pop-Tarts: turn (on the preceding jump) to face radially out of the set (tops turn up, bottoms turn down, middles ?); 1 ds out of the set (not too far or you'll never get home!); 1 ds in place, still facing out; turn 90 degrees right (on the "and") to face clockwise around the circle; pushback counterclockwise around the circle at least one place, turning to face in on the jump.  The jump should also be used to travel further around the circle by jumping sideways (a small jump in a 4 person set, a big jump in a 6 person set).  Two ds to switchj places with the diagonal opposite, all passing by the left in the center, ending in the original size of the set; pushback around the set to home.  When passing by the left in the center, all should be in the center at the end of the first ds, and there should be a hesitation.
  5. Hey for four: First half: First corners cross by the right in 1 ds while second corners dance in place; second corners cross by the right in 1 ds while first corners dance in place facing out on the diagonal; all pushback across the set passing by the right.  The set should now be inverted top to bottom.  Second half: identical to first half, by places. On the first ds of a hey, the non-moving dancers face parallel to the moving dancers, turning the easy way. On the second ds of a hey the non-moving dancers face in the direction they just were facing while moving.
  6. Hey for six: Numbers refer to places, not faces.  First half: 1 and 4 cross by the right in 1 ds while 3 and 6 cross by the right in 1 ds while 2 and 5 dance in place; 2 and 3 cross by the right in 1 ds while 4 and 5 cross by the right in 1 ds while 1 and 6 dance in place facing out on the diagonal; all pushback across the set passing by the right.  (1 and 6 have switched, 2 and 4 have switched, 3 and 5 have switched.)  Second half: identical to first half, by places. On the first ds of a hey, the non-moving dancers face parallel to the moving dancers, turning the easy way. On the second ds of a hey the non-moving dancers face in the direction they just were facing while moving.

Dances:
  1. Sheaves of Seaweed (hanky) Tune: Sailors Hornpipe (abc pdf)
  2. White Rocks (hanky) Tune: White Rocks (abc pdf)
  3. Old Shoe (hanky) Tune: Brighton Campy (abc pdf)
  4. Trigonometry (hanky) Tune: Gavot (abc pdf)
  5. Hands Across the Pond (hanky) Tune: Hands Across the Pond (abc pdf)
  6. Square Hey (hanky) Tune: The Rose (abc pdf)
  7. Hook, Line, and Sinker (hanky) Tune: Hook, Line, and Sinker (abc pdf)
  8. The Admiral's Bombast (hanky) Tune: The Ruler of the Queen's Navy
  9. Lustig Zein (hanky) Tune: Lustig Zein (abc pdf)
  10. Valentine (hanky) Tune: Valentine
  11. Fat Albert (hanky) Tune: The Home Ruler (abc pdf)
  12. Andyman (hanky) Tune: Andyman (abc pdf)
  13. The F-Bomb (hanky) Tune: TBD (abc pdf)
  14. Little Willie (stick) Tune: Constant Billy (abc pdf)
  15. Pirate Dogs (stick) Tune: The Pirate King (abc pdf)
  16. My Old Kentucky Home (double stick)
  17. Four Musketeers (stick) Tune: La Marseillaise (abc pdf)
  18. Black Joke (stick) Tune: Black Joke (abc pdf)
  19. Young Collins (stick) Tune: Young Collins
  20. Trunkles (stick) Tune: Trunkles (Bledington, no slows, A(ABC3)4
  21. Donkey Riding (stick) Tune: Donkey Riding (stick)
  22. Wake Riding (hanky) Tune: ??? (abc pdf)

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