Manx White Boys
This is a dance from the tradition: the White Boys were a group of mummers on the Isle of Man and there are records of them performing a sword dance afterwards. If you want to read the script of the play, it's on the Culture Vannin website.
There is no apparent connection between the play script and the sword dance, though the Doctor is carried off on a sword platform after the dance. (Some historical sword teams managed to weave dance and mumming play together a little by changes in the script, but the two have separate historical origins and it requires a bit of fudging to make sword dance and play work well together. It's likely that the reason they were often performed by the same people is simply because they both require swords and were both Christmas customs.)
It's possible that the historical records of what the Manx Boys dance was actually like were so thin, that Leighton Stowell recreated it from scratch in the 1930's.
If you'd like to know more about the history of the White Boys dance and the research that went into recreating it, then here's a really interesting article by Colin Messer.
There is no apparent connection between the play script and the sword dance, though the Doctor is carried off on a sword platform after the dance. (Some historical sword teams managed to weave dance and mumming play together a little by changes in the script, but the two have separate historical origins and it requires a bit of fudging to make sword dance and play work well together. It's likely that the reason they were often performed by the same people is simply because they both require swords and were both Christmas customs.)
It's possible that the historical records of what the Manx Boys dance was actually like were so thin, that Leighton Stowell recreated it from scratch in the 1930's.
If you'd like to know more about the history of the White Boys dance and the research that went into recreating it, then here's a really interesting article by Colin Messer.
This dance is always done to its traditional tune (which was sometimes done as 'mouth music' by the dancers. “dah, dah. dud duh” or similarish sounds) Note that the B music has a repeat. Play A and B (including the repeat) alternating for the duration of the dance.
Although there is an 'official' version of the dance, the notation still leaves itself open to stylistic choices, and hence there are inevitable variations in how teams perform it.
This is the version that we use:
Step: slipping-skip step. (A traditional Manx dance step, think of it as being a bit like a polka, but the hips are always facing forward and the steps are smaller) One slipping-skip step takes a bar of music. In the notation below, one step is two counts, ie two counts per bar.
This is a dance for six people. This dance can also accommodate a mascot/Tommy/doctor weaving in and out of the figures.
It is an easy dance, once you've got the hang of the stepping, and most people will be able to handle most positions.
Line up order is 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (but don't fret about it.) Whoever ends up next to number 1 at the top of the set is number 2
Tommy/mascot/doctor can do whatever they like while the dance is going on. They can go under the arches in whatever direction they please. They can join in Circle, Lock, Thread the Needle whenever it suits them. (Note that a child could easily do the under the arches move, but it needs an experienced dancer to slip in and out of the set for the other moves)
Walk On (A)
1-32 March on in two parallel lines of three dancers each, and end up in position with the two lines pointing to the band and everyone facing the band.
Arches (B)
1-4 Numbers 1 and 2 make an arch with their swords, clashing on the first beat. They move the arch backwards over the heads of the other dancers and fall into position at the bottom of the set, on the count of 8, with swords again on shoulders. The other dancers move forward under the arch, so that a new couple is now at the top of the set.
5-8 The new top couple (6 and 3, if you really want to know), do exactly what the first couple did, falling into position after 8 steps.
9-16 Repeat with the new top couple. Note that this couple get a bit longer with their arch, so can move slower. It also allows a bit of catch-up time if the figure is falling behind.
Repeat 1-16
Circle (AB)
1-16 Circle left, starting with swords on shoulders.
17-64 Each dancer in turn, starting with number 1, raises their sword in the air and lowers it down for the next dancer to grasp. This finishes with everyone going round in a linked circle. This is a slow move with 8 beats for each dancer to pass their sword along.
Thread the Needle (AB)
During this move, the shape of the circle should be maintained. The circle can be either static or rotating, but don't let it get too wide.
1-64 Number 1 lets of of the sword in his left hand, and number 2 puts that sword on his shoulder, while making an arch between himself and number 3. Number 1 leads the other dancers under the arch and back to place.
Now, numbers 3 and 4 make the arch, and number 1 leads the dances under the arch and round.
Repeat for more arches, until you run out of music.
Circle (AB)
1-16 Circle left, starting with swords on shoulders, adding an emphasis to the step to make it more of a stamp.
17-64 Each dancer in turn, starting with number 1 and progressing anti-clockwise raises their sword in the air and lowers it down into the centre to form a low basket. This finishes with everyone going round in a linked circle. This is a slow move with 8 beats for each dancer to pass their sword along.
Lock and seat (AB) music continues and can end at any apropriate moment.
Everyone faces the centre and raises their sword to waist height, pointing the sword directly across the set.
There will be a sword parallel to yours that is pointed at your waist. Take that sword in your left hand.
Raise the woven swords high into the air.
If your have a shorter dancer in the set, then you can do what we did in the video below. It's also possible to carry off a separate Tommy/mascot/etc. but only use very light people if you have wooden swords.
If you don't have someone available to carry off, then instead of lifting the low basket across the set, raise swords up and back all together, bring your sword down behind the person to your right, make a back-lock and let number 1 carry the lock off into the audience.
Although there is an 'official' version of the dance, the notation still leaves itself open to stylistic choices, and hence there are inevitable variations in how teams perform it.
This is the version that we use:
Step: slipping-skip step. (A traditional Manx dance step, think of it as being a bit like a polka, but the hips are always facing forward and the steps are smaller) One slipping-skip step takes a bar of music. In the notation below, one step is two counts, ie two counts per bar.
This is a dance for six people. This dance can also accommodate a mascot/Tommy/doctor weaving in and out of the figures.
It is an easy dance, once you've got the hang of the stepping, and most people will be able to handle most positions.
Line up order is 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (but don't fret about it.) Whoever ends up next to number 1 at the top of the set is number 2
Tommy/mascot/doctor can do whatever they like while the dance is going on. They can go under the arches in whatever direction they please. They can join in Circle, Lock, Thread the Needle whenever it suits them. (Note that a child could easily do the under the arches move, but it needs an experienced dancer to slip in and out of the set for the other moves)
Walk On (A)
1-32 March on in two parallel lines of three dancers each, and end up in position with the two lines pointing to the band and everyone facing the band.
Arches (B)
1-4 Numbers 1 and 2 make an arch with their swords, clashing on the first beat. They move the arch backwards over the heads of the other dancers and fall into position at the bottom of the set, on the count of 8, with swords again on shoulders. The other dancers move forward under the arch, so that a new couple is now at the top of the set.
5-8 The new top couple (6 and 3, if you really want to know), do exactly what the first couple did, falling into position after 8 steps.
9-16 Repeat with the new top couple. Note that this couple get a bit longer with their arch, so can move slower. It also allows a bit of catch-up time if the figure is falling behind.
Repeat 1-16
Circle (AB)
1-16 Circle left, starting with swords on shoulders.
17-64 Each dancer in turn, starting with number 1, raises their sword in the air and lowers it down for the next dancer to grasp. This finishes with everyone going round in a linked circle. This is a slow move with 8 beats for each dancer to pass their sword along.
Thread the Needle (AB)
During this move, the shape of the circle should be maintained. The circle can be either static or rotating, but don't let it get too wide.
1-64 Number 1 lets of of the sword in his left hand, and number 2 puts that sword on his shoulder, while making an arch between himself and number 3. Number 1 leads the other dancers under the arch and back to place.
Now, numbers 3 and 4 make the arch, and number 1 leads the dances under the arch and round.
Repeat for more arches, until you run out of music.
Circle (AB)
1-16 Circle left, starting with swords on shoulders, adding an emphasis to the step to make it more of a stamp.
17-64 Each dancer in turn, starting with number 1 and progressing anti-clockwise raises their sword in the air and lowers it down into the centre to form a low basket. This finishes with everyone going round in a linked circle. This is a slow move with 8 beats for each dancer to pass their sword along.
Lock and seat (AB) music continues and can end at any apropriate moment.
Everyone faces the centre and raises their sword to waist height, pointing the sword directly across the set.
There will be a sword parallel to yours that is pointed at your waist. Take that sword in your left hand.
Raise the woven swords high into the air.
If your have a shorter dancer in the set, then you can do what we did in the video below. It's also possible to carry off a separate Tommy/mascot/etc. but only use very light people if you have wooden swords.
If you don't have someone available to carry off, then instead of lifting the low basket across the set, raise swords up and back all together, bring your sword down behind the person to your right, make a back-lock and let number 1 carry the lock off into the audience.
