Three Legged Horse - Figure 1
Tune: Horses Brawl
The music is AA,BB repeated until the end of the dance. (The C melody is difficult to play on some instruments, so we usually miss it out.)
A dance for three, written by Southern Star Longsword. Dance numbers go clockwise.
Music tempo should be 200.
Each dancer has two swords. The swords are normally held in the same hand and lie on top of one another so that they look to the casual eye like a single sword.
The count is in steps, not bars.
Walk On into Circle (AA)
Stand sideways in a line of three, shoulder to shoulder, number 1 leading. (Number 2 will actually be at the end of the line in this particular dance.)
Swords are held in the right hand and rest on right shoulder.
Stepping is as the Horse's Brawl dance: left foot sideways, right foot behind left foot, left foot beside right foot, jump on the spot with feet together.
1-16 Sideways in a straight line, with swords on shoulders.
17-32 Number 1 leads into a circle and the dancers continue round in the circle, still using the Horse's Brawl stepping and finishing with the final jump.
Diamond Clashes (BB)
Brisk walk (the side step is only used for the walk on.)
1-4 Raise right hand sword and lower left hand sword while turning anti-clockwise 1 ¼ . Finish facing clockwise in a circle.
5-16 High and low clash swords every step. High sword clashes forwards, low sword clashes backwards. (It's a bit like clapping your hands together. Both swords move towards each other and then away again.)
17-20 Raise right hand sword over heads and swing it down as you turn, raise left hand sword, while doing a half turn anti-clockwise. Finish facing clockwise in a circle.
21-32 High and low clash swords every step. High sword clashes forwards, low sword clashes backwards.
Shoulders (AABB)
1-4 Bring swords together, pointing down, and take four steps backwards from the set.
5-8 Four steps forward, bringing swords up onto right shoulder.
9-16 Circle clockwise, swords on inside shoulders. Left hand holding the sword in front, right hand on your own hilt.
17-32 Swords still on inside shoulder, Continue moving clockwise. Clash swords on shoulders, hilt over point.
1-16 Half turn clockwise, lifting left-hand swords over head to outside shoulder. (Helps if you also take a small step towards the centre of the set, as space will be tight.)
Four steps circling anti-clockwise.
Half turn anti-clockwise, bringing swords to inside shoulder.
Four steps clockwise.
This is a sweeping move with the swords being swung down, then up over the head and and down on the shoulder, for the first direction change, and up over the head, down and up onto the shoulder again for the second.
17-32 Repeat sequence in italics.
Triangular Lock (A) (Or 2A if you don't make the lock fast enough!)
1-16 Form triangular lock. (paired swords should already be hilt over point from the 'pancakes'). Lower them down, slide upper sword of each pair towards the centre. Weave outside sword from the lower pair into place (over and under), then weave in the outer sword on on the other side. (You may find that you need to slide the sword sideways a little before you're able to weave it, and then push it back into place afterwards)
Make sure you take a few beats to tidy the shape of the lock.
Spin (BB)
1-8 Sidestep clockwise in circle while holding onto lock with both hands (hold at cross points so it doesn't come apart). End with a feet together jump.
9-16 Sidestep anti-clockwise. End with feet together jump.
17-32 Repeat 1-16,
Display Lock (Whatever AB combination fits what the dancers are doing, which can vary with space/audience/etc.)
1-32 Display lock, going round in circle.
Lower lock into centre of circle, grip swords by the hilt, pull out on last beat of music.
A dance for three, written by Southern Star Longsword. Dance numbers go clockwise.
Music tempo should be 200.
Each dancer has two swords. The swords are normally held in the same hand and lie on top of one another so that they look to the casual eye like a single sword.
The count is in steps, not bars.
Walk On into Circle (AA)
Stand sideways in a line of three, shoulder to shoulder, number 1 leading. (Number 2 will actually be at the end of the line in this particular dance.)
Swords are held in the right hand and rest on right shoulder.
Stepping is as the Horse's Brawl dance: left foot sideways, right foot behind left foot, left foot beside right foot, jump on the spot with feet together.
1-16 Sideways in a straight line, with swords on shoulders.
17-32 Number 1 leads into a circle and the dancers continue round in the circle, still using the Horse's Brawl stepping and finishing with the final jump.
Diamond Clashes (BB)
Brisk walk (the side step is only used for the walk on.)
1-4 Raise right hand sword and lower left hand sword while turning anti-clockwise 1 ¼ . Finish facing clockwise in a circle.
5-16 High and low clash swords every step. High sword clashes forwards, low sword clashes backwards. (It's a bit like clapping your hands together. Both swords move towards each other and then away again.)
17-20 Raise right hand sword over heads and swing it down as you turn, raise left hand sword, while doing a half turn anti-clockwise. Finish facing clockwise in a circle.
21-32 High and low clash swords every step. High sword clashes forwards, low sword clashes backwards.
Shoulders (AABB)
1-4 Bring swords together, pointing down, and take four steps backwards from the set.
5-8 Four steps forward, bringing swords up onto right shoulder.
9-16 Circle clockwise, swords on inside shoulders. Left hand holding the sword in front, right hand on your own hilt.
17-32 Swords still on inside shoulder, Continue moving clockwise. Clash swords on shoulders, hilt over point.
1-16 Half turn clockwise, lifting left-hand swords over head to outside shoulder. (Helps if you also take a small step towards the centre of the set, as space will be tight.)
Four steps circling anti-clockwise.
Half turn anti-clockwise, bringing swords to inside shoulder.
Four steps clockwise.
This is a sweeping move with the swords being swung down, then up over the head and and down on the shoulder, for the first direction change, and up over the head, down and up onto the shoulder again for the second.
17-32 Repeat sequence in italics.
Triangular Lock (A) (Or 2A if you don't make the lock fast enough!)
1-16 Form triangular lock. (paired swords should already be hilt over point from the 'pancakes'). Lower them down, slide upper sword of each pair towards the centre. Weave outside sword from the lower pair into place (over and under), then weave in the outer sword on on the other side. (You may find that you need to slide the sword sideways a little before you're able to weave it, and then push it back into place afterwards)
Make sure you take a few beats to tidy the shape of the lock.
Spin (BB)
1-8 Sidestep clockwise in circle while holding onto lock with both hands (hold at cross points so it doesn't come apart). End with a feet together jump.
9-16 Sidestep anti-clockwise. End with feet together jump.
17-32 Repeat 1-16,
Display Lock (Whatever AB combination fits what the dancers are doing, which can vary with space/audience/etc.)
1-32 Display lock, going round in circle.
Lower lock into centre of circle, grip swords by the hilt, pull out on last beat of music.
