This danced is designed to be very simple to dance and teach, and may make a nice beginner friendly workshop dance as well.

 

Let me take you on a journey of epic proportions as someone does some DIY.

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This dance is a 4 person dance, labelled first corners and second corners, and can be danced with multiple sets (both 2 sets next to each other and 4 sets arranged in a grid work well). There also exists a 6 dancer variation on this dance known as The Extension, which is detailed below.

Overview

A - Picture Frame

B - Chorus

A - Backs To Backs

B - Chorus

A - Stars

B - Chorus

A - Chase and Loop

B - Chorus

 

Chorus

No stepping

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1: Everybody clash forehand across the set

2: 1st corners turn left 3/4, 2nd corners clash forehand on the diagonal while turning 1/4 left

3: Clash forehand up and down

4: Clash backhand up and down

5: Clash forehand up and down

6: 2nd corners turn left 3/4, 1st corners clash forehand on the diagonal while turning 1/4 left

7: Clash forehand across

8: Clash backhand across

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9-16: repeat

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Figures

Picture Frame

1-2: Everyone passes right shoulder to right shoulder across the set

3-4: Everyone turns out of the set 3/4 to face up and down (1s turning left, 2s turning right). It is easy at this point to shape to loops to aid the upcoming right shoulder pass. The 1s want to start large and then tighten during the loop, the 2s want to start tight and open up during the loop

5-6: Everyone passes right shoulder up and down

7-8: Everyone turns out of the set 3/4 to face across (1s turning left, 2s turning right)

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9-16: Repeat back to place

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Backs to Backs

1-2: Step forward into a line, right shoulder to right shoulder with the person across the set from you

3-4: Without changing your facing, quickly change places with the person to your right, aiming to transition as instantaneously as possible to a line again

5-6: Dance backwards to your place

7-8: Turn 3/4 out of the set to face up and down (1s turn left, 2s turn right)

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9-16: Repeat, now facing up and down

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Stars

1-8: Staff star right (sticks held vertically in the centre of the set), aiming to go roughly once and a half around. On 8, pull stick out of the centre, turning right, ready to start:

9-16: Star left, punching the stick arm out as you take wrist hold in the centre of the set on 9. Drop the hold on 15 and fall back into place

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Chase and Loop

1-4: Chase anti-clockwise half way around

5-8: As you pass through the corner position diagonally opposite where you started, thrust your stick out on the hop between beat 4 and 5 and dance around the stick (trying to keep the stick stationary) back into that same corner place

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9-16: Repeat back to home place

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The Extension

The Extension is a variant on this dance for 6 dancers. The 2 extra dancers become the middles in a three couple longways set. The dance has the same figures and is basically the same for the four corner positions as outlined previously. The instructions below detail the differences.

Chorus

No stepping

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1: Everybody clash forehand across the set

2: 1st corners turn left 3/4, 2nd corners and middles clash forehand on the left diagonal

3: Corners clash forehand up and down, middles petronella turn (ducking slightly) into the middle of the line to their right

4: Everybody clash backhand up and down

5: Everybody clash forehand up and down

6: 2nd corners turn left 3/4, 1st corners and middles clash forehand on the left diagonal

7: Corners clash forehand up and down, middles petronella turn (ducking slightly) into the middle of the line to their right

8: Everybody clash backhand across

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9-16: repeat

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Figures

Picture Frame

1-2: Everyone passes right shoulder to right shoulder across the set

3-4: 1s loop left 3/4 to face up and down. 2s loop right and back on themselves to become the middle of the new line. Middles turn right and chase the 2s to become the new right hand end of lines facing up and down

5-6: Everyone passes right shoulder up and down

7-8: 1s loop left 3/4 to face up and down. Middles loop right and back on themselves to become the middle of the new line. 2s turn right and chase the middles to become the new right hand end of lines facing up and down

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9-16: Repeat back to place

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Backs to Backs

1-2: Step forward into a line, right shoulder to right shoulder with the person across the set from you

3-4: Without changing your facing, quickly change places with the person to your right, aiming to transition as instantaneously as possible to a line again

5-6: Dance backwards to your place

7-8: Turn 3/4 out of the set to face up and down (1s turn left, 2s turn right). Middles take two stamp steps (right then left) to plant themselves in position. They can use these steps to ensure there is room for two people to dance between them

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9-16: Corners repeat, now facing up and down, and having to dance around a static dancer. Middles repeat the stamp steps on 15 and 16 to return themselves to standard set spacing

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Stars

1-8: Staff star right (sticks held vertically in the centre of the set), aiming to go roughly once around. On 8, pull stick out of the centre, turning right, ready to start:

9-16: Star left, punching the stick arm out as you take wrist hold in the centre of the set on 9. Drop the hold on 15 and fall back into place

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Chase and Loop

1-4: Corners chase anti-clockwise half way around the set. Meanwhile, the middles transfer their stick to their left hand and cast over their right shoulder in a small loop, ending back in their position on 4

5-8: Thrust your stick out on the hop between beat 4 and 5, diagonally out from the centre for the corners, and into the centre (held in left hand) for the middles. Dance around the stick (trying to keep the stick stationary) back into place

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9-16: Repeat back to home place