Traditional Dance In The Marshland Villages
Marshland Molly Dancing
Plough Monday is the first after 12th Night and traditionally marked the start of the agricultural year. On this day farmworkers in the past took a plough round their village and were given sums of money by local residents. At certain points in history the “ploughboys” performed songs and/or dances. The Reverend Bloomfield who wrote a History of Norfolk, published in 1775, said that the money was used to keep a “plough light” burning all year to bring blessings upon the rural community and that after the Reformation they kept the money for themselves. Tilney was certainly one of those villages that kept giving the plough money to the church.
The records of the day from the Tilney Churchwarden’s accounts are some of the most comprehensive and possibly some of the very oldest in the country and the work that the History Group has done in translating and recording the accounts has national significance. Whilst we have no records of the dance taking place in these villages, it was a well known custom locally. Find out about the molly dancing the children learnt here... |
Country Dance
Country dances were very popular at a range of village events in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Mayday was one such event but also at the Harvest “Horkey” and village feasts. Village feast days often marked important historical community events in the past.
The pupils were taught 2 country dances as part of this project.
The Norfolk Long Dance
A very long set formed with all the pupils in the class. From the top looking down boys, or those being boys, are on the right and the girls, or those being girls, on the left.
Figure 1
Pupils hold hand along the lines, dance forward, 4steps towards partner and back to place 4 steps. The across to the other side, letting go of hands and passing right shoulder, 8 steps, turn to face.
The process is repeated, i.e. forward and back and back to original place, again right shoulders.
Figure 2
Top couple take both hand with partner and gallop right to the bottom.
Figure 3
Swing partner, getting back into line before the end of that piece of music.
The figures are repeated but with a caller it is possible to specify more than one couple going down. If a large number of couples go down it is very important for everyone to move up to avoid everyone being squashed at the end of the hall. Also it may well be that the galloping down takes a long time so there might not be time for the swing.
Music
We chose to use the version of "Trip To The Cottage" collected fromStephen Poll at Tilney St Lawrence, 7th January 1905.
Trip To The Cottage Music
Circassian Circle
The dance is performed in a circle, boys with girls on their right, or girls with boys on their left!
Figure 1
All dance in 4 steps and out, repeat
Figure 2
Girls dance in 4 steps, clap and out again, Boys do the same but turn to face partner as they dance out
Figure 3
All swing partners and end facing anticlockwise round the room
Figure 4
All Promenade anticlockwise 8 steps
Music
We chose to use the version of "Low Backed Car" collected fromStephen Poll at Tilney St Lawrence, 7th January 1905.
Low Backed Car Music
The pupils were taught 2 country dances as part of this project.
The Norfolk Long Dance
A very long set formed with all the pupils in the class. From the top looking down boys, or those being boys, are on the right and the girls, or those being girls, on the left.
Figure 1
Pupils hold hand along the lines, dance forward, 4steps towards partner and back to place 4 steps. The across to the other side, letting go of hands and passing right shoulder, 8 steps, turn to face.
The process is repeated, i.e. forward and back and back to original place, again right shoulders.
Figure 2
Top couple take both hand with partner and gallop right to the bottom.
Figure 3
Swing partner, getting back into line before the end of that piece of music.
The figures are repeated but with a caller it is possible to specify more than one couple going down. If a large number of couples go down it is very important for everyone to move up to avoid everyone being squashed at the end of the hall. Also it may well be that the galloping down takes a long time so there might not be time for the swing.
Music
We chose to use the version of "Trip To The Cottage" collected fromStephen Poll at Tilney St Lawrence, 7th January 1905.
Trip To The Cottage Music
Circassian Circle
The dance is performed in a circle, boys with girls on their right, or girls with boys on their left!
Figure 1
All dance in 4 steps and out, repeat
Figure 2
Girls dance in 4 steps, clap and out again, Boys do the same but turn to face partner as they dance out
Figure 3
All swing partners and end facing anticlockwise round the room
Figure 4
All Promenade anticlockwise 8 steps
Music
We chose to use the version of "Low Backed Car" collected fromStephen Poll at Tilney St Lawrence, 7th January 1905.
Low Backed Car Music