| FIGURES OF THE DANCE | |||
| Line Across | Move Twos | Quick Change | Turn All |
| Present | See-Saw | Final Figure | |
This is another of John Earnshaw's creations. With the inspiration of madness or genius this is a Northwest dance with a basic circle set using seven dancers! Always keen to see lines in our dances we prefer to think of the circle as a hexagon. Yes hexagon - dancer seven is inside so six dancers create the main shape. Possibly the only Morris dance ever written and named after a village famous for having no pub!
Some say this is the creation of a fevered mind, some that this is a work of genius. Northwest is recognised by two lines of dancers and team sizes using multiples of four so just where did John come up with the idea for a dance for seven using a basically circular shape? The autumn of 2003 was when John Earnshaw unveiled this dance to a wondering team in the Methodist Hall. As a founder member of the team and the author of several dances, amongst them "Stocksmoor" a team favourite, John had the full attention and respect of the team. The next few weeks proved to be a testing time for the team and John as we battled to translate the vision into a reality. Our beloved lines were nowhere to be seen, strange new steps had to be mastered and the band were trying to find an acceptable tune. The implements to be used were intended to be slings but the basic step up put us in mind of a line dance and tempted us to hook our thumbs in our belts. Then the figures had us passing so close that waving an implement could be life threatening. So eventually it was decided that along with all it's other unique qualities the dance would become "the one with no implements". Memories The dance got it's first public outing on Boxing Day 2003 at the Kings Arms on Heath Common to general acclaim and admiration. "A really smart dance". "That one will knock the socks off the audience". "A real dancers dance". And from Alan Lindsay our former treasurer and dancer and now supplier of organic meat to the gentry "With a bit of spit and polish that will be a cracking dance". Coming from Alan that's praise of the highest order.