Source:
Adapted from version taught to us by Sarah Morland of Iffy Morris. (1994)
Music:
Three Jolly Black Sheepskins played remarkably straight and undotted.
Formation:
Set of 6.
Step:
Single (cycle) step. Stand for sticking.
Sequence:
Chorus
Back to backs
Chorus
Cross Overs
Chorus
Cross and rounds
Chorus:
Odds hit evens’ sticks, knob-cracking style, 16 hits for first half A music.
With evens remaining standing still, odds then dance a sheepskins hey around evens: No. 1 turns up and leads the odds off into the hey round evens, starting by passing right shoulders with No. 2. When the third odd (no. 5) passes the middle even for the first time, he turns round him so he now leads the other two. When the second odd (no. 3) passes the middle even for the second time, he also turns round him as before. Finally it is no 1’s turn to turn round the middle odd when passing him for the third time. When the last odd has thus turned round the middle even, all three odds end up in line with the evens, each odd on the DOWN side of his partner. All this takes 20 steps, with the last one or two on the spot in line with the evens. The odds then take four steps to cross back to own position again (in a line!), turning UP the set to face partner again.
Repeat, with evens hitting Odds’ sticks, and evens dancing hey round odds, with a left shoulder pass first.
Back to backs:
Evens stand still, whilst odds do a right shoulder back to back around them (2 steps across, 2 sideways, 3 back, 1 on the spot in position), followed by a left shoulder back to back.
Then odds stand still whilst evens do right then left shoulder back to backs around them.
Cross Overs:
All do right shoulder cross over (4 steps across, turn to RIGHT on step 5, 3 on the spot), then a waistaround for 8 steps back to position.
Then all to a LEFT shoulder cross over (4 steps across, turn to LEFT of 5th, 3 steps on the spot), and a waistaround again for 8 steps back to position.
Cross and rounds:
All do right shoulder cross over for 4 steps, middles going out a bit further to form a round. Then all dance in a clockwise rounds, and off.
