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Lichfield

The Lichfield dances DDMM do

  • Jenny Lind
  • Milley's Bequest
  • Ring O Bells
  • Sherrif's Ride
  • Vandalls

In 2025 we're not doing Milley's Bequest or Ring O Bells
Last updated 14.4.25

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General stuff about Lichfield dances

A varied tradition, danced as 8 man sets, includes stick and handkerchief dances, The hey is unusual and requires some precision to make it look good.
Usual stepping sequence: 2 bars Double Step (DS), except Ring O’ Bells (RoB) and Jenny Lind which are both single step. Most dances include ‘swing backs’ (SB) half way through and at the end of figures. Start right foot unless instructed otherwise. Handkerchiefs in Sherrif's Ride common figures are down and up.
Usual common figures (cf): 
Walk Round (WR), Back to Back (BB), Heading up (HU), Heading down (HD), Lichfield Hey (LH). Milley’s Bequest includes several unusual cf, described later. The way that each common figure ends may differ from dance to dance, and is described under the specific dances. After the end of each stick dance the music resumes, the top couple turn inwards, walk off down centre of set, face and then receive sticks as men from each side follow them down in turn.

Other general info:

  • SB: Swing backs. A move in which the ‘free’ leg (the one you are not standing on), is swung out behind you to the side, then across to your midline and brought down to the floor at your side. You transfer your weight onto the other foot, hop on it, and swing your new ‘free leg’ backwards in the same fashion. Usually you are using SBs to move backwards. SBs start with right leg free (ie your right foot is in the air as you start and then swings back while you are on your left foot). SBs will make your body sway a bit, but try to keep your upper body erect. Hands outstretched at sides in balance.
  • OY: is just a bit of music – 2 notes or more depending on the dance. Milley’s Bequest is different (see below)
  • WR: The 2 sides of the set walk round each other in an oval, not much wider than the set. Odds go outside, cw, evens go inside, ccw. At the foot of set, the evens take the outside path, odds go inside. Walking (dancing in the case of Jenny Lind), is with swagger / intent, keeping time with music. Tops need to get back to place in reasonable time to ensure that bottoms aren’t stranded. End with 1 or 2 capers (see specific dances), in place facing across.
  • BB: 2 bars stepping, to cross right shoulder with partner and go back round him just past mid line of set (may necessitate not going out the whole set width). Return to place on 4 SBs (you can’t start the SB until you are just past the in-line position or legs will tangle!). 2nd half is cross left shoulder on 2 bars stepping, ending as described under specific dances.
  • HU: 1st couple dance on the spot (moving inwards a little to stand almost shoulder to shoulder) and 2nd couple come up on the outside to form a line of 4 across. Same with 3rd and 4th couples. Dance on the spot in lines, then 2nd, 4th couples return to place, 1st and 3rd couples dance on the spot. The stepping for return to place is described under specific dances.
  • HD: Inverse of HU. All face down the set. 2nd, 4th couples stay in place, 1st, 3rd move. The rest of the figure follows the HU pattern.
  • LH: Track as shown in the image below. A snappy figure, best danced going no further than the confines of the set, and with the moving pairs trying to stay parallel to each other. Sequence by set position numbers is:
    1. 1 and 4 cross on the diagonal, crossing right shoulders, so do 5 and 8 (red lines on diag) in parallel with 1,2.
    2. Then 2 and 3 cross, and 6, 7 too, also right shoulders (blue lines on diag), also parallel with 2,3
    3. Then there’s a brief but definite pause, then ends cross left shoulders across the set and middles do too, but they cross in parallel, up and down the set (green lines on diag). The men ending up in 2 and 7 usually make a quick spin out on the spot before they cross diagonal again in move 4.
    4. Repeat moves 1,2,3 (same positions, but the moves of 1,2,3 have of course put different men into each set position.)
    5. On the very last move of the hey, men return to place via stepping as described under specific dances.
    6. The arrows show the direction of travel of no1 as he goes through the hey, via set positions 4,6,7,8,5,3,2 and back to 1
    lichfield hey path

About how DDMM do specific Lichfield dances

Jenny Lind

Stick dance, with long stick held in left hand, short stick in right. Medium strength sticking - you're more likely to hit your own fingers or knee that to get hit! Single step throughout. Pattern is: OY, WR, df, HU, df, BB, df, HD, df, LH, df. Dance ends after final df (after the fast sticking). WR is done dancing (single step).

DF is sticking, done once through (steps 1-8 below) but twice at the very end, with the second run though done fast (NB some sides do the sticking twice every time). Sticking is done with partner, facing across.

  1. Bend from waist to tap long stick’s tip on the floor 2X.
  2. Then, while still bent over, clash partners stick tip at ground level 2X
  3. Straighten up quickly, then.
  4. Hit your long stick (held horizontal) with your short stick X2, then tips clash short sticks across with partner X2
  5. Repeat step 4 twice more (ie 3X in total)
  6. Repeat steps 1, 2, 3
  7. Repeat step 4, but only once
  8. Holding long stick by the middle, in front of you and to the left side, hit it with short stick 4X –on tip, on butt, on tip, on butt,. Then clash short stick across 3X forehand with partner.
  9. At end of dance, last df ends with turn to face up.

Common figure endings: WR and hey - One caper and sticks clash together (1CC); HU and HD - 2 swing-backs, 2 single steps, 1CC; BB - 2 swing-backs, 1CC

Blurry video from 2009 Ale
https://youtu.be/LdtIZA1as9E

Milley’s Bequest

An interesting and complex dance which incorporates unusual Lichfield figures such as rounds-four (R4), cross-over  (CO) and doubling up (DU) as well as the familiar BB. It also features ‘galley-overs’ (GO), once described as ‘trying to jump over your own leg’.
Pattern is: OY, FU, FD, df, BB, df, CO, df, R4, df, DU, df. End with 4 capers up instead of the final GO.
For full details see our .pdf file on Milley’s Bequest.
DDMM practice Milley’s bequest – Lichfield.

Sherriff’s Ride

DS handkerchief dance. Pattern is OY, WR, df, HU, df, BB, df, HD, df, LH, df. WR is done with swagger. Final df ends with 4 capers up (turn 30°, 60°, 90° on 2nd 3rd 4th capers, hands down and up (ending up)) after the second lot of df ‘flicks’. Each cf starts right foot, and ends with a step-caper in which the hands go down then up high (=1SCH), ready to come down for the 'flicks' of the df .

HU, HD, 4 bars of stepping, then, still in lines, ’push’ to the left, then ‘push’ to the right before returning on two SBs, caper. ‘Push’ = a closed sidestep in which body turns 45° to the left (or right), while hands push out in front of the body at thigh height, fists together.
DF is:

  1. 2 sharp handkerchief movements from shoulder level flicking towards face of opposite, while rising a bit onto your toes
  2. Step backwards c 30cm, onto your right foot, hands going out to your sides
  3. Without moving forwards, put your left foot down and hop on it, swinging your right foot forwards and back and bringing both hands in to your chest
  4. Jump forwards onto both feet, back in set, hands going up high, ready to come down either for 'flicks' or for the cf which follows the repeat.
  5. Repeat 1-4, but left foot back, hop on rt etc.

Common figure endings: WR and hey - 1SCH; HU and HD - 2 swing-backs, 1SCH; BB - 2 swing-backs, 1SCH

Video of the dance

Vandalls

Single stick, held diagonally in 2 hands, butt to left, except when striking (when both hands at butt end). Most of Vandalls is medium-strength sticking but

  1. In the final chorus men may go somewhat wild and their sticking becomes correspondingly heavy
  2. Because the sticking involves striking diagonally as well as across it is vital that you stick in full control so that if you miss you don’t injure someone. In our experience Vandalls is the dance in which men are most likely to get hit on the head (as opposed to on the knuckles) – so potentially a dangerous dance!

Pattern is OY, WR, df, HU, df, BB, df, HD, df, LH, df. WR is done with swagger. Dance ends at end of final df, when all turn to face up on CCS (= 2 capers, then feet together, stick in ‘show’, horizontally above head). Hold it there for the final note of the music, before walking off down the middle. Some sides clash on CCS, instead of ‘show’ at the end of each CSS.

DF is sticking and side-step. Sticking = Strike diagonally across to your right (eg no4 strikes no1), strike diagonally across to left (eg no4 strikes no5), then across the set with partner (eg no4 strikes no3), going forehand, backhand, forehand. At the ends, if no partner for diagonal clash, strike the air rather than the floor! Stick clash is high, with tips, quite energetic, especially the final chorus. Sidestep is open sidestep right, open sidestep left, doing a DS with an emphasis on the hop. CCS. Then repeat sticking and sidestep.

Common figure endings: WR and hey - CCS; HU and HD - CCS; BB - CCS.
DDMM in practice video