A nice satisfying hornpipe today known as Clopton Bridge (32-bar Hornpipe).
This is a longways set dance for four couples, doing the age old ceilidh-dance thing of the head couple moving down to the end of the set each time to let other people have a turn. This is a dance that I think is particularly useful, because it's quite simple but if you can get the sets to step-hop all the way through, they'll tire themselves out, need more breaks, and you need to know fewer dances to keep everyone happy...
Forming up
Nice and simple this one, longways sets for four couples. Don't be afraid to ask sets of more experienced dancers to form up a set at 90 degrees to other sets if you don't have quite enough space for all of those who want to dance - as long as there is someone there who knows what "head couple" means and can act as an example couple for everyone else. If you are double-stacking your sets, (that is having two sets end-to-end) be sure to get them to leave enough space between them to help distinguish sets.
The Dance
The first thing you want to do (unless you're calling for people who know what they're doing and will be indignant about being told how to suck eggs) is to demonstrate the step-hop which is common to this and most other hornpipe-based dances. I usually find myself calling for quite young audiences, so I can just tell them that it is the same as skanking - unfortunately, this don't work for everyone. The step hop is made up of four different parts;
1. Step on the left foot
2. Hop on the left foot, and kick out with the right.
3. Step on right foot
4. Hop on the right foot, kick out with the left.
5. Repeat
6. Curse your tired calves the day after.
Get out into the middle of the floor and do this to show them how! Let them practice it for thirty seconds or so before moving on to the next dance
So, the first step in the dance is for the head man and bottom woman to come together into the middle for a right-hand turn, lasting for a count of eight, then a left hand turn for a count of eight. this is the point at which they should be step-hopping. Rule #1 of Clopton bridge - if you're doing a dance figure, you should be step-hopping! This is then repeated by the bottom man and top lady. Feel free to apologise to the middle couples, who spend the first 16 bars of music getting bored. Their turn comes next, when the middle couples perform a right-hand star for a count of eight, then a left-hand star for a count of eight.
The top couple then get to spin down the center of the set for a count of eight. You can either tell them that this is their chance to show off, and that they can dance down in whatever way they fancy, or specify a two-handed spin down - watch your audience and remember to tailor it to their level of experience. Once they reach the bottom (and be sure to mention that the set should move up slightly to make space) everyone spins down to the end of the set, and the dance begins again. (NB - this is where problems start with this dance, because people haven't realised they're in the head or bottom couple, or the wrong partner will come down - keep an eye out and give 'em a nudge if necessary).
Potential Problems
For me, the hardest part of calling this dance is getting the top and bottom couples to realise what is supposed to be happening. The first two patterns of Clopton Bridge require opposite corner partners to come into the middle for a Right-hand turn (arms linked) and then a left hand turn, but explaining which couples should be doing it can be tricky without a reference point. So, my advice for this would be to explain to people which corner couple they are - reference a door, or a window, or someone in the band - anything which helps get it in peoples minds.
As I mentioned in the last paragraph of the previous section, when the second turn through the dance comes around it's quite common to see people not paying attention and missing their turn to go down the middle to dance with their opposite - in my experience, the rest of the set will often remind them, but don't be afraid to give them a bit of a nudge
Music
I don't think I've ever called this dance to anything other than King of the Fairies - probably because the bands I call for come from the same pool with the same exposure to the same music. This is quite nice because, if the band you're calling for plays the stops in the B section of King of the Fairies, then it gives a nice dramatic little pause during the head couples' spin down to the bottom of the set. I'm sure other hornpipes work just as well.
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