What is English sword dance?
The dances:
We
don’t use actual swords. The dance implements are long, flat strips
of metal or wood, depending on the dance, which are used to create
patterns. In England there are two basic types of sword dance, rapper
and longsword.The rapper dance evolved in the mining villages of
Northumberland and Durham. It is primarily a five person, hilt and
point, linked ring sword dance, performed at high speed to double
jigs. Without breaking the circle the dancers weave around each other
and over and under the rappers; bending and twisting them as they
move quickly through the figures.
In contrast to rapper, longsword is performed by six or eight dancers using meter-long, rigid lengths of steel or wood. Each dancer holds the point of their neighbour’s sword and passes over or under the other swords, singly and in pairs. Both dances finish with a lock where the swords are interlaced and displayed.
The music is supplied by a single musician, either melodeon or fiddle, playing traditional jigs, reels, or other types of tunes as appropriate to the dance.
In June of 2008 East Saxon Sword (founded in 1972) and Greengate Rapper (founded in 2005) amalgamated, combining literally centuries of sword dancing experience, with youthful energy and exuberance. We perform at parties, weddings, festivals, and other events, please ask.
We are a friendly, mixed-gender, multi-generational group that welcomes new members. Musicians are welcome too! We practice Monday nights 8:00 pm in Leyton, in the hall of the Holy Trinity & St Augustine Church. 4 Holloway Road E11 4LD [View Map]
We also hold open practice nights during the Leytonstone Festival (July) for anyone to come and see what sword dancing is like.
Contact: ...@hawksword.org
The Nut - The journal of rapper – news, archival photos and history.
The English Folk Dance and Song Society - one of the leading folk development organisations in the UK with a history dating back to 1898.
The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library – the repository of information on traditional dance, including an annotated bibliography on sword dance.
The Sword Dance Union - For information on English sword dance, European sword dance, longsword dance, rapper.
The Morris Federation - a United Kingdom association of self-governing morris and sword groups.
Rapper Online - all you ever wanted to know about rapper.