As far as can be ascertained, this dance is older than is its present tune which was adopted by the villagers during the height of its popularity on the music halls during the last century. In fact, many Cotswold morris villages also took the tune into their repertoires at around the same time. We have not been able to fined the original tune to the dance.
The dance is normally performed with a set of six but can be performed with eight if desired.
Tune:
The Lollipop Man
Sequence :
As Portholme
Common Figures:
Performed as normal but note that odds and evens in the set change sides after each DF so some car should be taken with personal orientation.
Chorus (DF):
- 4PC into line - odds facing down and evens up
- Stamp Rt/kick heels left - stamp Lt/kick heels right with opposite
- 4 single steps and a double step - usual hand movements
- Then hook left out of line to opposite side of the set in an exaggerated and rapid bursting out of line into the normal set formation. It is at this point that odds change sides with evens and back again at the next DF.
Note 1- the stamp & kick is: symbolically kicking the mud off your boots.
Note 2 - by a fortunate coincidence, a dance tour of the United States undertaken by Fenstanton Morris during the summer of 1987, enabled the authors of these notes to meet with Arabella Jolly who had danced with the old Mirkmere side in 1936 alongside Fred and Charlie. Now a great grandmother in her eighties she had married a US serviceman during the war and emigrated soon after, although keeping in touch with her home. Fred and Charlie were always a little hazy as to the precise steps of this dance but Arabella remembered it perfectly once we played her the tune and helped us record the steps given above. Despite her advanced years she is still sprightly and even managed a few steps on her lawn one evening just to ensure that we had got them down correctly. A lovely lady.