The Morris Book A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of England Volume 1

Excerpt: ... come as easily as the rest. Let the beginner in temporary difficulty with it bethink himself of the polka-step; sing a stave of the polka, and dance round the room to it. He will find that his feet are stepping exactly in order of the Morris 4/3 and 6/3 step-left, right, left, hop-left; right, left, right, hop-right, and so on. Now, all he has to do in order to adapt the polka to the Morris four-time step of 4/3 is, firstly to manage his feet as described, then to make the hop at end of each bar of the polka not as it were a dotted note, but in even measure with the other beats: for the last step of each bar to Morris four-time music is a hop, as in the polka, but in even time and in the Morris fashion. Now, having adapted the polka step to the Morris 4/3, let the learner simply count six to the bar and step to it in exactly the same way. He will find, given just an average ear for rhythm, that he will soon be dancing thus, counting as he 1 2 3 4 5 6 dances--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6--Right--left, Right--right; 1 2 3 4 5 6 Left--right, Left--left. Having mastered these, one last instruction may be given. The 4/3 Morris step is occasionally varied, so as to make it exactly like the polka-step-that is, with the final hop danced like a dotted note; like a quaver, if the music be in common time. This is a variation practised occasionally by the Morris men themselves, and the enthusiastic amateur will find himself dropping into it occasionally, following his enthusiastic leader. No instructions for this changing of the step will be given in the Notation, for it cannot be specified. The whole side will fall into it naturally, upon occasion: for instance, where there is a long stretch of the step, danced in one position, couples facing, arms swinging and handkerchiefs waving, as in "Blue-eyed Stranger." This is fairly intoxicating to the dancer, and here the hop will often suggest itself. And again, in hurrying, if one gets left behind a...